Memphis

Home of the Blues, Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll. There's pure magic in the mix in Memphis with world-famous music, attractions, back-alley barbecue joints and the neon nightlife of Beale Street.

Music wafts in from the mighty Mississippi River and breezes down Beale Street where blues pioneers first plied their trade. See the memorabilia and dig deeper at the Blues Music Hall of Fame. Head to Sun Studio where you can literally stand on the mark made by giants: Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.

Don't forget to visit the most famous address in rock 'n' roll: Graceland: Elvis' beloved mansion.

Soul was forged in Memphis. Stax Museum of American Soul Music laid down the tracks of greats who took the funk out of Memphis and carried it all over the world: Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Booker T & the MGs, Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd and Albert King.

Once you get the Memphis tune in your head, let it lead you to all that Memphis has to offer: The historic Peabody Hotel, the Memphis Zoo, Beale Street Landing and Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid for the best view of downtown Memphis and the Mississippi River.

Or head to midtown and hang with the locals at Overton Square, an entertainment district with restaurants, bars, live music, a cinema with a difference and a comedy club.

Black History Month in Memphis

February in the US is Black History Month but there are museums and events throughout the year in the South marking all this history. There's plenty of history at the powerful National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, but also the famed music museums and clubs off-the-beaten-path are cultural hidden treasures that tell the inside stories of the civil rights struggles and triumphs. Every autumn, the National Civil Rights Museum presents the Freedom Awards. This event honours individuals who are committed to equal rights and whose accomplishments depict the spirit of the civil rights movement. Honorees include Oprah Winfrey, Bono, the Dalai Lama and Paul Rusesabagina.

On Sunday mornings you can visit the oldest African-American congregation in Memphis, First Baptist Beale Street. Started in 1865 as a shelter for the thousands of rural freed men and women who came to Memphis during and after the Civil War, this magnificent structure is the first brick-constructed, multi-story church in the U.S. built for African Americans. If the history of the church doesn’t move you, the service will.

Two blocks away is Tom Lee Park. This riverside park serves as home of the Memphis in May International Festival and is named for Memphis’ greatest hero. In 1925, with the help of his tiny rowboat, local African-American resident Tom Lee (who could not swim) braved the Mississippi’s swirling currents to save 32 strangers from drowning when their excursion steamer sank. A statue at the centre of the park pays tribute to Lee’s heroic efforts.

Just 35 miles north of the city limits in nearby Henning, Tennessee, stands the boyhood home and final resting place of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alex Haley. The “birthplace of Roots," as Haley called it, has been restored to represent the home where he grew up in the early 20th century. The Alex Haley House and Museum is the perfect day trip from Memphis and a must-see for anyone with an extra day in the area and a passion for history.

While in Memphis, turn your dial to 1070 AM to tune into WDIA. This Memphis-based radio station became the first U.S. radio station programmed by African Americans in 1962 and is still a local favourite today. Also keep an eye out for the various historic markers scattered along downtown sidewalks. Each marker depicts a historical figure or event that took place right here in Memphis.

Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, Memphis

Slave Haven Museum (or Burkle Estate as it is also known) is a white clapboard house built by Jacob Burkle in 1849. Rumour has is that this house on the Underground Railroad served as a way station for the runaway slaves. You can tour the house and visit the cellar where slaves used to wait to escape visit slavehavenmemphis.com for more information.

The Guest House at Graceland

It's officially open! The Guest House at Graceland is located on beautifully landscaped property and just a few steps from the gates of Elvis Presley's Graceland. This unique accommodation is inspired by the warm hospitality that Elvis always showed his guests, with every aspect of The Guest House reflecting Elvis' personal style and the unique character of Graceland. It's more than a full-service hotel, it's 450 spacious rooms and a range of contemporary facilities, including two restaurants, spaces for meetings and special events and a 464-seat theatre for live performances and movies. It's the gateway to your visit to Graceland and a great place to stay while discovering everything that Memphis has to offer. It's classic elegance and modern luxury - friendly, refined and uniquely Elvis. Click here for more information. 

Harahan Bridge Project

Memphis' bike lanes, trails and pedestrian walks connect visitors to quaint neighbourhoods and a healthier lifestyle. The Harahan Bridge which spans the Mississippi River gives walkers and cyclists the opportunity to cross Ole Man River from Downtown Memphis to the banks of Arkansas. More information at harahanbridgeproject.com.

Memphis Music Hall of Fame

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame opened in downtown Memphis on Beale Street, adjacent to the newly relocated Hard Rock Cafe. This will be the only Memphis museum to focus specifically on the heroes of Memphis music - rock, soul, jazz, blues, R&B and more. Meet and pay tribute to the intriguing muscial legends who shook the planet, through this new, fun, educational and highly interactive exhibition that's as outrageous as the inductees themselves. The Memphis Music Hall of Fame is being administered by the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum. For more information visit memphismusichalloffame.com.

Blues Hall of Fame

The Blues Foundation, the Memphis-based international blues music organisation will opened it's first ever Blues Hall of Fame in downtown Memphis. The BHOF will pay tribute to the great blues men and women including B.B. King, Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. 

Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid

Memphis was the capital of Egypt during the period of the Old Kingdom which was known as the Pyramid Age. The city was located on the Nile River Delta at the head of the longest river in the world while its namesake Memphis, Tennessee sits at the head of the Delta of the Mississippi River, the longest river in North America.

Built in 1991, the Memphis is the third largest in the world and is now home to Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid where visitors can ride the tallest free-standing glass elevator in America - 28 stories. They can stand on glass-floored observation decks at the top, patterned after the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Bowl "in the ocean" amid underwater scenery at Uncle Buck's Fishbowl and Grill, a nautical-themed restaurant and bar with a saltwater aquarium and a 13-lane, ocean-themed bowling alley.

Big Cypress Lodge

Big Cypress Lodge is a wilderness hotel inside Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid in downtown Memphis. It's the first hotel ever located inside a Bass Pro Shops and includes 105 guest cabins and 15 suites overlook the Pyramid's vast cypress and wetlands expanse, feature interior and exterior views, elegant cabin-style decor and handcrafted furnishings. Guests can book a stay in one of its rustice-elegant and well appointed cabins and suites at big-cypress.com.

Memphis featured in the Top 10 Tasiest Towns in Southern Living Magazine

In the second-annual Tastiest Towns contest, Southern Living picked 10 cities that will have you ready to pack your forks and go. Memphis is a bountiful crossroads of barbecue, crops and rising culinary stars. Here is the article featured in Southern Living about great eats in Memphis, Tennessee. 

There's no denying barbecue is at the heart Memphis' food culture. Spots like Cozy Corner Restaurant and Charles Vergos' Rendezvous are a must on any trip to Memphis, but recently some young talented chefs have redefined Memphis' flavour by blending local produce and the Southen fridge with culinary traditions from near and far. Chef Kelly English put the new food scene on the map in 2008 when he opened Restaurant Iris, where he mixes his Louisiana roots with Delta ingredients. "If Creoles had settled in Memphis this is how they would have cooked.".

Best Bites: Savour crispy veal sweetbreads and dumplings with fennel and local mushrooms at Restaurant Iris, reoll up your sleeves for a tender, smoky slab of ribs from Cozy Corner Restaurant and moist red velvet Frankly Scarlett cupcakes at Muddy's Bake Shop.

Nightcap in Memphis: Sip a smokey, orange-kissed All the Single Ladies (Prichard's single malt, Solerno blood orange liqueur and grapefruit juice at Hog & Hominy.