Stuff to do in Memphis!
Whether this is your first visit to Memphis or you’re a local – we hope that you take some time this weekend to enjoy this city that we love so much and that we’re excited to share with you. We wanted to include a little list of some places and experiences to be had in Memphis that we love and that you might enjoy too!
Explore
Overton Park & Memphis Zoo
1914 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
A humongous park that’s over 120 years old, it contains an old growth forest arboretum, beautiful walking paths, the Brooks Museum, a public golf course, the former campus of the Memphis College of Art (Clare’s alma mater!) and soon to be the new home for the Metal Museum, the Levitt Shell, the Greensward, and of course, the Memphis Zoo – one of the best in the South! This is a great place to stretch your legs and bring the kiddos.
Crosstown Concourse
1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
This is undeniably one of the most successful and beautiful efforts of revitalization in the whole city. Formerly known as the Sears Building, this was a distribution hub and retail spot for Sears that was opened in the 1920’s, complete with classic Art Deco architectural flair. After years of neglect and vandalism, it had become an iconic but crumbling landmark of Midtown Memphis by the time we were in college. However, the building was saved by the community and became a source of redevelopment, reopening in 2017 as a mixed use development with lots of attractions. Art Bar, Global Café, and Crosstown Brewery are some of our favorites, and with 1.5 million square feet of space, there’s a lot to explore!
The Dixon Gallery & Gardens
4339 Park Avenue, Memphis, TN 38117
When the weather is particularly nice out, and if we have the time, we love to visit the Dixon and just wander around. Opened in the 1970’s, this museum features many works of Impressionist artists from France and the United States and has rotating collections throughout the year. However, we’re all about the gardens. Classical and neoclassical sculptures are dotted throughout the gardens, along with beautiful English lawns and lots of varieties of trees and flowers. Bring a camera and take some dreamy shots while you’re here!
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
1934 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
Located in Overton Park, this is the oldest and largest art museum in the state. We also have deep connections here. Clare attended MCA and spent a time in the museum studying, and years later, she designed their website. Jake was an intern here while he was attending Rhodes and curated a gallery in the Education wing featuring local artists. Our second date was also here, where we enjoyed a lovely exhibition of Durer’s Small Passion series and Warhol’s Silver Clouds. The Museum just broke ground on a new location downtown, so if you want to enjoy the original location, now’s your chance!
Sun Studio
706 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103
While you may not find Graceland on our list, you will find Sun Studio, Ground Zero for rock and roll. Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Howlin’ Wolf, Junior Parker – and, yes, Elvis – all recorded here with the legendary Sam Phillips. Is it touristy? Yes – but we think it’s worth a pilgrimage.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
926 East McLemore Avenue, Memphis, TN 38126
What is there to be said about Stax Records that hasn’t already been said? It’s the epicenter of southern soul music, the holiest of holies. Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Albert King, Wilson Pickett, Rufus & Carla Thomas, and Sam & Dave all erupted from this unassuming storefront and changed music forever. The museum tells the story of how Memphis was uniquely poised to bring these voices together and about the racially integrated team at Stax that made it happen at a time of deep racial unrest in the South. You also get to see Isaac Hayes’s superfly Cadillac, which is worth the cost of admission alone.
National Civil Rights Museum
450 Mulberry Street, Memphis, TN 38103
Established at the site of the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April 1968, the National Civil Rights Museum is an important and visible part of the South Main neighborhood. It’s much more than a somber monument – it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and how much further we have to go as a society. The museum is full of exhibits beyond the scope of just Memphis events – the Freedom Riders, Rosa Parks, and the Brown v. Board of Education case are all commemorated and cataloged. The journey through the museum is emotional and deeply affecting, and we think it is very much worth everyone's time.
Shelby Farms Park
6903 Great View Drive N, Memphis, TN 38134
If you’re feeling a little outdoors-y but don’t want to have to travel too far, look no further than Shelby Farms Park. As one of the largest urban parks in the world, Shelby Farms has a lot to offer for outdoor recreation – trails for biking, hiking, running, and horseback riding, an 18 hole disc golf course, multiple lakes with rentable kayaks, and an off-the-leash dog park. It’s the perfect place to get lost in the middle of the city!
Eat & Drink
Vice & Virtue @ The Arrive Hotel
477 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103
This is our favorite coffee spot, located right in the lobby of the Arrive Hotel on South Main. The Arrive Hotel, formerly the Graduate building for the Memphis College of Art, has a wonderfully inviting lobby with interesting decor and lots of comfortable seating. Clare likes the chai; Jake always gets a double espresso. Vice & Virtue roast their own beans, and the flavors in their coffee are delightful. The pastry situation here is also top-notch. With a caffeinated drink and warm bite in hand, you’re in the perfect place to people watch and get your morning started!
Edge Alley
600 Monroe Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103
This is a fantastic breakfast/brunch/lunch spot owned and operated by our friend Tim Barker in the middle of the Edge District – an emerging neighborhood situated between Downtown and Midtown. Tim does his own bread and pastry in-house, and their tea and coffee game is on point. Everything is just really well done here. We love to sit with a view to the street or out on the patio.
Cameo
1835 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
An absolute must for the cocktail-obsessed among you. Cameo is the upscale dive bar of our dreams – Miller High Life spaghetts are right at home alongside flaming tiki drinks and house cocktails with names that sound like Fall Out Boy tracks. They also go late – last call is at 2 am. Clare loves the cocktails here, and Jake is usually a fuddy-duddy who just drinks the wine. (The wine list is pretty good!) Additionally, they have some tasty eats, like flatbread pizza and sandwiches.
Wiseacre Brewing
Downtown
398 South B. B. King Boulevard, Memphis, TN 38126
Broad Ave.
2783 Broad Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112
I know, right? Two locations – what’s up with that? It really just depends on the vibe you’re going for. Wiseacre was one of the first and is still one of the best local breweries in Memphis, and they’ve become so successful that they needed to expand. The original location and taproom is on Broad Avenue and is super chill. The Downtown spot looks like if Dr. Seuss designed a brewery for a Bond villain. No matter where you go, their beers are exceptional. Jake really likes the Bow Echo IPA, and Clare is always down to try whatever wheat beer concoction is on tap.
Rootstock Wine Merchants
644 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103
If you don’t already know, this is Jake’s dad’s new wine store – and of course, it has been the best in the city since the day it opened. Stocking a deep selection of natural and biodynamic wines along with some excellent classics and shelf staples, this place has everything you need – including liquor! So if you want to grab a couple extra bottles to keep in the room or to take home, stop in and say hey to Scott, Charlie, and Jason.
Ecco & Tonica
Ecco
1585 Overton Park Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112
Tonica
1545 Overton Park Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112
Owned and operated by Sabine Bachmann and her son, Armando, these are two of our favorite places for an impromptu date night. Ecco serves fine dining level cuisine in a casual atmosphere, and Tonica is an awesome Spanish gin-and-tonic and tapas spot. We would recommend bar seating at both – it’s a better view for the great people watching.
Slider Inn Midtown
2117 Peabody Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
Let’s be honest – we all need to stuff our faces every once in a while. And when we do, we like to do it at Slider Inn, which is truly a patio with a restaurant instead of the other way around. They have awesome chicken wings, a terrifyingly large platter of nachos, and cold-ass beer. Also? Jameson Slushies. Need we say more?