Beale Street Historic District – Memphis Attractions
Nightclubs and restaurants offer food and live music including traditional blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock' and roll. The famous street also features a statue of W.C. Handy, a musical ‘Walk of Fame,’ and Church Park, built by the South's first Black millionaire, Robert Church. Visit the store: ‘A. Schwab's Dry Goods’ – it’s been a mainstay on the street since 1876, and that’s a long time in the USA. It stocks everything from Voodoo potions to ties.
Alex Haley Museum – Attractions in Memphis
Alex Haley is best known as the author of the novel Roots from which the television series of the same name was adapxed. The novel is based on Haley's own family. Roots was shown in the US in 1977 and its phenomenal success surprised the ABC TV network, which had elected to show the whole series in a week, thinking not many people would be interested. 1977 that was again, just in case you thought we said 1957.
Built by Haley’s grandfather in the years around 1920 the house has been restored to how it would have been when Alex was born and would have sat on the porch listening to the stories his family would tell about his relatives and their struggles for respect and freedom. Well worth the 35 mile trip to the north of Memphis.
Graceland – Memphis Attractions
Come on then, let’s go to Graceland. You can’t be this close and not have a mooch round. It might even make an Elvis fan out of you, if you’re not already of course! You don’t have to be an Elvis fan though (it’s not like The Country Music Hall of Fame – really, if you aren’t a country music mega-fan DON’T GO THERE) how many times to you get to see what it’s like inside a rock star’s private jet? And not just any rock star either, the KING of rock and roll! The jungle room, mirrored basement ceilings, frankly massive collection of gold and platinum records, 18 mile wide sofa (okay, it’s 18 feet wide), there’s loads to see here. Do NOT miss it!
Rock and Soul Museum – Attractions in Memphis
Been to Graceland? Good, now stay on the beat and track to the Rock and Soul Museum, which is on Beale Street. This Memphis museum houses an exhibition about the birth of rock and soul music. Come here and learn the story of musical pioneers who overcame racial barriers to create music that shook the world.
Get the Memphis music experience all the way, from the rural sharecroppers of the 1930s, through to the explosion of Sun, Stax, and Hi Records and the Memphis’ musical heyday in the 1970s. The museum’s digital audio tour guide is packed with over 300 minutes of information, including over 100 songs, that you at your own pace through seven galleries featuring instruments, costumes and other musical treasures.