Ground has been broken on a US$45m (€40m, £29m) immersive arts facility in Meridian, Mississippi, designed by Gallagher & Associates and dedicated to film, literature, music, art, dance, theatre and visual arts.

The 58,500sq ft (5,435sq m) Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience has been designed to be “totally immersive”, according to principal architect Cybelle Jones, who said the plans would incorporate media, hands-on experiences and interactive art.

"What is so special about Mississippi is going to come out," said Jones. "The Mississippi story about these artists is what this experience will be about. Their photography, their paintings, their songs, their theatre, will come to life in a different way."

The museum will have a large focus on artists from the Mississippi area including Elvis, BB King, Morgan Freeman and Jimmy Buffett among others.

The development has been in the works since 2005, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Funding legislature was approved in 2009 and development is now on course for an opening date of 2017.