TRAVEL

Trip Planning

Planning a trip to Memphis? Make sure to visit Memphis Travel for what to do, where to eat and what to visit while you’re here.

Exploring Tennessee after your visit to Memphis? Check out TN Vacation for help with what to do next.

Each April we strive to bring the world to Memphis to experience one of the best cultural festivals in North America. We have something for everyone – from lectures and exhibits, to movie screenings and our core events. Attendees come from all 50 states and several foreign countries during the month of April to our city, one that’s rich in history and experience.

We hope you love your time in Africa in April. One of the organization’s core values is to “promote the rich musical and culinary cultural heritage of Memphis.” If you need some help with what to do, where to eat and what to visit in between our events, scroll through some of the local hotspots and take advantage of all that Memphis has to offer! 

Beale Street

Also known as the "Home of the Blues," Beale Street is a must-visit spot for anyone who loves live music and great food. Start your evening at sunset, for awesome views over the Mississippi River, then take a walk down Beale Street to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere, colorful neon lights, and historic buildings. Join a guided tour to learn about the history of blues and explore the best bars and music clubs in the area. For a unique experience, visit on Bike Night, when the street comes alive with hundreds of motorcycles rumbling down the street—check the schedule for timings before you go. Source - Tripadvisor

First Baptist Beale Street Church

History: Beale Street Baptist Church was built in 1869 and is notable for being the first Memphis church built for Blacks. It is often regarded as “the Mother of Black churches” and in 1892 was home to the first Black newspaper, The Memphis Free Speech, edited by Ida B. Wells. The church is also well known for being visited by two Presidents, Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt. The church originated in the home of, and was pastored by, a white minister until 1864, as a city ordinance prohibited Blacks from preaching to a congregation. In 2018 the City of Memphis designated this property as a site on the Memphis Heritage Trail. In 2022, Shelby County granted $150,000 toward the renovation of this historic landmark. The grant will help with masonry repairs, general restoration and a roof replacement. Sources - Memphis Heritage Inc. / TripAdvisor

Clayborn Temple

Clayborn Temple has been a part of Memphis and American History since 1892. First built and opened as Second Presbyterian Church, in 1949 the building was sold to an AME congregation who changed the name to Clayborn Temple. Because of its reputation in the community and proximity to City Hall, Clayborn was chosen as the organizing headquarters for The Sanitation Workers’ Strike of 1968, Martin Luther King’s last campaign. The campaign’s iconic “I AM A MAN” signs were made daily in Clayborn’s basement and have since become a universal symbol for human rights and dignity. Sources - Clayborn Temple / TripAdvisor / Wikipedia

Mason Temple Memphis

Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his prophetic "Mountaintop" speech in this church in Memphis, Tennessee, on the eve of his assassination--April 3, 1968.

Mason Temple served as a focal point of civil rights activities in Memphis during the 1950s and 1960s. Mason Temple was built between 1940 and 1945 as the administrative and spiritual center of the Church of God in Christ, the second largest black denomination. The temple is the centerpiece of a group of six buildings that form the church's world headquarters. Mason Temple is a vast concrete building capable of seating 7,500 people on two levels. Sources - National Park Service / TripAdvisor 

National Civil Rights Museum - Lorraine Motel

At the place of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'S death in 1968 in Memphis, TN, the National Civil Rights Museum is a renowned educational and cultural institution. The Museum chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement with compelling presentations of iconic exhibits, oral histories of lesser-known civil rights foot soldiers, and visceral, in-the-moment experiences. Visitors will learn through emotionally charged, multi-user, multi-touch interactives, and a visually engaging, contemporary exhibit design that guides you through five centuries of history. Bring the whole family. Sources - Civil Rights Museum / TripAdvisor

Slave Haven Museum

The house opened as a museum in 1997 and tours of the one-story, white clapboard house are available. The house is decorated with 19th-century furnishings and artifacts and served as part of the overall civil rights heritage of Memphis. The museum documents the history of the Underground Railroad and the possible role of the house in that secret escape network. Slavery, slave trade, slave auctions and the everyday life of slaves in the wider Memphis area are also documented in the museum. Sources - TripAdvisor / Wikipedia

