On Beale Street at night the road is closed to cars, a band is playing through an open door, and someone is carrying a 32-ounce cup of beer down the middle of the street. That is the version of Memphis most visitors come for, and it is only one layer of the city.
Memphis suits music fans, civil rights travellers, and anyone happy to spend a day moving between museums, river views and neighbourhoods of restored houses. This guide covers the sights named in the source material, grouped by area, with the practical details you need to string them into a day.
Downtown holds most of the headline stops and is walkable or reachable by trolley. Midtown and East Memphis need a car or a rideshare, so plan them as separate blocks rather than trying to fold them into a downtown afternoon.
Top things to do in Memphis
1. Beale Street
Beale Street is the "Home of the Blues": dozens of bars and clubs, most of them featuring live music. At night the street is closed to vehicles and you can drink on the street, and some bars have "drinks to go" windows where you can get a 32-ounce cup of beer and go bar-hopping. Many bars have no cover charge.
Note that Peabody Place nearby is largely a wasteland, as nearly all the stores inside have closed, so do not plan your evening around it. Combine Beale Street with the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, which sits at 191 Beale St on the FedExForum plaza.
2. National Civil Rights Museum (The Lorraine Motel)
The museum was built out of the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, and out of the boarding house across the street, from which came James Earl Ray's shot. Exhibitions cover the whole civil rights movement, segregation and slavery in American history from the 1800s to the 1960s, including the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
It sits at 450 Mulberry St, near the Amtrak station, and is closed on Tuesdays. The Blues Hall of Fame Museum at 421 S. Main St is opposite the Civil Rights Museum precinct, so the two pair naturally on the same outing.
3. Sun Studio
Numerous blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly recordings were made here, including Elvis's and Johnny Cash's first recordings. Tours are usually given by wallet-chained and mutton-chopped local musicians.
Sun Studio is at 706 Union Ave, at Union and Marshall, a block west of the Health Sciences Park. Tours begin hourly starting at 10:30AM, and tickets can be purchased at the cafe and gift shop inside the front door of the studio. Free parking is available in the back of the building.
4. Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum
A short video is shown at frequent intervals and then you are given a headset so that you can listen to commentary and numerous songs as you walk through the exhibits. The museum is sponsored by the Smithsonian.
It is at 191 Beale St, on the corner of Third St on the plaza of FedExForum, and last admission is at 4:15PM. Because it sits directly on Beale Street, it works well as a daytime stop before the bars open up for the evening.
5. Blues Hall of Fame Museum
This museum sits at 421 S. Main St, opposite the Civil Rights Museum precinct. It is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10AM to 5PM, and closed Sunday and Monday.
Pair it with the National Civil Rights Museum, since the two are across from each other, and check the day of the week before you set out.
6. The Cotton Museum
The Cotton Museum is at 65 Union Ave. It is open Monday to Saturday, 10AM to 5PM.
Its downtown location on Union Avenue makes it an easy add-on to a day built around Beale Street and the Main Street museums.
7. Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art
Downstairs from the Center for Southern Folklore, this museum holds a collection of over 900 Asian and Judaic artifacts. It is at 119 South Main St.
Opening hours are Wednesday to Friday 10AM to 5PM, and Saturday and Sunday noon to 5PM. It is a compact, focused stop that fits neatly between the other Main Street museums.
8. The Metal Museum
Formerly the National Ornamental Metal Museum, it displays art jewelry, architectural pieces and sculpture. The grounds are full of permanent installations, and the museum has one of the best views overlooking the Mississippi River. There is also a working smithy.
It is at 374 Metal Museum Dr and is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11AM to 5PM. Go for the river view as much as the collection, and note that the museum is named among the attractions within Overton Park's wider orbit in the source material, so check its location before you route your day.
9. Mississippi River and Tom Lee Park
River tours are available most days through a variety of providers. Tom Lee Park is a nice place to view the river.
Treat this as a flexible slot rather than a fixed appointment: pick a tour on the day, or simply walk to Tom Lee Park for the view. It combines well with Mud Island Park, which also looks out over the river.
10. Mud Island Park
The park was once accessible by monorail, made famous by a chase scene in the movie The Firm, but it has not been running for years. The park contains a museum of the Mississippi River and a scale model of the river. Visitors used to be welcome to remove their shoes and wade through the replica mighty Mississippi, but it is now dry. The "Gulf of Mexico" is a large pool in which visitors may rent paddle boats, and at the tip of the park is an excellent vantage point of the city and the river. The northern end of the island is occupied by HarborTown, a model community.
Entry to the park is free. Summer hours are 7AM to 5PM and winter hours are 6AM to 5PM, so plan it as a daytime stop.
11. Memphis Zoo
The zoo is home to pandas and other animals, with lots to do for children and adults. Seasonal events include numerous educational events, a Lantern Festival in wintertime for all ages, an annual Zoo Brews beer-tasting from around the world, and drinks and music in the Yellowstone-inspired Teton Trek Lodge for adults.
It is at 2000 Prentiss Place. Because it sits within Overton Park, you can combine it with a walk in the park itself.
12. Overton Park
Overton Park encompasses the Memphis Zoo, the Metal Museum, the Brooks Art Museum, the Overton Park 9 Golf Course, and the largest stand of old growth forest in a US city.
