Tour the Lead Belly Museum

Walk Where He Walked A Living Tour of the Lead Belly Museum — Marshall, Texas

Before the world knew his name, East Texas knew his sound.

Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter got his professional start right here in Marshall, Texas — the land where his family put down roots, where the boogie woogie tradition took hold, and where the story of one of America’s greatest musicians truly began.

Now, for the first time, that story has a permanent home.

The Lead Belly Museum, located inside the historic Marshall Texas Depot, invites you to step inside the life of the King of the 12-String Guitar. Walk through a detailed timeline of his extraordinary life. Discover his deep connection to East Texas and the boogie woogie tradition. Stand before artifacts, photographs, and historical records that trace his journey from the cotton fields of Louisiana and Texas to the stages of Carnegie Hall and the studios of New York City.

This is not just a museum. It is a reckoning. A reclamation. A reminder that rock and roll, folk, blues, and the music that shaped the world were born right here — in this soil, in these streets, in this sound.

The museum was opened in 2026 with the blessing of Lead Belly’s family and descendants, who called it the finest tribute to his legacy they had ever seen.

Come and see it for yourself.

VISIT The Lead Belly Museum at the Marshall Texas Depot 800 North Washington Avenue Marshall, Texas 75670

HOURS Wednesday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sunday: 11:00 a.m. (confirm closing time directly with the museum)

PHONE (903) 923-5950

The House of Lead Belly proudly supports this tribute to Huddie Ledbetter’s Texas legacy. For more on his life and music, visit houseofleadbelly.com.