Things to Do in Memphis, Tennessee

Beale Street is a historic street that runs for about two miles from East Street to the Mississippi River and one of the top Memphis attractions. Covering an area of 27 acres, the street is a major tourist attraction because of its many restaurants and blues clubs as well as its outdoor concerts and festivals. Built in 1841, Beale Street became a venue for traveling musicians in the 1860s. Between the 1920s and 1940s, many legendary blues and jazz musicians performed on Beale Street. During the 1960s, the area went into decline but was redeveloped during the 1970s and 1980s to again become a popular attraction.

Known as the Birthplace of Rock N' Roll, Sun Studio is a recording studio opened in 1950 by Sam Phillips. Then, in 1954, Elvis Presley took a mic and made Sun the most famous studio in the world. Sun Studio is one of the best things to do in Memphis, Tennessee.

The building of the studio, now a museum, is wonderfully preserved, and you can take a tour through the rooms where rock 'n' roll was born, listen to a few of the recording sessions, touch the first microphone Elvis ever used, and get a feel for the vibe of the studio that single-handedly launched the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and so many others. Check out some fun old posters and other memorabilia at the studio’s gift shop.

706 Union Ave, Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-521-0664

Graceland is a charming mansion constructed in the colonial revival-style in which Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, lived for 20 years and in which he died in 1977. After his death, his daughter Lisa Marie opened the house to the public, and Graceland became a pilgrimage site for thousands of Elvis’ fans every year.

The guided tours offer a glimpse of Elvis’ private life – all rooms in which he lived are preserved and unchanged. One of the most interesting parts of the tour is the trophy building, with a collection of the King’s gold and platinum records and many memorabilia from Elvis’ career, movies, and charitable activities. Graceland hosts a range of events related to Elvis’ life, and it celebrates his birthday, Christmas, and other special occasions.

Graceland, 3734 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-332-3322

It is difficult to put a finger on what makes some neighborhoods unique and how some, like Cooper-Young Historic District, manage to develop such a unique, quirky personality. It probably has to do with people who made this city block into their home – residents consist mostly of artists, musicians, freethinkers, and lovers of beauty. If you are wondering what to do in Memphis today, this is a great place to start exploring.

Eclectic, cosmopolitan, lively, fun and artistic are just a few ways of describing this city block between Cooper and Young Streets in downtown Memphis. Most of the homes were built at the beginning of the 20th century. The neighborhood is welcoming and walkable, and it attracts not only tourists but also the rest of the town residents with its 60 galleries, antique shops, coffeehouses, vintage stores, restaurants, and bars.

Take a stroll and look at the architecturally unique homes, sit at the outdoor cafés and watch an interesting mix of people, or enjoy a meal at one of the fabulous restaurants. And if you come in September during the Cooper-Young one-day festival, you will really see the city come alive.

2120 Young Ave, Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-276-7222

Covering an area of 96 acres in Audubon Park, the Memphis Botanic Garden features 28 different kinds of gardens such as the Anne Heard Stokes Butterfly Garden, the Blue Star Memorial Marker and Garden, the Japanese Garden of Tranquility with its red drum bridge, and many more. One of the most popular gardens is called “My Big Backyard.”

It is a family garden where children can play, splash, dig, and enjoy spending time outdoors. The garden offers many programs for adults and for children and hosts special events like The Family Egg Hunt and the Daffodil Dash Race.

750 Cherry Road, Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-636-4100

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is the largest and oldest art museum in the state of Tennessee. Built in 1916, the museum was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect James Gamble Rogers.

The funds were donated by Bessie Vance Brooks in memory of her husband, Samuel Hamilton Brooks. A cylindrical extension to the original building was added in 1955. The museum consists of 29 galleries, a research library, an auditorium, and classrooms.

The museum’s permanent collection includes art from the Italian Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionist, and 20th Century periods. Some of the artists whose works hang in the museum include Gainsborough, Hassam, Homer, Pissaro, and Renoir.

1934 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-544-6200

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis was established in 1991 with the goal of sharing lessons learned from the American Civil Rights Movement as well as investigating the ways in which this period of the nation’s history have influenced and shaped the freedom and equality of all men today.

The museum building is part of the history too – it is located in the former Lorraine Motel in which Dr. Martin Luther King was killed in 1968. The museum fulfills its role through a number of galleries with historic collections, interactive multimedia exhibits, special speakers, and events. During the latest renovation in 2014, the museum received 40 new oral histories, films, and interactive media.

450 Mulberry St., Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-521-9699

Originally called Mississippi River National Cemetery, Memphis National Cemetery was established during the American Civil War after the Union Army took control of Memphis.

The cemetery was founded in order to inter war veterans who had died in various hospitals along the Mississippi delta. In 1865, Union soldiers liberated from Confederate POW camps died when their steamboat Sultana exploded, and they were also buried in Memphis. In 1867, about 250 casualties of the Battle of Fort Pillow from both sides were moved from various battlefield cemeteries to this newly established veteran cemetery. The cemetery spreads over 44.2 acres and had 42,184 interments in 2007.

The beautifully landscaped and maintained cemetery has several notable monuments such as the Illinois Monument, a granite and bronze sarcophagus created by sculptor Leon Hermant.

3568 Townes Ave., Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-386-8311

The Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum was established in 2000 by the Smithsonian Institution to tell the story about the birth of rock and soul in Memphis. Its exhibits portray the lives of musical pioneers who were able to overcome all barriers – racial, social, or economic – for the love of music. Their music went on to change the world.

The museum is located at the FedExForum complex, and its galleries offer a complete Memphis music experience. The museum’s audio tour guide contains 300 minutes of information that includes more than 100 songs. Visitors can visit the museum’s seven galleries at their own pace, enjoying three audiovisual features, 40 costumes, 30 instruments, and many other treasures.

P191 Beale St, Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-205-2533

The Pink Palace Museum is a history and science museum and part of the Pink Palace Family of Museums. Built in 1923, the mansion in which the museum is housed was the former residence of Clarence Saunders, the founder of Piggly Wiggly. After financial losses on Wall Street, he donated the mansion to the city of Memphis.

Originally called the Memphis Museum of Natural History and Industrial Arts, the museum featured dolls, stuffed birds and animals, and artifacts related to Memphis history. Today, the collection includes pre-Columbian artifacts, dinosaurs, fossils, Native American pottery, and exhibits of Memphis history.

3050 Central Avenue, Memphis, TN, Phone: 901-636-2362