Beale Street Historic District preserves one of America's most iconic urban business districts of the 20th century, known around the world as a hotspot for blues and rock and roll music. The street, which was originally founded in the 1840s and rose to prominence as a popular African-American cultural district at the turn of the 20th century, spans approximately 1.8 miles between the Mississippi River and East Street in downtown Memphis. Its major three-block span is preserved as a National Historic Landmark and is home to a famed neon row of blues nightclubs, restaurants, and shops, considered to be a major melting pot for musical acts across genres, associated with iconic acts such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Louis Armstrong. Each May, the Beale Street Music Festival serves as the kickoff for the citywide Memphis in May celebration, bringing major popular music performers to the street's Tom Lee Park.
Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103, Phone: 901-526-0117