10 Things to do in Memphis After You Visit Graceland
Memphis, Tennessee is known worldwide for its number one tourist attraction, Graceland. Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the globe tour the gloriously tacky mansion that was the home of the late Elvis Presley. If you find yourself in Memphis for either business or pleasure, you absolutely should make the pilgrimage to Graceland and pay homage to the King of Rock n’ Roll. But, when your tour has ended, Grind City has so much more to offer outside of Graceland.
In no particular order, here are 10 Memphis attractions you should check out once you’ve seen Graceland.
Beale Street
Beale Street runs east-west just above the bluff in downtown Memphis. Most tourists visit Beale to listen to live Blues music. B.B. Kings, Rum Boogie Café and Silky O’Sullivan’s are but a few of the venues where you enjoy fantastic Blues music. The real star of Beale Street, in my mind anyway, is Blues City Café. They serve some of the best BBQ and catfish money can buy.
Memphis Zoo
Memphis is home to one of the best zoos in the country. In fact, it was ranked as the number one zoo in America by Trip Advisor in 2008. The sprawling 55-acre zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals, including lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and great apes that are housed in natural looking exhibits. Besides enjoying the animal exhibits, The Memphis Zoo offers some nice dining options as well.
Bass Pro at the Pyramid
The Great American Pyramid was originally built in the early 90s as an arena and concert venue. In the 2000s, The Pyramid fell out of use with the construction of Fed Ex Forum. On a bet, the head of Bass Pro Shops converted the derelict Pyramid into a Bass Pro super store that opened in 2015. The store is decorated to look like a Southern swamp, complete with freshwater fish and an alligator enclosure. Besides the store, the Pyramid also houses Bass Pro’s 100-room hotel, the Big Cypress Lodge. Bass Pro also includes a laser arcade, bowling alley/saltwater aquarium, both an archery and shooting range, two restaurants, and an observation deck up top that gives a sweeping view of downtown Memphis and the mighty Mississippi River.
Sun Studio
Sun Studio is the birthplace of Rock n’ Roll, making it a must-see for anyone who is fascinated by popular music history. Sun Records was home to legendary performers like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison, who launched the Rock n’ Roll Revolution in the mid-1950s. At Sun Studio, you can enjoy a guided tour, buy records and even book a recording session in the Rock n’ Roll’s Holy of Holies.
Stax Records
Another shrine of American music is Stax Records. At Stax you will find an amazing record store and the recording studios where artists like Otis Redding, Isaac Hays, Wilson Pickett and others crafted the sound of sweet Soul Music. You can shop at the record store and experience a guided tour through the studios as you stroll down those hallowed halls of American music.
Civil Rights Museum
In downtown Memphis, you will find The National Civil Rights Museum. It is housed in a cluster of buildings, including the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in1968. The museum’s exhibits tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement. The written word is not able to convey the weight of the museum’s emotional impact. You will just have to go and see for yourself.
Sports
Memphis offers some great sports action for most of the year. During the spring and summer months, you can catch some great minor league baseball action at Autozone Field with the Memphis Redbirds. In the cooler months, Grizzlies home games are a spectacle to behold. Memphis also has a hockey team, the Memphis River Kings and a United States Football League (USFL) team, the Showboats. If college sports is more your thing, then you can check out the University of Memphis basketball and football teams.
Shelby Farms
Shelby Farms is the largest municipal park in the United States. At over 4,500 acres, it’s five times larger than Manhattan’s Central Park. Here, you will discover miles of walking and biking trails, lakes, wildlife viewing, a dog park and a herd of buffalo. If you visit Memphis during the holiday season, you can marvel at the light displays at their nightly “Starry Nights” drive-through tour.
Mississippi River
There are a number of attractions to be found along the city’s riverfront. Riverboat tours are a popular attraction where you can harken back to the steamboat era of the early 1800s. Underneath the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, the “New Bridge” to locals, is Mud Island. Mud Island features a museum where visitors can learn all about the history of the Lower Mississippi River through artifact displays and interactive exhibits. Mud Island also features a scale hydrologic model of the Lower Mississippi that is fed by the muddy waters of Old Man River itself. Once upon a time, Mud Island’s amphitheater showcased concerts by The Beach Boys, Eric Clapton, Journey and Heart, just to name a few. The amphitheater is temporarily closed for renovations but should be hosting concerts again soon. Another river attraction, Big River Crossing, is a pedestrian and bike trail that spans the Mississippi along the Harahan railroad bridge which runs right next to the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, the “Old Bridge”. From the Harahan Bridge, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of both the river and Memphis.
BBQ
If you’re only in town for a short while and don’t have time to visit the attractions listed above, then do yourself a favor and at the very least check out one of Memphis’s many BBQ joints. Memphis is world-famous for its BBQ. In fact, Memphis is home to the “World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest”, which is held annually during the city’s month-long “Memphis in May” celebration. If one was to parachute from an airplane over Memphis, you’d have a reasonable chance of landing on a really good BBQ joint. I mean, really, you can’t go wrong. Some of the best BBQ in town can be found at Central BBQ, The Rendezvous, Corky’s, Interstate BBQ or Top’s BBQ. Real talk, trust me on the BBQ, and you can thank me when you see me.
