History · Memphis · United States
8 historic sites to see in Memphis
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Graceland, National Civil Rights Museum and Beale Street. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 16–18 hours across 6 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 16–18 hours
- Areas
- Whitehaven, South Main Arts District and Downtown and Beale Street
Historic sites in Memphis
Historic site · Whitehaven
1.Graceland
He is buried in the Meditation Garden behind the house. Across the boulevard, the Elvis Presley's Memphis complex displays his cars, stage costumes, gold records and his two private jets.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- History
Museum · South Main Arts District
2.National Civil Rights Museum
was assassinated on 4 April 1968, the museum traces the struggle for civil rights from slavery through the Montgomery bus boycott and the sit-ins to the Memphis sanitation workers' strike. The tour ends at Room 306, preserved as it was, and continues across the street in the building where the shot was fired.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Street · Downtown and Beale Street
3.Beale Street
Handy, B.B. King and other musicians shaped the Memphis blues. At night it becomes a pedestrian zone with live music pouring out of clubs. A. Schwab, a general store trading since the 19th century, and the W.C. Handy House Museum are daytime stops.
- Time needed
- An evening
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Free
- History
Historic site · Union Avenue
4.Sun Studio
Guided tours end in the original recording room, which still operates as a studio.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Soulsville
5.Stax Museum of American Soul Music
& the M.G.'s and the Staple Singers, this museum covers soul music from gospel roots to the 1970s. Highlights include Isaac Hayes' gold-trimmed 1972 Cadillac Eldorado and a dance floor playing classic Soul Train footage.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Downtown and Beale Street
6.Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum
It sits by the FedExForum plaza at the end of Beale Street.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · South Main Arts District
7.Blues Hall of Fame Museum
Run by the Blues Foundation, this museum honours inductees of the Blues Hall of Fame with galleries of instruments, records, stage clothing and interactive displays, a block from the National Civil Rights Museum.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Park · Midtown and Overton Square
8.Overton Park and the Levitt Shell
The shell now hosts free concerts most weeks in spring and autumn.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- After dark
- History
- Kids
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Whitehaven | Graceland | Half a day |
| South Main Arts District | National Civil Rights Museum and Blues Hall of Fame Museum | 3 hours + 1 hour |
| Downtown and Beale Street | Beale Street and Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum | An evening + 1.5–2 hours |
| Union Avenue | Sun Studio | 1 hour |
| Soulsville | Stax Museum of American Soul Music | 2 hours |
| Midtown and Overton Square | Overton Park and the Levitt Shell | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 2 low cost, 3 mid-priced, 1 expensive. Book ahead for Graceland. The longest visit is Graceland; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Graceland: Buy timed mansion tickets online in advance, especially in summer, around Elvis's birthday in January and during Elvis Week in August.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Whitehaven): Graceland, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (South Main Arts District): National Civil Rights Museum → Blues Hall of Fame Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Downtown and Beale Street): Beale Street → Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Union Avenue and Soulsville): Sun Studio → Stax Museum of American Soul Music, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Midtown and Overton Square): Overton Park and the Levitt Shell, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 13°C (55°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Chilly and quiet, with low hotel prices and uncrowded museums.
- November: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and pleasant, with autumn colour in Overton Park and fewer crowds.
- January: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and damp with occasional ice; Elvis fans gather for his birthday and the blues competition fills Beale Street.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Downtown and Beale Street — Blues clubs, the Peabody's ducks and the riverfront bluff
- South Main Arts District — Galleries, restored warehouses and the National Civil Rights Museum
- Midtown and Overton Square — Theatres, restaurants and the green space of Overton Park
- Whitehaven — Graceland and the hotels around Elvis Presley Boulevard
More of Memphis
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Memphis?
Graceland. Elvis Presley's home from 1957 until his death in 1977 is preserved much as he left it, from the TV Room with three televisions to the shag-carpeted Jungle Room.
+Which of these are free in Memphis?
Beale Street and Overton Park and the Levitt Shell.