Memphis, Tennessee, offers a variety of ways to find your happy place and enjoy the music and food in Memphis. To really make the most of your trip, consider trying less touristy attractions to avoid crowds.
Visit the Lafayette Music Room
Of course, you’re going to hear great music from local talent on Beale Street, but you’ll also be dealing with lots of tourists as well. It’s hard to find your happy place when you have a bunch of obnoxious bachelor parties and other tourists partying a little too hard. Instead, visit the Lafayette Music Room. The food is delicious and you will get to hear both local and traveling artists every night of the week.
Soak Up Some History
Memphis is overflowing with historical significance — and it doesn’t just involve Elvis Presley. Spend some time learning about the history of Memphis by visiting the Cotton Museum and the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum. With Memphis’ location on the Mississippi River, it was one of the key cities in the cotton trade. Head to the Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange to learn about its significance in this vital industry during the 1800s.
Memphis also had one of the most significant slave trades in the 1800s explaining how it became an integral city for the underground railroad. Visit the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum. The museum was once the home of German Immigrant Jacob Burkle, who offered up his home as a haven for slaves traveling to freedom. The museum offers a better understanding of the experiences of slaves in the South and what it took to escape to freedom.
Visit Mud Island River Park
The Mississippi River is the fourth-longest in the world. If you’ve ever been curious to see the entire river, head to Mud Island River Park to walk the entire Mississippi River in about five blocks. The park offers a scaled-down version of the lower Mississippi, which begins in Cairo, Illinois, and ends at the Gulf of Mexico. The replicated gulf is an acre of water that offers a tranquil place to relax, paddleboat or enjoy the Memphis skyline.
Eat, Eat, Eat
It’s not a trip to Memphis if you don’t experience both the barbecue and the soul food. Check out Hotel Planner to book a centrally located Memphis hotel and you will be able to walk to all the best restaurants. Although the tourist traps serve delicious food, it’s more enjoyable to eat like a local. Try out one of the three locations of Central BBQ. It’s delicious, locally owned, and won’t be overrun by tourists. For soul food, you have to head to The Four Way. Although there are quite a few menu options, on your first visit you have to try the fried chicken.
Although Memphis is best known for music and food, there’s plenty of history and other experiences to try when you’re in this famous city. Make sure you avoid the tourist traps to find your happy place in Memphis.