Morgan Freeman Opened Biloxi Blues Club
The music venue launched in 2022 inside a historic department store on Howard Avenue.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Blues
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In February 2022, actor Morgan Freeman co-founded the Ground Zero Blues Club in the former S.H. Kress department store building in Biloxi. The venue serves as a hub for local music and culture within the Biloxi Downtown National Register Historic District.
Why it matters
The project serves as a cornerstone for revitalizing the historic downtown corridor by providing a dedicated space for artists while preserving local juke joint culture. It balances modern entertainment needs with the adaptive reuse of a 1920s-era commercial landmark.
The venue spans 20,000 square feet across three floors and hosts up to 400 musical performances annually. The facility occupies the historic building at 814 Howard Avenue.
The players
Morgan Freeman
An Academy Award-winning actor and filmmaker who serves as a co-owner of the club.
The details
Owners transformed the former department store into a performance space and dining venue that features concert posters and musical instruments. Renovations conducted in 2022 revealed an underground tunnel hidden within the structure since the building's 1920s origin.
Timeline
The original department store building was constructed in the 1920s.
A fire damaged the department store building in November 1942.
The original Ground Zero Blues Club opened in Clarksdale in May 2001.
The Biloxi club location officially opened in February 2022.
The venue expanded into the second and third floors in June 2025.
Industry Dynamics
This venue aligns with the broader trend of adaptive reuse, where historic commercial properties are transformed into multi-level entertainment destinations. The project mirrors the cultural preservation efforts seen throughout the Biloxi Downtown National Register Historic District.
Visitors can now access musical performances across three floors of the historic downtown venue. The expansion increases the overall capacity for fans to experience live blues music in the heart of Biloxi.
The takeaway
The transformation of the S.H. Kress building highlights how architectural preservation can anchor urban revitalization. Readers interested in live music should verify the event calendar, as the club maintains a high volume of annual performances.
Further reading
Explore the local music scene and regional history at Biloxi Blues.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
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