It is at 1930 Poplar Ave. Use it as the connective tissue for a Midtown day: pick one or two of the attractions inside it rather than trying to cover everything.
13. The Pink Palace Museum (Memphis Museum of Science & History)
Built as a private residence by Clarence Saunders, the man who introduced Piggly Wiggly, the world's first self-service grocery store, the Pink Palace Mansion was later taken by the tax man and subsequently turned into a museum. Saunders never actually lived in the house. It is a very eclectic place, with everything from shrunken heads to animatronic dinosaurs with a life-size copy of the first Piggly Wiggly in between. It also has an IMAX theater and a planetarium.
It is at 3050 Central Ave, at Central Ave and Lafayette Ave, and is open Monday to Saturday 9AM to 5PM and Sunday noon to 5PM. Note that planetarium and CTI 3D Theater presentations cost more than the exhibit-only ticket.
14. Stax Museum of American Soul Music
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is at 926 E. McLemore Ave in South Memphis. It is a separate trip from the downtown cluster, so give it its own slot rather than squeezing it between downtown stops.
15. Cooper-Young
This neighbourhood of restored homes is centred around the intersection of Cooper Street and Young Avenue, known by some as "the intersection of Memphis." The intersection has several cool bars and restaurants, as well as numerous shops.
Come for the free annual Cooper-Young festival in September if your dates line up. Otherwise it is an evening destination for eating and drinking away from the downtown crowds.
16. Overton Square
Overton Square has undergone many changes over the years but is still the hottest place in midtown Memphis for locals and tourists who are looking for somewhere to eat, shop, or be entertained.
Pair it with Cooper-Young for a Midtown evening, since both are in the same part of the city.
17. Memphis Botanic Garden
With over 96 acres of natural woodlands and cultivated gardens, the Botanic Garden is home to the seasonal outdoor concert series "Live at the Garden" and the Japanese Garden of Tranquility. The gardens also feature "My Big Backyard", a 2½ acre children's garden with a larger-than-life birdhouse, a tunnelling adventure, a teaching pond, "leaping lawn", "critter creek", and many other spaces that cater to children of all ages.
It is at 750 Cherry Road. Summer hours are 9AM to 6PM and winter hours are 9AM to 4:30PM, so check the season before you go.
18. Shelby Farms Park
Shelby Farms is one of the United States' largest urban parks. Visitors enjoy walking, fishing (with a valid Tennessee fishing license), mountain biking, horseback riding, sailing, canoeing, paddle-boating, disc-golf, and bird-watching. Its Woodland Discovery Playground includes a large treehouse, sand area, climbing nets and activities for children of all ages, and the park is also home to a herd of American Bison.
It is at 6903 Great View Drive North and is open Saturday to Wednesday "sunrise to sunset". Note that the source gives hours only for those days, so confirm before planning a Thursday or Friday visit.
19. Lichterman Nature Center
Part of the Memphis Museums of Science and History (MoSH), its 65 acres of lakes, meadows and forests feature lush gardens with native wildflowers and trees and provide a home to a wide variety of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals.
It is at 5992 Quince Rd and is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30AM to 5:00PM. It is an East Memphis stop, so group it with the Botanic Garden rather than with downtown.
20. Fire Museum of Memphis
An interactive museum designed to teach children and adults about fire safety, it also features a realistic room to show how much damage a dropped lit cigarette can do.
It is at 118 Adams Ave and is open Monday to Saturday 9AM to 4:30PM, closed Sunday. It is a short, child-friendly stop that fits into a downtown morning.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start downtown with the National Civil Rights Museum (The Lorraine Motel) at 450 Mulberry St, remembering it is closed on Tuesdays. Cross to the Blues Hall of Fame Museum at 421 S. Main St, then walk to the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art at 119 South Main St if your visit falls between Wednesday and Sunday.
Afternoon: Take the trolley for an overview of Downtown Memphis, then visit the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum at 191 Beale St, watching for the 4:15PM last admission. Follow it with the Cotton Museum on Union Ave, open until 5PM Monday to Saturday.
Evening: Spend the evening on Beale Street, where the road closes to vehicles, many bars have no cover charge, and drinks-to-go windows let you carry a cup between venues. If you have energy left, head to Overton Square in Midtown for food and entertainment.
Frequently asked questions
When is the National Civil Rights Museum closed?
It is closed on Tuesdays, and otherwise open Wednesday to Monday, 9AM to 6PM.
Can I drink alcohol on the street on Beale Street?
Yes. At night the street is closed to vehicles and you can drink on the street, and some bars have "drinks to go" windows where you can get a 32-ounce cup of beer.
Do I need a car in Memphis?
Downtown is manageable on foot or by trolley, but the Midtown and East Memphis sights are spread out, so plan those as separate blocks by car or rideshare.
What is the best way to see the Mississippi River?
River tours are available most days through a variety of providers, and Tom Lee Park is a nice place to view the river. Mud Island Park also offers an excellent vantage point of the city and the river at its tip.
Pick the days that match the opening hours above, book your downtown base, and start building your Memphis itinerary around the music, the river and the museums on Main Street.