There’s more to Memphis than first meets the visitor’s eye. True, it’s the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley’s hometown, the pork barbecue capital of the world, and an important Mississippi River port. Visitors can see Graceland, take in some blues on Beale Street, enjoy outstanding barbecue ribs, and gaze out at Old Man River. The people you encounter are likely to be very friendly and only too happy to give directions or recommend a personal favorite. It’s very laid-back—no need to rush around unless that’s what you want to do. Look a little deeper, however, and you’ll find more in this city that got its start as a rowdy river town. Memphis has a family-friendly attitude, an employment rate that’s often better than the national average, and a diversified economy that makes the city resilient to downturns. Memphis throughout the years has spawned innovations that changed the way we live. These include the modern supermarket (Piggly Wiggly, 1916), the modern hotel chain (Holiday Inn, 1952), and overnight package delivery (FedEx, 1972).
Memphis is rich with interesting, fun attractions of all kinds, including Graceland Mansion, the home of the late Elvis Presley and the king of area tourist attractions. Some 700,000 people tour the mansion each year, making it one of the most visited homes in America. A visit to Memphis is not complete without venturing over to The Peabody hotel lobby to see the famous ducks, who march (to John Philip Sousa music) to their fancy marble fountain for a day of swimming. A Memphis Queen Line cruise is a relaxing way to appreciate the grandeur of the Mississippi River and to get views of the city. You’ll also find a one-of-a-kind ornamental-metals museum perched on a bluff overlooking the river, the state’s largest fine-arts museum, and a handful of beautifully restored Victorian homes, just to name a few possibilities.
You won’t want to miss the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum or Sun Studio, where Elvis made his first record. Kids of all ages will enjoy the Memphis Zoo, not to mention Pink Palace Museum, with its IMAX theater and exhibits that include a replica of the world’s first supermarket (Memphis’s own Piggly Wiggly). You can learn about the courageous Memphis black sanitation workers and leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the National Civil Rights Museum, and see a farmhouse (Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum) said to have been a stop for slaves trying to escape up north to freedom.
We’ve divided the city’s attractions into five categories: General Attractions, Museums, Memphis History, Memphis Music, and African-American Heritage. If you’re traveling with kids, be sure to check out the Kidstuff chapter, where we’ve singled out the attractions that appeal most to children. You will probably also want to read the History, Memphis Music, and African-American Heritage chapters for background on many of these sites.
We list the days of operation in effect during the busy summer season, but the days may be different at other times of the year. It’s never a bad idea to call an attraction or check its Web site in advance of your visit, to double-check hours and admission prices, which are subject to change, and to scope out information on temporary exhibitions. The Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau at (901) 543-5300 or www.memphistravel.com also has up-to-date information, or you can pick up a free “Memphis Travel Guide & City Map” brochure from one of the information racks you’ll find all over town at hotels and attractions. It’s updated every year.
Free parking is available at the attractions unless we say otherwise. However, at some, including many downtown attractions, you are on your own for finding parking, and others, including the Memphis Zoo and Graceland, charge a fee.
So don’t forget your sunglasses, your camera, and your adventurous spirit—it’s time to see the town.
Memphis is a kid-friendly place with plenty of attractions and activities for youngsters of all ages, from IMAX films and skating to the famous Peabody ducks. In addition to visiting a world-class zoo and children’s museum, kids can ride a trolley along the Mississippi River or eat at a restaurant that lets you write on the walls and blow toothpicks into the ceiling through a drinking straw.
Traveling with kids has its challenges, and sometimes that’s not so much finding interesting stuff as it is locating nearby clean restrooms, gauging how much more walking a kid can stand before imploding, and finding a restaurant that serves both chicken fingers and arugula. (You’ll find tips throughout this chapter on these points.) The biggest challenges, though, can be the familiar complaints from the back seat: “This is so boring!” or “Not another museum!” and the proverbial “We never get to do anything we want to do!” Doing things that offer something for everyone is the secret to pleasing both children and parents. Of course, it never hurts to have an arsenal of kid activities to use as bargaining chips to exchange for what Mom and Dad want to do. Ice cream and amusement parks can buy a lot of art-museum time.
If your family is relocating to Memphis, these activities and sights will help you get acquainted with the best of what the city has to offer for kids. We list fair-weather options as well as rainy-day options, just in case the weather’s not cooperating when you venture out.
Don’t forget to check other chapters in this book for ideas. In particular, take a look at Parks and Recreation, where we list the area’s bowling lanes, swimming pools, places to skateboard and/or roller-skate, and even a stable where you can rent horses and ponies for riding. The chapter also tells you where you can join a youth league team, and it lists the largest parks, both in the city and nearby. For more detailed information on where to find a convenient park with a playground, call the Memphis Parks Commission at (901) 576-4200, or visit www.cityofmemphis.org. To find the list of parks with playgrounds, click on “Residents,” then “Community,” then “Park Services,” and then “Parks.” You have to scroll down a bit to reach the “With Play or Fitness Equipment” listing, but it’s down there. Of course, you can always ask at your hotel, or find out from neighbors if you’ve just moved to Memphis. Other chapters worth a look include the Spectator Sports chapter, where you can find out when and where to catch a Redbirds baseball game in spring and summer or a Grizzlies basketball game during the NBA season. The Attractions chapter has a more complete list of things to see, whereas we stick to the most popular kids’ attractions for this chapter.
The days of operation listed are in effect during summer months. They may be different at other times, so call ahead if you are visiting at other times of the year.
We include this chapter not because there isn’t enough to do in Memphis. We believe the city has enough attractions, nightlife, and good food to keep any visitor entertained and happy, but if you’re in the mood for a road trip, there are plenty of excursions you can take to experience rural and small-town life in the Deep South.
You can venture down to the Mississippi Delta, to see firsthand where the blues were born, and across the river to Helena, Arkansas, home of the King Biscuit Time radio show and annual blues festival. Elvis fans may want to visit Tupelo for a look at the King’s birthplace, with a stop in Holly Springs to visit the shrine assembled by the world’s most committed Elvis fan. Oxford, Mississippi, where writer William Faulkner lived and worked, is the quintessential small Mississippi town, a favorite day trip among Memphians (and especially Ole Miss fans, as Oxford is home to the University of Mississippi). West Tennessee has plenty to offer, including Civil War battlefields and the birthplace of Roots author Alex Haley.
If you like gambling, you can check out the nine world-class casinos in Tunica County, Mississippi, all within about a 45-minute drive from Memphis. There’s an abundance of hotel rooms at Tunica, which could come in handy given the dearth of accommodation options in nearby towns such as Clarksdale.
These destinations are within two hours’ drive of the city. If you wish to venture farther for the weekend, Hot Springs, Arkansas, is a favorite getaway for Memphians. At this historic resort, you can bathe in the natural hot-springs water at bathhouse spas, enjoy live horse racing in season, and tour lavish restored bathhouses dating from the 1920s.
Hikers, anglers, and others who like the great outdoors can learn more about state parks and other getaway options in the Parks and Recreation chapter.
Before you set out, it’s a good idea to call ahead to make sure the attractions you want to visit will be open and to see if there’s anything special going on. It would be great if your visit to Clarksdale, for example, just happened to coincide with the annual Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, but not so great if you were counting on a room for the night. If you visit some of these towns and attractions on Sunday or Monday, virtually everything will be closed. Also, word of mouth is important in these rural areas, so once you arrive, start asking questions. Otherwise, you might not learn about a great local bluesman who’s performing at a nearby juke joint, or that a dumpy-looking restaurant has fabulous fried catfish.