Memphis, Tennessee — Attractions
Graceland
Memphis' biggest attraction is the second-most visited house in the United States after the White House. The Graceland Mansion and its attendant buildings and attractions were home to the 'King of Rock 'n Roll', Elvis Presley, who died in 1977. Thousands of fans of all ages still make pilgrimages here to tour the house, grounds and visit his grave. Mansion tours are offered with audio players describing the rooms and memorabilia. Also open for viewing is the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum housing the star's renowned 1955 pink Cadillac, a collection of Elvis' personal belongings, and a re-creation of an airport terminal where the singer's two private jets are on display. As of March 2006, Graceland joins the White House, Mount Vernon and Monticello as a National Historic Landmark, the USA's highest designation for historic properties, usually accorded to the homes of American presidents. Long live the King.
- Region/City Name
- Memphis
- Address
- Elvis Presley Boulevard
- Phone Number
- Reservations office: (901) 332 3322
- Email Address
- glsales@elvis.com
- Website
- www.elvis.com
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm (March to October); daily 10am to 4pm (November). From December to February, the mansion is open daily except Tuesday 10am to 4pm; Plaza attractions open daily
- Admission
- Mansion tour: $28 (adults), $13 (children 7-12); other concessions available. Various combination tickets are also available
Sun Studio
Visitors who come to Memphis to pay homage to Elvis Presley inevitably are also keen to visit the legendary recording studio in Union Avenue where the King of rock 'n roll's career, and that of numerous other stars, began. The story is that Elvis first walked into the Sun Studio in the early 1950s to record a song as a birthday present for his mother. The rest is musical history, now enshrined in the studio that also launched the likes of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis on the road to stardom. Visitors to the studio can hear outtakes from recording sessions, touch Elvis' first microphone, view a great deal of memorabilia and listen to anecdotes. Alongside the studio is the Sun Studio Café, a diner that retains its 1950s style and is still a favorite musician's hangout.
- Region/City Name
- Memphis
- Address
- 706 Union Avenue
- Phone Number
- (901) 521 0664
- Email Address
- info@sunstudio.com
- Website
- www.sunstudio.com
- Hours
- Daily 10am to 6pm, with public tours starting every hour on the half-hour, from 10.30am to 5.30pm
- Admission
- $12 per person; children under 12 free; children under five not allowed
Memphis Rock n' Soul Museum
A collection of rare recordings, vintage films and musician interviews along with photographs, and interactive exhibits makes up the 'Social Crossroads' exhibition put together by the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibition fills seven galleries and covers the development of American popular music over the past century, from gospel to blues and rock, with exhibits such as costumes and guitars from performers like Elvis Presley, Ike Turner's piano and B.B. King's 'Lucille' guitar. An audio guide is available and takes visitors on a tour of the music that was the biggest influence on culture and lifestyle in the 20th century.
- Region/City Name
- Memphis
- Address
- FedExForum Plaza, 191 Beale Street
- Phone Number
- (901) 205 2533
- Email Address
- info@memphisrocknsoul.org
- Website
- www.memphisrocknsoul.org
- Hours
- Daily 10am and 7pm; tours are one hour
- Admission
- $10 (adults); $7 (children 5-17) Group discounts available
Pink Palace Museum
The Pink Palace, a soubriquet bestowed on this elaborate pink marble Memphis mansion by the locals, was intended to be a luxury home for the founder of the Piggy Wiggly chain of supermarkets, Clarence Saunders, when he began building it back in the 1920s. Before the ostentatious mansion that dominates Central Avenue was completed Saunders declared bankruptcy, and the homestead ended up in the hands of the city of Memphis for use as a museum. The Pink Palace Museum is devoted to culture and natural history, it's origins preserved in the form of a replica of the first self-service grocery store in the country, Saunders' Piggly Wiggly. Visitors can also explore dioramas, exhibits and audio-visual displays that trace Memphis' development from the arrival of the Spanish explorers through the Civil War and yellow fever epidemics. Dinosaurs and fossils also feature, as does an excellent medical-history section. The museum includes a planetarium and an Imax theater.
- Region/City Name
- Memphis
- Address
- 3050 Central Avenue
- Phone Number
- (901) 320 6320
- Email Address
- more_info@memphismuseums.org
- Website
- www.memphismuseums.org
- Hours
- Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm. Closed Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, New Years Day and Thanksgiving
- Admission
- Museum: $8.75 (adults), $6.25 (children 3-12); Imax: $8 (adults), $6.25 (children); Planetarium: $4.50 (adults), $4 (children). Combination tickets for Museum/Planetarium/Imax available
Mud Island River Park
Mud Island in the Mississippi River offers a fascinating insight into the famous river with a series of fun and informative attractions. The island emerged in the river in 1900 and was turned into a 52-acre park. Main attractions on the island are the Mississippi River Museum, an amphitheater where touring acts perform during summer, a huge swimming pool and a display of the Memphis Belle, a famous B-17 bomber from World War II. The highlight of a visit to Mud Island, however, is the unique and fascinating River Walk, a scaled down replica of the lower Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois to New Orleans in Louisiana. The River walk is five blocks long and represents a journey of 1,000 miles (1,609km).
- Region/City Name
- Memphis
- Address
- 125 North Front Street
- Phone Number
- (901) 576 7241
- Website
- www.mudisland.com
- Transport
- Monorail from Front Street
- Hours
- Daily 10am to 5pm (12 April to 23 May, 2 September to 31 October); 10am to 6pm (24 May to 1 September). Closed Mondays. Last admission is one hour before closing
- Admission
- $10 (adults), $7 (children 5-12), includes museum admission, roundtrip monorail ride and guided river walk tour. General park admission is free
Memphis Botanic Garden
The Memphis Botanic Gardens are a sensory delight through which to stroll at any time of year. The 96-acre site at Audubon Park, in the east of the city comprises 22 formal gardens each focussing on a theme or species, ranging from a tranquil Japanese garden to the magnificent Municipal Rose Garden, an organic vegetable garden and a tropical conservatory. Highlights are the Ketchum Memorial Iris Garden, at its best in April and May, and a Sensory Garden designed to be enjoyed by the disabled.
- Region/City Name
- Memphis
- Address
- 750 Cherry Road
- Phone Number
- (901) 576 4100
- Website
- www.memphisbotanicgarden.com
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm (3 April to October); Monday to Saturday 9am to 4.30pm, Sunday 11am to 4.30pm (November to 2 April)
- Admission
- $5 (adults), $3 (children 3-12)
