Where to Play, Eat, and Stay in Memphis, Tennessee

15.11.2024 - 09:38 / matadornetwork.com / Martin Luther / Elvis Presley

Memphis is a soulful and historic city that’s become something of a magnet for young creatives and movers and shakers. It makes sense: The former stomping grounds of blues legend BB King, funkmaster Isaac Hayes, and rock-and-roll king Elvis Presley (whose Graceland mansion is open for tours) has a lot going for it, from live music and classic Southern cuisine to major landmarks like Beale Street. It’s also less than a four-hour drive south from Nashville.

Summer is a popular time to visit Memphis (and not just because of Elvis Week in August). Fall, when the scorching temperatures start to drop and the summer-break crowd heads back to school, also has its merits. Whenever you choose to come, here’s what you’ll want to see, do, and eat in Tennessee’s second largest city.

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Formerly the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, the National Civil Rights Museum still has Dr. King’s hotel room intact among a collection of historical artifacts significant to Black history. You can see them yourself with a general admission ticket, which also offers access to the museum’s Young and Morrow Building (the alleged location where Dr. King’s assassin confessed to shooting him) across the street from the main site.

National Civil Rights Museum: 450 Mulberry St, Memphis, TN 38103

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While Elvis may have left the building and is sadly no longer with us, the icon’s biggest fans can tour his former home to experience an enduring piece of his legacy. The interactive tour invites ticket holders into Presley’s personal space, including his living room, his parents’ bedroom, the Meditation Garden where he and some of his family members are buried, and other recognizable corners of the famous property on the aptly Elvis Presley Boulevard.

Graceland: Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN 38116

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Vintage records, nostalgic photographs, and Isaac Hayes’ gold-plated Cadillac are all exhibited at this former home of Stax Records, the recording studio where several American soul hits — including Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” — were produced. This groovy museum showcases 2,000+ artifacts that once belonged to the label and its recording artists, from stage costumes to actual studio equipment and instruments that the artists used.

Stax Museum: 926 E McLemore Ave, Memphis, TN 38126

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The first you’ll notice about the Memphis Zoo in Midtown is its Egyptian-inspired theme. It’s hard to miss as the entranceway wall is shaped like an Egyptian temple and covered with hieroglyphics. The highlight of my visit was feeding snacks to the giraffes (my favorite animal and something that I’ve always wanted