At the place of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death in 1968 in Memphis, TN, the National Civil Rights Museum is a renowned educational and cultural institution. The Museum chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement with compelling presentations of iconic exhibits, oral histories of lesser-known civil rights foot soldiers, and visceral, in-the-moment experiences. Visitors will learn through emotionally charged, multi-user, multi-touch interactives, and a visually engaging, contemporary exhibit design that guides you through five centuries of history. Bring the whole family.
Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the most iconic streets in America. It is three blocks of nightclubs, restaurants and shops in the heart of downtown Memphis, and a melting pot of delta blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll, R&B and gospel. This National Historic Landmark district shares its rich history of legendary live music (think Memphis Minnie, B.B. King and Rufus Thomas, to start) through museums, photo ops and clubs where you can still hear who's making music in Memphis today. With cold beer and hot music, Beale Street is one of the coolest places in Memphis.
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, is a 17,000 square-foot museum offering interactive exhibits, videos, vintage musical instruments used to create the Stax sound, stage costumes, photographs, records, and approximately 3,000 other items of memorabilia that tell the unique story, from beginning to present, of American soul music, particularly that of Stax Records and the Memphis Sound. Artists highlighted include Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, the Bar-Kays, Booker T. & the MGs, Johnnie Taylor, Little Milton, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and hundreds of others.
Serving over 40,000 school-aged children annually, and hosting over 260,000 visitors each year, Memphis Botanic Garden strives to enhance lives by connecting people with nature, increasing awareness and appreciation of our environment. Our 96-acre property includes 30 specialty gardens and a Level 4 Arboretum, which provide the ability to interact with various families of plants, flowers, and trees. Be sure to stop in the Sculpture Garden to see several works by Roy Tamboli!
Travel to the zoo’s China exhibit for an eye-popping mix of pagoda-style architecture and fascinating animals, centered around giant pandas. Memphis Zoo is one of only three U.S. zoos to feature these unique bears. Considering their vulnerable status in the wild, giant panda ecology and reproduction studies have been a focus for zoo researchers since the panda arrived in 2003.
You've heard the music, now see the place Elvis called home. Explore the beautiful mansion, walk the gardens where he found peace, tour the aircraft that he traveled on from show to show, and encounter Elvis Presley's Memphis entertainment complex for an unforgettable experience featuring legendary costumes, artifacts, and personal mementos from Elvis and his family.
Sun Studio is known worldwide as “The Birthplace of Rock’n’roll”. It is the discovery location of musical legends and genres of the 50’s from B.B. King and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis; from Blues and Gospel to Country and Rock’n'roll. Today our goal is to spread the story of Memphis’ history and culture through the music that put Memphis on the map.