About Catfish Row Museum
The Building
The Catfish Row Museum will be located in the Christian and Brough Building in downtown Vicksburg at 913 Washington Street directly across from the Lower Mississippi River Museum. Constructed in 1905, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Mississippi Landmark. The building itself tells the story of Vicksburg as the site of carriage manufacturing, blacksmithing and as an early automobile dealership for Packards and Studebakers. It was also the Monte Carlo Club, a venue for nationally acclaimed blues and R&B acts throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
The building will feature the museum and exhibit galleries, spaces for special events, a cafe, live music venue, a retail shop and an observation terrace.
The Experience
Visitors will learn about:
• The relationship between the river and the people who settled here
• How Vicksburg was established as an urban center built within a slave and cotton plantation society
• How the African American experience has influenced the cultural heritage of Vicksburg and the Mississippi Delta
• How the ethnic diversity of Vicksburg settlers continues to develop and support a rich and complex culture — music, art, literature and foodways
The Audience
• Locals — The exhibit experience and live programming will transform the former Monte Carlo into a unique gathering place for Vicksburg residents.
• Blues Tourists — The museum will give the back story of the blues and provide a unique venue for live music.
• Cultural Heritage Tourists — The engaging, visual, tactile and media-rich exhibit experience will serve as a roadmap to encourage further exploration at other cultural heritage sites.
• Military History Tourists — Museum progamming will extend the Vicksburg National Military Park experience.