Memphis

Around Memphis

Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Metro area · Tennessee · 1.3M people

Memphis

Locals say Mid-South · “Bluff City”, “Home of the Blues”, “Birthplace of Rock and Roll”

Where the river sings and the barbecue smokes

Beale Street BlueMidnight BlueGold

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Welcome to the Mid-South, where the Mississippi flows and the barbecue smoke rises. Whether you're here for the music, the food, or the friendly folks, you'll find a home in Memphis. Get ready for some hot summers and warm hospitality.

Clubs for Memphis

No clubs for Memphis yet.

The room

One room for everyone around Memphis. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.

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All

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Coming up

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Marketplace

Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Memphis. Sign in to sell something.

Things to do

  • Graceland Elvis Presley's home and pilgrimage site.
  • Beale Street Famous for blues clubs and nightlife.
  • Sun Studio Where rock and roll was born.
  • Stax Museum of American Soul Music Dedicated to soul music history.
  • The Peabody Hotel Famous for the daily duck march.
  • Shelby Farms Park One of the largest urban parks in the US.
  • Outdoors Bike or walk the Shelby Farms Greenline
  • Outdoors Picnic and play at Shelby Farms Park
  • With kids Visit the Memphis Zoo
  • With kids Explore the Children's Museum of Memphis
  • Evenings Listen to live blues on Beale Street
  • Evenings Catch a show at the Orpheum Theatre
  • Locals love BBQ joints
  • Locals love Soul food restaurants

Through the year

  • Memphis in May May Month-long citywide festival
  • Beale Street Music Festival May Music festival with national acts
  • World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest May BBQ competition
  • Memphis Marathon December Marathon and half-marathon
  • Cooper-Young Festival September Arts and crafts street festival

Memphis has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters. The best time to be out is spring and fall. Best: Spring (April-May) and fall (September-October) are the most comfortable times to be outside.

Talk like a local

“Mid-South”
The region's name
“The Bluff City”
Nickname for Memphis
“M-Town”
Slang for Memphis
“Beale”
Referring to Beale Street

Getaways

Local flavour

Teams

  • Memphis Grizzlies NBA
  • University of Memphis Tigers NCAA Division I
  • Memphis Redbirds MiLB (Triple-A)
  • Memphis 901 FC USL Championship
  • Memphis Hustle NBA G League

Eat and drink

  • Memphis-style barbecue (dry-rub ribs, pulled pork) Signature style, often served with coleslaw and pickles
  • Soul food (fried chicken, catfish, collard greens) Comfort food staples in local diners and family restaurants
  • Memphis-style BBQ nachos Loaded with pulled pork, cheese, and BBQ sauce
  • Banana pudding A Southern dessert often found at barbecue joints
  • Sweet tea Iced tea sweetened, a Southern beverage staple

Where people go

  • Blues clubs on Beale Street Iconic street with live music venues
  • Barbecue joints Family-owned spots serving ribs and pulled pork
  • Soul food restaurants Fried chicken, catfish, and Southern sides
  • Riverfront parks along the Mississippi Scenic views and walking trails
  • Historic music studios (Sun Studio, Stax) Birthplaces of rock and soul
  • The Peabody Hotel (duck march) Iconic hotel with a daily duck parade
  • Graceland (Elvis Presley's home) Major tourist attraction

Heritage and traditions

Memphis is proud of its deep musical heritage as the birthplace of blues and rock 'n' roll, its soulful community, and its resilient spirit along the Mississippi River.

This time of year in Memphis

  • Memphis Greek Festival Fall A September tradition with Greek food and dancing.

Say it like a local: “fixin' to” — about to

Festivals

  • Memphis Greek Festival September Greek food, music, and dancing at the Greek Orthodox Church.
  • Memphis Italian Festival June Italian food, music, and games at Marquette Park.
  • Memphis Juneteenth Festival June African American heritage and freedom celebration.
  • Memphis Music and Heritage Festival Labor Day weekend Showcases local music, crafts, and food.

Landmarks with a story

  • National Civil Rights Museum Located at the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
  • Orpheum Theatre A restored 1920s movie palace hosting Broadway shows and concerts.
  • Pink Palace Museum Built by a Piggly Wiggly founder, now a museum with natural history exhibits.
  • Memphis Cotton Exchange Once the world's largest spot cotton market, now a historic building.
  • Hunt-Phelan House One of the oldest antebellum homes in Memphis.
  • Magevney House A mid-19th-century Irish immigrant home.

Food traditions

  • Delta-style tamales A local specialty influenced by Mexican and Southern cooking, often sold at festivals and from food trucks.
  • Meat-and-three plate lunches A Southern tradition where you pick a meat and three sides.
  • Fried catfish at fish camps Casual eateries along the Mississippi serve fried catfish with hush puppies.

Music and arts

  • Memphis soul The Stax sound, a genre of soul music with a distinctive horn-driven style.
  • Memphis blues The blues scene centered on Beale Street, a historic hub.
  • Rock 'n' roll Sun Records launched the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and others.
  • Memphis rap A vibrant hip-hop scene with a distinct Southern style.

A little history

  • 1819 Memphis founded
  • 1862 Battle of Memphis during the Civil War
  • 1878 Yellow fever epidemic killed thousands
  • 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated at the Lorraine Motel
  • 1968 Sanitation workers' strike led by MLK

Rivalries

  • Memphis Tigers vs. Tennessee Volunteers College football rivalry.
  • Memphis Tigers vs. Ole Miss Rebels College football rivalry.
  • Memphis 901 FC vs. Nashville SC Soccer rivalry.
  • Game day Tailgating at Tigers football games
  • Game day The 'Grit and Grind' era
  • Outdoors Big River Crossing
  • Outdoors Mud Island River Park
  • With kids Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum
  • With kids Redbirds baseball games

Memphis has a Southern accent with a distinct Mid-South flavor, characterized by a drawl and use of phrases like 'y'all' and 'fixin' to'.

Only here

  • The Memphis Pyramid is the largest pyramid-shaped building in the US.
  • Piggly Wiggly was founded in Memphis in 1916.
  • The Memphis Grizzlies' mascot is a bear named Grizz.
  • Mud Island has a scale model of the Mississippi River.
New here? A few tips
  • Be prepared for hot, humid summers and mild winters.
  • Try the barbecue and soul food early—it's a local rite of passage.
  • Learn to say 'Memphis' as 'Memfis'.
  • Use I-40 and I-55 for commuting, but watch for rush hour.
  • Explore the music history at Sun Studio and Stax Museum.

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Part of Memphis area

Nearby

Every area
WynneArkansasWhere the White River winds through rice and cotton fieldsForrest CityArkansasHeart of the Arkansas DeltaHelenaArkansasWhere the blues live and the river flows.BrownsvilleTennesseeSlow river days and blues‑soaked nights.BlythevilleArkansasWhere the Delta meets the riverBatesvilleMississippiWhere the Delta's soul runs deepJonesboroArkansasWhere the Delta meets the RidgeOxfordMississippiWhere the Grove meets the South

Memphis, TN-MS-AR. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.

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