Memphis Attractions Downtown

A downtown landmark, the gold-domed ALSAC-Danny Thomas Pavilion was dedicated on November 3, 1982. In addition to presenting the history of Thomas' career — complete with dozens of trophies and awards — and the founding of St. Jude, the pavilion is the last resting place of Danny and his wife, Rose Marie. memphis attractions things todo in memphis museums in memphis

In Memphis is one of the most dynamic and immersive retail experiences in the world. It’s more than a store; it’s an adventure! In addition to an incredible assortment of fishing, boating, hunting and outdoor gear, the mega store includes a 103-room hotel with treehouse cabins. A  600,000 gallons of water teeming with over 1,800 fish; a cypress swamp with alligator pools and duck aviaries; and a breathtaking observation deck at the top of the 32-story steel pyramid. 

At nearly a mile in length, big river crossing is the longest public pedestrian bridge across the Mississippi. It serves as the connection point of Main Street to Main Street, a 10-mile multi-modal corridor that also features the Delta Regional River Park and Big River Trail, creating ties to attractions between Memphis, TN and West Memphis, AR.

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.

Nightly Light Show on the I - 40 Bridge.  Starts on the hour. memphis attractions things todo in memphis museums in memphis

In 1940, bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus trainer, began the tradition of the Duck March. The ducks, who are kept in their own Penthouse on the roof, take an elevator down every day for their swim in the fountain. The red carpet is rolled out and the tourists snap their photos. You can see the daily duck swims at 11 am and 5 pm daily at the Peabody Memphis, located at 149 Union Avenue. It is free to attend but gets crowded, so you may want to arrive a bit early for the parade.

Sculpture, text, and landscape come together to form an important new American Civil Rights Memorial.  I AM A MAN Plaza, is a large-scale experiential public sculpture commissioned to pay tribute to the members of the pivotal 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A focal point of the Civil Rights Movement, the strike brought Dr. King to Memphis, Tennessee where he was assassinated. The strike and its I Am a Man! slogan came to represent the struggle of the working poor and racial inequality in Memphis and beyond.

The new Ducks Unlimited Waterfowling Heritage Center, inside Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid in Memphis, opened on April 29, 2015. The Waterfowling Heritage Center offers visitors an opportunity to learn about Ducks Unlimited, wetlands conservation, waterfowl, the history of waterfowl hunting in North America, and the important role sportsmen and women have played in conserving our continent's wildlife and habitat. 

The Belz Museum opened in 1998 and was originally three small rooms; over the years, the museum has expanded and now encompasses 24,000 square-feet of exhibition space and over 1,400 objects.

Originally the private collection of local entrepreneur, Jack A. Belz, and his wife, Marilyn, most pieces on display were donated by them to the foundation that runs the museum. The Belz Museum has 5 permanent exhibit galleries: 3 Asian, 1 Judaic, and the Holocaust Memorial Gallery. Special exhibits are brought in semi-annually. memphis attractions things todo in memphis museums in memphis

Opened in May of 2015, The Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame Museum is a Memphis gem for both serious blues fans and casual visitors. With robust exhibits and in-depth history, the museum exposes, educates, and entertains visitors with all that is blues culture while highlighting over 400 inductees in five key categories: Performer, Individual, Album, Single, and Literature.

The Center for Southern Folklore is an American non-profit cultural organization based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1972 by William Ferris and Judy Peiser, its mission is "to preserve, defend, protect and promote the music, culture, arts, and rhythms of the South."[1]

The Center produces documentary films and maintains a large archive of video and audio recordings of music and narratives, contemporary and historical photographs, film and slides, and selected artifacts and art. The Center also has a gallery that shows regional folk art and photographs, a cafe featuring live performances by local blues, folk, Latin, and jazz musicians, and a folklore store selling art, photographs, posters, and CDs by Memphis-area musicians.

The Cotton Museum, located in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., is an historical and cultural museum that opened in March 2006 on the former trading floor of the Memphis Cotton Exchange at 65 Union Avenue in downtown Memphis.[1]

The mission of the Cotton Museum is to share the story of the cotton industry and its many influences on the daily life, arts, and the development of the mid-South region.[2] The museum highlights artifacts through interpretive exhibits, educational programs, and research archives that help tell the story of cotton and cotton trading, from crop to becoming fabric.

The Cotton Museum preserves the history of the cotton business and its impact on economics, history, society and culture, and science and technology.[3] The museum's exhibits are appropriate for field trips for middle schoolers and older, and provide visitors context for other attractions in the city.

