Memphis, TN, USA July 22 A family enjoys wading in a scale model of the Mississippi on Mud Island in Memphis, Tennessee
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© Kirkikis / Getty Images


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 jog and rent bikes. The tram to the island was closed at research time, and it's unclear when and indeed if it will reopen.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Memphis attractions

1. Mississippi River Museum

0.28 MILES

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…

2. Memphis Pyramid

0.39 MILES

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…

3. Memphis Music Hall of Fame

0.93 MILES

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…

4. Elvis Statue

0.94 MILES

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

5. Withers Collection Museum

1.06 MILES

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

6. WC Handy House Museum

1.06 MILES

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…

7. Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum

1.07 MILES

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…