Image by Natalia Bratslavsky / Shutterstock

Memphis

Memphis doesn't just attract tourists; it draws pilgrims. Music-lovers lose themselves to the throb of blues guitar on Beale St. Barbecue connoisseurs descend to stuff themselves silly on smoky pulled pork and dry-rubbed ribs. Elvis fanatics fly in to pay their respects at Graceland. You could spend days hopping from one museum or historic site to another, stopping only for barbecue, and leave happy.

Celebrating its bicentennial in 2019, Memphis has long been marked by a certain baroque, ruined quality both sad and beguiling. But the city these days feels re-energized. Neighborhoods once downtrodden and abandoned – South Main, Binghampton, Crosstown and others – are being reinvented with kitschy boutiques, hipster lofts, daring restaurants, welcoming microbreweries and design-minded revamps of old buildings, all dripping with Memphis' wild river-town spirit. Poverty is still prevalent, and some neighborhoods are considered unsafe at night, but the vibe overall is one of optimism and local pride.

Explore Memphis

0

Latest Stories from Memphis

Planning Toolkit

  • Plan a day trip full of local flavor and get back in time with these same-day options.

  • Ways to maximize the fun without spending a dime on your next great adventure.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Memphis.

  • Historic Building

    Graceland

    If you only make one stop in Memphis, it should be here: the sublimely kitschy, gloriously bizarre home of the King of Rock and Roll. Though born in…

  • Historic Site

    Sun Studio

    This dusty storefront is ground zero for American rock and roll. Starting in the early 1950s, Sun's Sam Phillips recorded blues artists such as Howlin'…

  • Museum

    National Civil Rights Museum

    Housed partly inside the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, is the gut-wrenching National Civil Rights Museum…

  • Museum

    Stax Museum of American Soul Music

    Wanna get funky? Head directly to Soulsville, USA, where this 17,000-sq-ft museum sits on the site of the old Stax recording studio. This venerable spot…

  • Museum

    Elvis Presley's Memphis

    Graceland's new $45-million, 200,000-sq-ft state-of-the-art entertainment complex is five times the size of the old visitor center. Highlights include…

  • Landmark

    Memphis Pyramid

    Don't laugh, but the most striking building in Memphis, a 32-story pyramid completed in 1991, is now home to an enormous Bass Pro Shop. Even if you don't…

  • Museum

    Memphis Music Hall of Fame

    It was a long time coming, but Memphis finally has a shrine to its own. This small but well-done museum, the sister gallery to the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul…

  • Museum

    Blues Hall of Fame

    Dedicated to Blues Hall of Fame inductees, this intimate and well-done space features a rotating art gallery on the lobby level and a small but well…

  • Museum

    Withers Collection Museum

    Featuring content culled from a 1.8-million-strong photo archive, this museum and gallery pays tribute to the work of famed African American…

  • Church

    Full Gospel Tabernacle Church

    On Sunday, put on your 'smell goods' and head to services in South Memphis, where soul-music legend turned reverend Al Green presides over a powerful…

  • Museum

    Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum

    This Smithsonian museum, next to FedEx Forum, examines how African American and white music mingled in the Mississippi Delta to create the modern rock and…

  • Museum

    WC Handy House Museum

    On the corner of 4th St, this shotgun shack once belonged to the composer called the 'father of the blues.' He was the first to transpose the 12 bars and…

  • Park

    Mud Island

    A small peninsula jutting into the Mississippi, Mud Island is downtown Memphis' best-loved green space. Walk across the bridge to the park, where you can…

  • Museum

    Children's Museum of Memphis

    Give the kids a chance to let loose and play in, on and with exhibits such as an airplane cockpit or an earthquake 'shake' table at this museum targeted…

  • Museum

    Mississippi River Museum

    Pop in here to learn a little bit more about the cultural and natural history of the Big Muddy. Be sure to check out the scale model of the lower…

  • Gallery

    Brooks Museum of Art

    At this well-regarded art museum on Overton Park's western fringe, the excellent permanent collection encompasses everything from Renaissance sculpture to…

  • Historic Site

    Levitt Shell

    A historic band shell and the site of Elvis' first concert in 1954. Today the mod-looking white shell hosts free concerts in summer and fall.

  • Statue

    Elvis Statue

    The world's first bronze Elvis statue was erected in this small plaza in 1980.

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Memphis.

  • Activities