It's been said that downtown Memphis is the place where the Mississippi Delta begins. Whether you are a visitor or native Memphian, the Cotton Museum is a great place to start an exploration of the Delta's history and our dynamic urban culture. Our Museum tells the story of how Memphis became all that it is. Engaging exhibits help visitors understand our city's place in time and explain how the art, history, and music that is so important to our culture evolved from the confluence of people that were originally gathered here around the cotton industry. The story of the south cannot be understood without understanding the story of cotton.