The Edge Motor Museum focuses on preservation over restoration. And we know that cars can tell us something about our past, our present, our world, and ourselves. They are vehicles to history, and reflections of the eras in which they were designed, built, sold, and driven.

This museum is not a personal collection of cars. Each automobile is selected based on its historical and cultural significance. We aim to educate every guest about these cars, but also about what was happening around us when they were made. In doing so, we hope to encourage the preservation of current and future automobiles, thereby preserving their stories.

All vehicles on display are either owned by the museum or on-loan from an individual, estate, or organization. Visit us today to learn the stories behind some of the world’s most iconic cars. memphis attractions things todo in memphis museums in memphis

The Fire Museum of Memphis is a non-profit organization that exists to promote education of fire and life safety, to reduce injury, life-loss, and property-loss related to fire and to recognize and preserve the heritage of the fire service and its contribution to the community.

What began as a tribute to Memphis’ legendary musicians who shook the world has finally opened as a museum that is as outrageous as our inductees! The Memphis Music Hall of Fame museum and exhibition introduces guests to some of the greatest musicians of all time – each responsible for shaping modern music and changing the world forever right here in Memphis! This fun, fascinating and educational exhibition features never-before-seen memorabilia, rare video performances and interviews, interactive exhibits, and much more.

Mud Island is more than just a museum. The 52-acre park on Mud Island is home to several attractions, including the River Walk and the Mississippi River Museum. To learn all about the river, you can follow a 5-block-long scale model of 900 miles of the Mississippi River. Called the River Walk, the model is complete with flowing water, street plans of cities and towns along the river, and informative panels that include information on the river and its history. memphis attractions things todo in memphis museums in memphis

Noted as one of the nation's premier heritage and cultural museums, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, is steadfast in its mission to share the culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement and explore how this significant era continues to shape equality and freedom globally.

Established in 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum is located at the former Lorraine Motel, where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Through interactive exhibits, historic collections, dynamic speakers and special events, the museum offers visitors a chance to walk through history and learn more about a tumultuous and inspiring period of change.

The Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee is the only museum of its kind in the United Sates. It is located on 3.2 acres of land directly overlooking the Mississippi River, just south of Downtown Memphis. On the grounds you will find a Sculpture Garden, a fully functioning Blacksmith Shop and Foundry, the Library which holds a Learning Space and works from the permanent collection, and the main Museum which houses rotating exhibitions. The Metal Museum is devoted exclusively to preserving, promoting, and advancing the art and craft of fine metal work. This is achieved through exhibitions, collections, studio practice, and community education and engagement. The value of the Metal Museum extends well beyond its exhibitions and facilities by recognizing and promoting the careers of living artists.

The Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum is located at 545 South Main Street on the ground floor of the Central Station in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The museum is dedicated to document the local history of Railroad and the Memphis Trolleys. The museum provides static exhibits as well as video documentation and railroad model dioramas.

Temporarily Closed

After reaching America, Africans were auctioned off to the highest bidder and doomed to a life of slavery, stripping them of their dignity, their pride and most of all, their freedom. Whenever possible, individuals attempted to liberate themselves by running away. Many runaways were aided by abolitionists who gave them safe passage on the Underground Railroad.

As you descend the stairs into the dark, damp cellar and peer through the trapdoors and hidden passages where the fugitives were harbored, you get a glimpse of those turbulent times.

Imagine for a moment what daring escapes these must have been for those who were determined to break the chains of slavery. memphis attractions things todo in memphis museums in memphis

Handy was born in Alabama but his family moved to Memphis when he was a boy. The house was located elsewhere but relocated to Beale Street, just a couple of blocks from the park that bears his name, because of his importance to American music, jazz, and the blues.

The house is tiny but is packed with history and ephemera of Handy. Our tour guide, Stephanie, is a retired teacher and a wealth of knowledge of Mr. Handy. Her enthusiasm for her subject abounds and makes this short tour interesting and educational.

Located at 333 Beale Street, in Ernest Withers’ last working studio and the building that was named in his honor in 1995, the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery is 7,000 square feet of Memphis History. In February 2011, The Withers Collection opened its doors to the public, inviting everyone to see what Ernest Withers had accomplished. With close to 1.8 million images in the archive, you can imagine what a labor of love it was to sort, preserve, and print the images they chose to put on display, a labor of love that isn’t even close to completion. The images on display range from key Civil Rights Movement events to legendary blues and jazz performers. Martin Luther King, Jr., B.B. King, “The King of Rock and Roll,” and “The Queen of Soul,” can all be seen, captured in their elements, in beautiful black and white photographs. If you love music, history, and Memphis, a visit to The Withers Collection is a must!