Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Goa's Daugim Cross
The Lagoda
Human figures at Miculla Petroglyphs
Miculla Petroglyphs
The Ravne tunnels.
Ravne Tunnels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
about 6 hours ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
2 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
3 days ago
Jeremy Bentham’s Auto-Icon in its new location in 2020
The Jeremy Bentham Auto-Icon: Why This Legendary Philosopher Put His Own Body on Display
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Mississippi Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument
AO Edited

Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument

A seven-ton black granite monument dedicated to the memory of those who died and those who lived through the 1977 crash of the popular Southern rock band.

Magnolia, Mississippi

Added By
Liz McDaniel
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Lynyrd Skynyrd Memorial, Gillsburg, MS   LizzieMacD7 / Atlas Obscura User
Lynyrd Skynyrd Memorial, Gillsburg, MS   LizzieMacD7 / Atlas Obscura User
  mikemc11112222
  mikemc11112222
  mikemc11112222
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This seven-ton, black granite monument was dedicated in 2019 to the memory of those who died and those who lived through the 1977 plane crash of the iconic Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. 

On October 20, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd was flying to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for a concert at Louisiana State University, when their plane ran out of fuel. It crashed into the woods near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, singer Cassie Gaines, manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray were killed in the accident. Twenty others survived the crash. 

This tragedy abruptly halted Lynyrd Skynyrd's career. Ten years later, Van Zant's brother Johnny reformed the band. The site of the crash became a memorial for fans, rescuers, and survivors. An oak tree nearby has Lynyrd Skynyrd iconography carved into it, and this monument was installed by locals in 2019.

The monument stands eight feet tall and 14 feet wide. Six steps lead up to the memorial, one for every person who died in the crash. The monument is approximately 400 yards from the actual crash site.  The artistic etchings on the backside are not to be missed.

Details of the ill-fated flight, as well as information about the rescuers and survivors, can be found found at the memorial.

Related Tags

Rock And Roll Monuments Memorials Crash Site Music

Know Before You Go

The monument is free of charge, open 24/7. There is a paved parking lot and it is handicap accessible.

Community Contributors

Added By

LizzieMacD7

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy, 2ytpmsprqj, lailstock64, trussellphyllis...

  • Michelle Cassidy
  • 2ytpmsprqj
  • lailstock64
  • trussellphyllis
  • dawnd555

Published

September 6, 2021

Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynyrd_Skynyrd_plane_crash
Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument
7364 Easley Road
Magnolia, Mississippi, 39652
United States
31.078854, -90.594111
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Kentwood Historical and Cultural Arts Museum

Kentwood, Louisiana

miles away

LIGO Livingston Observatory

Walker, Louisiana

miles away

Smitty's Super Service Station

Sandy Hook, Mississippi

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mississippi

Mississippi

United States

Places 65
Stories 14

Nearby Places

Kentwood Historical and Cultural Arts Museum

Kentwood, Louisiana

miles away

LIGO Livingston Observatory

Walker, Louisiana

miles away

Smitty's Super Service Station

Sandy Hook, Mississippi

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mississippi

Mississippi

United States

Places 65
Stories 14

Related Places

  • The Frank Zappa memorial in Vilnius, Lithuania.

    Vilnius, Lithuania

    Frank Zappa Memorial

    The Frank Zappa fan club erected this monument to their prog-rock hero to mark a new era of post-Soviet Lithuania.

  • Hamburg, Germany

    Beatles-Platz (Beatles Square)

    This red light district plaza memorializes the Fab Four and their historic connection to the area.

  • Bon Scott’s Grave

    Palmyra, Australia

    Bon Scott's Grave

    The final resting place of this rock icon has become a pilgrimage site for AC/DC fans.

  • Rockdrigo

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Rockdrigo Memorial

    A statue in Balderas subway station honors the rock star who wrote about it in a song.

  • Kirriemuir, Scotland

    Bon Scott Statue

    A monument to the 70s rock icon stands on the road into this small Scottish town.

  • Mercury House.

    Zanzibar, Tanzania

    Mercury House

    Freddie Mercury's childhood home is now a monument to the iconic Queen rockstar.

  • Memorial at the center of the site.

    Ndola, Zambia

    Dag Hammarskjöld Crash Site

    A memorial marks the spot where a plane crash killed several United Nations members on a peace mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • Tom Mix Monument.

    Florence, Arizona

    Tom Mix Monument

    At an isolated roadside rest area stands a monument marking where famous Western star Tom Mix died in 1940.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.