Museums · Memphis · United States
7 best museums in Memphis
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: AMartin 4532, CC0
Quick answer
Start with National Civil Rights Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 12–14 hours across 6 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 12–14 hours
- Areas
- South Main Arts District, Soulsville and Downtown and Beale Street
Museums in Memphis
Museum · South Main Arts District
1.National Civil Rights Museum
Built around the Lorraine Motel, where Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Soulsville
2.Stax Museum of American Soul Music
On the site of Stax Records, home of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Downtown and Beale Street
3.Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum
Developed with the Smithsonian Institution, this museum tells how sharecroppers' music from the Delta became rock 'n' roll and soul, using audio guides that let you listen to more than a hundred songs along the way.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · South Main Arts District
4.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
Gallery · East Memphis
5.Dixon Gallery and Gardens
Set in a former private estate, the Dixon displays French and American Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including works by Monet, Renoir and Degas, plus a large collection of decorative porcelain.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Couples
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · South Memphis bluff
6.Metal Museum
On a quiet bluff overlooking the Mississippi, the Metal Museum is devoted to fine metalwork, with galleries, sculpture gardens and a working foundry and smithy where you may see artists at work.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Midtown
7.Children's Museum of Memphis
Hands-on exhibits for younger children include a pretend city, a cockpit and play areas, and the museum also houses a restored 1909 Dentzel carousel.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| South Main Arts District | National Civil Rights Museum and Blues Hall of Fame Museum | 3 hours + 1 hour |
| Soulsville | Stax Museum of American Soul Music | 2 hours |
| Downtown and Beale Street | Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum | 1.5–2 hours |
| East Memphis | Dixon Gallery and Gardens | 1.5–2 hours |
| South Memphis bluff | Metal Museum | 1 hour |
| Midtown | Children's Museum of Memphis | 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 3 low cost, 4 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is National Civil Rights Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (South Main Arts District): National Civil Rights Museum → Blues Hall of Fame Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Soulsville and Downtown and Beale Street): Stax Museum of American Soul Music → Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (East Memphis and South Memphis bluff): Dixon Gallery and Gardens → Metal Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Midtown): Children's Museum of Memphis, 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
- East Memphis — Leafy suburbs with museums, gardens and the city's largest park
More of Memphis
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Memphis?
National Civil Rights Museum. Built around the Lorraine Motel, where Dr Martin Luther King Jr.