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, is a 17,000 square-foot museum offering interactive exhibits, videos, vintage musical instruments used to create the Stax sound, stage costumes, photographs, records, and approximately 3,000 other items of memorabilia that tell the unique story, from beginning to present, of American soul music, particularly that of Stax Records and the Memphis Sound. Artists highlighted include Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, the Bar-Kays, Booker T. & the MGs, Johnnie Taylor, Little Milton, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and hundreds of others. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have special safety precautions in place, such as mandatory mask-wearing for all employees and guests, social distancing, no large groups, and, for now, cashless transactions only. Sources - TripAdvisor

Old Daisy Theatre

Opened 1913. Seats 600. The Daisy is a prime surviving example of nickelodeon architecture from the early cinema era. The tiny hall features a grand half dome entrance on Beale Street.  It's unusual in that the stage and screen are on the sidewalk end. Double doors on either side of the half-dome enter into small vestibules one on either side of the stage. Emerging from the vestibules, you have the audience looking at you!  There is a small balcony, vaguely horse-shoe shaped, supported from above with iron rods. Sources - TripAdvisor / Historic-Memphis

Withers Collection Museum & Gallery

The Withers Collection Museum and Gallery houses and displays the collection of photographs taken by Ernest C. Withers, a prolific photojournalist who captured Memphis history for over 60 years. Sources - TripAdvisor

Memphis Music

Memphis Music is the largest Blues specialty store in the world! Shop here for your Blues, Gospel, Rock-n-Roll and Jazz CDs, cassettes, vinyl, videos, DVDs, music theme gift items and t-shirts. Sources - Beale Street Management

B.B. King's Blues Club

Chow down on some fried pickle chips while listening to some of your favorite blues music. Sources - Trip Advisor

Blues Hall of Fame Museum

Visitors to The Blues Foundation's Blues Hall of Fame Museum will enjoy 10 individualized galleries with interactive touchscreen displays along with three master databases where they can hear the music, watch videos, and read the stories of each of our inductees. Our upstairs Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise Gallery is free to the public and hosts rotating exhibits twice a year. Sources - TripAdvisor

Four Way Restaurant

Opened as the Four Way Grill – now the Four Way Restaurant – in 1946, the dream was to serve the best soul food in Memphis. The restaurant became a home for leaders of the Civil Rights Movement such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton.  The Four Way has been featured on the Travel Channel, Andrew Zimmern List, Showtime with Navy Football Season 2, Southern Living Magazine, The New York Times and a video with Drake. Sources - TripAdvisor

Cozy Corner

At Cozy Corner, sure you will get the best BBQ that Memphis has to offer, but you will also get the best taste of Memphis culture! We’ve welcomed thousands of people from around the world for decades to enjoy our food and our authentic Memphis experience! Come on in! Sources - Cozy Corner Restaurant Inc.

UNCLE Lou's Fried Chicken

UNCLE LOU'S FRIED CHICKEN WAS ESTABLISHED APRIL 4, 2001. Uncle Lou's has been featured several times on national television. Including appearances on The Food Network's Diners Drive Ins & Dives and Best Thing I Ever Ate. Also on Southern Livings Off The Eaten Path. Uncle Lou's has become a mainstay in Memphis, and a hot spot for travelers the world over, having customers from over 60 countries, and 6 continents. Check Out The NBA Spotlight For Black-Owned Restaurants Sources - Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken

Makeda's Cookies

Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies are the manufacturers and producers of the best butter cookies in the world. We guarantee freshness, the highest quality, and fantastic customer service. Our cookies are made with 100% pure butter. We bake cookies all day long. Our goal is to offer quality products at reasonable prices. Sources - Makeda's Cookies

Evelyn and Olive

Proudly serving Memphis since 2012, Evelyn & Olive serves Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine at its best Sources - Evelyn and Olive

INKWELL

A dope cocktail bar. Sources - InkWell

ALPHA EXPRESS

Proudly serving Memphis since 2012, Transportation services at its best Sources - Alpha Express Transportation