5 Best Attractions in Memphis Tennessee
5 Best Attractions in Memphis Tennessee
Spending a couple days in Memphis gave us time to explore and here is our vote for the 5 best attractions in Memphis Tennessee. From Graceland to Beale Street to food not to eat, we did it all.
When traveling everyone has their idea of what the best attractions are at each place they might visit. We have been to Memphis two times but yet only visited Graceland the first visit so our second visit we had to explore more.
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Graceland
Home of Elvis Presley when he was alive and now a very popular tourist attraction in Memphis, Tennessee. Graceland is a must see for anyone traveling to Memphis. Spend as little or as much time as you can here.
Touring Graceland and feeling his presence everywhere you look is so neat. It’s like you can hear him and feel him as you walk thru his home, yard, cemetery, museum, plane and more. If you do nothing else in Memphis, do this one. You can even do the VIP Graceland Tour and get special treatment.
Read my post about our visit to Graceland. It is post one of 3 and the other 2 will come soon.
Gibson Guitar Factory
The first visit to Memphis we didn’t have time to tour the Memphis Gibson Guitar Factory and there was no way my hubby was going to be in Memphis a second time and not do this. He is a huge guitar head and Gibson guitars are his number one!!
Gibson Guitar Factory tour doesn’t allow pictures taken while in the factory, so here are some outside of the tour itself.
Look a the smile on Tony’s face. Being in love with guitars this is like a kid in a candy store for sure.
When you walk in right away there is a guitar shop. There was no guitar in that shop that Tony didn’t want for his very own. I think we could have just signed over our home after looking at the prices, WOW!!
This was my favorite guitar of all, and it was outside the factory before going up the steps. Being the Elvis fan I am, I of course needed a picture with this guitar.
Beale Street – Home of the Blues
America’s most iconic street, Tennessee top tourism attraction and the official home of the blues. That is what Beale street is. This was our first visit to Beale Street. After walking around a bit, we wish we would have stayed another night to see the nightlife here.
With only a couple hours to walk around and take in the sights, here are a few things we wanted to share with you. There is a lot to see and do here and I suggest you spend a couple days at Beale Street, and nights. Check out a 1-hour guided walking tour of Beale Street to learn all the history.
There is a lot to see and do on Beale Street and sadly we were there way to early in the day and not much was open or going on. I guess this is a place for those who like the night life which we do, but had to get on the road.
A few pictures from a few different angles to show all the shops and restaurants and bars along Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.
A day of walking and sight seeing is only made better with a horse drawn carriage ride to show some sights a bit to far for my feet to handle.
While we enjoyed our walk and carriage ride around Beale street it was time to get to the next destination. We did eat a quick lunch at Pork with Attitude and sadly we don’t recommend that place. Dirty, expensive and food was just eh.. not the best.
After we ate at Pork with Attitude we were visiting with someone in one of the shops and said we didn’t like our meal or the restaurant and they said they hear that alot. They suggested next time we try any place but that one!
Bass Pro Shop
This place is totally crazy! I have never been in a Bass Pro Shop and I seriously about died when I walked into this place. It is more than a shop for hunting and fishing, it has a hotel, fish ponds, gun range, restaurants, and more.
Bass Pro Shop Pyramid is a 535,000 square foot pyramid and at the very top you can go outside and walk on a glass deck that over looks Memphis. It’s crazy!!
Inside Bass Pro Shop is Cypress Lodge a 103 room wilderness hotel. If I had known this hotel was here, we would totally have gotten a room for the night but I had no idea. We didn’t even know we were gonna visit this place.
When we were at the Gibson Guitar Factory one of the gals at the checkout counter told us about it, so we just had to check it out. It is a must stop for everyone. Kids thru adults can enjoy this place.
More about Bass Pro Shop
The best part about Bass Pro Shop in Memphis is the 28 story freestanding elevator and glass observation deck.
Ride up the world’s tallest freestanding elevator to the top and check out the sights on the observation deck.
What you don’t see in this picture is how freaked out Tony is because he is scared of heights!
Not sure what it is about our eating on this particular trip, but again we ate at the top of Bass Pro Shop and our meal was very expensive for 2 burgers and chips.
I believe it was about $40 and the burgers were frozen patties and stale buns. Not impressed!
I know it looks good, and the homemade chips were good but the burger was not. Such a bummer because the view from our table was amazing!
The Legendary Sun Studio
Sun Studio is one that sadly we didn’t have time to do, but it is also included in the top 5 best attractions in Memphis because well, it’s a legendary place! Known as the Birthplace of Rock n Roll!
Music legends like B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and more fill the history and stories told of Sun Studio. Elvis recorded his first album here. Many musicians were drawn to Sun Sound.
The tour guide will tell you stories and you will listen to the voices of recording artists outtakes and check out memorabilia from musical legends. You might even hear voices of musicians that still haunt the studio.
The day we visited Memphis, Sun Studio was not open and if it had been we would have toured. I guess we need to go back to Memphis soon to take this tour! Next time we will also do the 3-hour bus Sun Studio History and Music tour.
There you have it, the 5 Best Attractions in Memphis Tennessee according to my hubby and I. Everyone has their favorites so drop me a comment and tell me what places you love in Memphis, Tennessee.
Definitely need to do a family trip here as I really want to visit Memphis, my husband and son love guitars (but don’t have a Gibson…yet!). I would have never put the Bass Pro Shop on my list of things to do, but I have to check out that elevator, view and hotel. And also Beale Street and Sun Studio. Memphis has now moved closer to the top.
Tony has wanted to do the Gibson Guitar tour in a long time. Being a lover of music, guitars and his favorite guitars being Gibson.. it was a must. We hadn’t known about Bass Pro Shop and that was super cool too. One could spend hours and hours there. I said next trip down I’d love to stay in the hotel there. I love the look and feel of “lodge” and that is what they have.
Next trip we will totally do Sun Studio. I am thinking when we are RV living next year we will round back and do many of our favorite things, again 🙂