Southwest of Memphis, Tunica County has established itself as one of the Southeast’s biggest gaming centers. The area has six casinos, 13 hotels, and 5,000 guest rooms, and offers easy access through Interstate 269, which connects Tunica’s I-69 to Interstates 40 and 22, as well as other major highways.
“Catering to the millions of business and leisure travelers who come here annually, our area is well-equipped for meeting and convention groups,” says Mary Catherine Webb, sales manager for Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau. The area has 45,000 square feet of event space, she adds.
Tunica Arena & Exposition Center contains a 48,000-square-foot arena that seats 5,344 people. The center also has 10 amenity-filled skyboxes with 36 fixed seats and a 1,100-square-foot meeting and hospitality suite.
Webb says many of the area’s casino properties have recently undergone renovations and updates, including new dining options, updates to guest rooms, and other enhancements. Gold Strike Casino Resort’s largest event space boasts 1,200 guest rooms and 30,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 9,000-square-foot ballroom with seating for approximately 1,200 people. The space can be divided into smaller meeting rooms for 320 people each. Resort amenities include two restaurants, championship golf, shopping,
a pool, a spa, and a fitness center.
Horseshoe Tunica Casino & Hotel has 506 rooms and 15,000 square feet of event space, and the 494-room Hollywood Casino Tunica contains 14,400 square feet of banquet space, plus hospitality suites. Another property, the 507-room Fitz Casino & Hotel Tunica, features a 7,800-square-foot Great Hall, which can be divided into four sections. The 335-room Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall Tunica offers meeting, banquet, and exhibit space with a capacity of 1,500 people.
Visitors should make a point of dining at Blue & White Restaurant, in operation since 1924. The classic café on Highway 61 offers an extensive Southern-style menu, including Delta fried green tomatoes, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, barbecue, seafood, and “blue and white donuts” made fresh daily. Later, walk off the calories and take in local culture and history
at the Gateway to the Blues Museum in Tunica and at Tunica River Park & Museum.
