Memphis Tourism

The Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate, and its original exhibition was developed by the Smithsonian Institution in 2000. It tells the story of musical giants who overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to create the music that shook the world. Located at 191 Beale Street at FedEx Forum, the museum offers a comprehensive Memphis music experience from the 1930s, through Memphis' musical explosion to its global influence.

Live music spills from each club. Smoky barbecue wafts on the breeze. History hangs in the air. You're on Beale Street. From the moment your foot touches the cobblestones, you realize you've officially entered a music mecca unlike any other. It is the most visited attraction in the State of Tennessee. Beale Street is alive with blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll, R&B, soul, and gospel. It has a variety of clubs, restaurants, and retail shops. Its live music, outdoor concerts, clubs, restaurants and neon give you an authentic look at Memphis and its music. No other local landmark has held such mystique, intrigue, fame and infamy over the years. Beale Street is in the heart of Downtown Memphis and dates back to 1841. It inspired W.C. Handy's "Beale Street Blues." It was where B.B. King's Blues Club calls home. It has welcomed everything from bars and nightclubs to gamblers and musicians. Beale Street was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and was officially declared the Home of the Blues by an act of Congress in 1977. While on the street, don't miss local favorites, the Beale Street Flippers as they do acrobatic stunts you have to see to believe. Also, tour the home of W.C. Handy (the Father of the Blues) and enjoy outdoor concerts at the W.C. Handy Park.

The NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors from around the world have come, including more than 90,000 student visits annually. Serving as the new public square, the Museum is steadfast in its mission to chronicle the American civil rights movement, examine today's global civil and human rights issues, provoke thoughtful debate and serve as a catalyst for positive social change. Generations have taken a moment to reflect in the museum's courtyard with the Lorraine Motel marque sign on one side and the balcony where Dr. King was shot on the other. They prepare for a transformational museum experience inside they will not forget. Through its interactive and immersive historical and contemporary exhibits from slavery to Black Power, from voting rights to immigration, from Jim Crow to Dr. King's last days at the Lorraine Motel, the museum examines civil and human rights issues (then and now). Visitors come to learn and engage in civil rights history to better understand how this history impacts them today. The museum provokes thoughtful debate with its public forums, book talks, distinguished speakers, and one-on-one conversations with civil rights icons and new movement makers. It's the Power of Place, where history happened and is happening! A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum is recognized as a 2019 National Medal Award recipient by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS), the top national honor for museums and libraries. It is a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today's Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC's Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal. Plan at least two hours for the self-guided museum experience. The museum is closed every Tuesday.

Experience 120 acres dedicated to Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. From tours of Elvis’ iconic Graceland Mansion — to the gold records, jeweled jumpsuits, classic cars, and all-new interactive experiences at Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment complex, you will be fully immersed in the life and career of an American legend. Then, enjoy the royal treatment with a stay at our AAA Four-Diamond resort hotel, The Guest House at Graceland. While visiting, take in a live concert at the Graceland Soundstage or plan your trip around one of our annual Elvis celebrations or themed weekends. There is always something happening at Graceland!

The sweet smell of barbecue fills the air just about anywhere you go in Memphis.

The Renasant Convention Center is being reimagined with a game-changing renovation that includes enhancements to the building's interior and exterior. Every square inch of the convention center will be touched by this project, bringing hotel-quality finishes and amenities that are desired by meeting planners and their delegates. The convention reinvention vision is for meeting spaces that embrace the river and skyline views along with outdoor terraces, glass-enclosed concourses, pre-function space, and 46 breakout meeting rooms. When complete in the Fall of 2020, the Renasant Convention Center will feature a column-free 118,000-square-foot main exhibit hall, a new exterior concourse, and pre-function space, 46 breakout rooms, a secondary flex space that easily converts to a 67,500 square-foot ballroom, the largest in the region, and a 28,000 square-foot ballroom to host smaller events. The renovation will also include public art, digital wayfinding, and additional loading docks for easier load in and load out.

The Memphis Airport serves as a large base for Delta Air Lines and offers many nonstop flights on Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United, and Spirit. MEM's top destinations throughout North America include Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, and Salt Lake City as well as convenient connections to international flights. Thanks to the presence of the FedEx World Hub, MEM is also the busiest cargo airport in North America and the second busiest cargo airport in the world. In 2022, MEM opened a new modernized concourse that features higher ceilings, more natural light, a new restaurant and retail options, and amenities such as chargers at every gate seat.