WiserMap — Choose wisely. Connect locally.Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business

Memphis

No reviews yetCity Tennessee, United States
Memphis, Tennessee, United StatesBeale Street has been a centre of African American music and nightlife in Memphis since the early twentieth century, TennesseeDr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968; the site is now the National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TennesseeBig River Crossing opened in 2016 as a walking and cycling path across the Mississippi on the Harahan Bridge, Memphis, TennesseeThe Memphis Pyramid was built as an arena and now houses a large outdoor store with an observation deck, Tennessee

About Memphis

Memphis sits on bluffs above the Mississippi River in the southwestern corner of Tennessee. Once a major cotton trading hub, it became a crossroads of Southern music, where blues, soul and rock and roll took shape. The city also holds a central place in civil rights history, as the site of the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Beale Street is the city's best-known music strip, lined with clubs and neon signs. The National Civil Rights Museum, built around the former Lorraine Motel, traces the struggle for civil rights in powerful detail. The Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum and the Blues Hall of Fame explain how local music developed. The Peabody Hotel is known for its daily duck march, and the riverfront offers walks and views, including across Big River Crossing, a pedestrian and bike path over the Mississippi into Arkansas. The large Memphis Pyramid now houses a retail store and observation deck. Sun Studio, where Elvis Presley and others first recorded, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music honor legendary labels, while Graceland, Presley's home, draws fans from around the world. Overton Park offers green space, a zoo and museums.

Memphis suits music lovers, history enthusiasts and barbecue fans. Summers are hot and humid, so spring and fall are more comfortable.

Best seasonApril to June and September to October for comfortable weather and outdoor events.
Ideal stayTwo to three days covers the music sites, the civil rights museum and Graceland.
ArrivingMemphis International Airport is south of downtown; Amtrak also serves the city.
Memphis Tennessee Beale Street Blues Graceland and BarbecueWiserMap travel guideMemphis Tennessee Beale Street Blues Graceland and BarbecuePlan a Memphis trip around Beale Street, Sun Studio, Stax, Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum, riverfront walks, barbecue and the best times to go.Read the guide

12 Reasons to Visit Memphis

Entertainment 1

Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Beale Street

Congress named this downtown strip the Home of the Blues, and its neon-lit blocks still back that up with live music pouring from...

Museums 1

National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

National Civil Rights Museum

Built around the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, this museum walks visitors th...

Music 4

Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum

Developed by the Smithsonian Institution, this museum near FedExForum explains how rural sharecroppers, Black and white, carried t...
Sun Studio, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Sun Studio

In this small storefront at 706 Union Avenue, Sam Phillips recorded 'Rocket 88' in 1951 and, a few years later, a young truck driv...
Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Soulsville's museum rises on the exact site of Stax Records, the label behind Otis Redding, Booker T. and the M.G.'s, Sam and Dave...
Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Graceland

Elvis Presley bought this colonial-revival mansion in Whitehaven in 1957 and lived here until his death in 1977. The house tour ta...

Landmarks 3

The Peabody Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

The Peabody Memphis

The grand hotel downtown is famous for its ducks. Every morning a red carpet is rolled out and a uniformed Duckmaster leads a smal...
Big River Crossing, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Big River Crossing

Opened in 2016, this walking and cycling path runs along the historic Harahan railroad bridge across the Mississippi River, linkin...
The Memphis Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

The Memphis Pyramid

A city named for an Egyptian capital naturally has a pyramid. This 32-story steel landmark opened in 1991 as a sports arena and re...

Parks 2

Overton Park, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Overton Park

Midtown's beloved park packs a surprising amount into its grounds: the Old Forest, a protected tract of old-growth hardwoods cross...
Shelby Farms Park, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Shelby Farms Park

On the city's eastern side, Shelby Farms is one of the largest urban parks in the United States, several times the size of New Yor...

Family 1

Memphis Zoo, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Memphis Zoo

Set inside Overton Park since the early 1900s, the Memphis Zoo greets visitors with an Egyptian-style entrance carved with hierogl...

Businesses in Memphis

See all businesses →

Top-rated local businesses in Memphis, with real reviews on WiserMap.

Reviews

No reviews yet. Been to Memphis? Be the first to share your experience.

Write a review

Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.

Log in to write a review

Share your photos

Been to Memphis? Add your best shots to the gallery.

Log in to add photos

More places in Tennessee

See all places in United States →

Photo credits

Photo: Larry Donald, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Sharon Mollerus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Jonathansammy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Coasterlover1994, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: BlankBlankBlank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Avalon Frost, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: User:Maha, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Photo: Theopolisme, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: JeremyA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5

Photo: Jspotts at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: H Alpaugh, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Zeamays at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Victor Chapa from Denton, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: DavGreg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Luca Sartoni, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Trev0B, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Bubbahotepblues, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Nwdoty, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: WillyBearden, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: WillyBearden, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rafi B. from Somewhere in Texas :), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Bigmacthealmanac, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: HAL333, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Gary J. Wood from Toronto, ON, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: mr_t_77 from WV, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: dbking from Washington, DC, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Avalon Frost, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Bubba73, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Bubba73, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Bubba73, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Fallaner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Ronincmc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Bjoertvedt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Nathan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Trevorbirchett, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Bjoertvedt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bjoertvedt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dclemens1971, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Photo: Dclemens1971, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Photo: Dclemens1971, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Photo: Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Firecruise, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Unicurse, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Biskuit, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: rawrwg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: rawrwg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: rawrwg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0