This is the most amazing cemetery! We went to do do the audio tour which should have taken 1.5…read morehours...we left 3 hours later! The tour was amazing and talked so much about the people and the city of Memphis. The grave markers and such are so incredible. We wandered around in amazement. The staff was also incredible. Bob Barnett in particular. He spent time telling us more about the cemetery. We appreciated it so much. This is a must see stop if you are in the area.

I do so love old cemeteries and when traveling off I go to find them! For $10 we purchased an audio…read moretour. So much great information about the history of the city and the locally famous folks buried there. Well worth the time (just over an hour) and money.

Peaceful, well kept cemetery. A mausoleum and office. They can and will provide a nice space for 1…read moreperson or spaces for an entire family. There was a crew there removing all the billion leaves from the fall dropping, cutting the grass and blowing the plots off. Once again well kept grounds.

Last year our son's grave had to be professionally cleaned because a tree limb had been lying on…read morethe headstone for a long period of time. On this date, 10-3-22, another tree limb was found on the head stone. It had obviously been there a long time. Once again the stone will have to be cleaned because no one bothered to remove the fallen limb. The entire area for infants and children is never properly maintained. We had our baby buried there because we thought Calvary Cemetery staff would care properly for his grave. The front is maintained giving the illusion that the whole cemetery is well maintained, but the back kooks like trash. Very disrespectful to the families and loved ones of those that have passed. We expect much better from the staff of our Catholic cemetery.

After finding out Aretha Franklin's childhood home was somewhere we could visit, we decided to go!…read more The place needs a proper prayer and better sense of care than what it has become. The queen of soul was born here in Memphis, Tennessee. A woman that was raised here but became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not only did she become a superstar winning Grammy after Grammy. She was a civil rights servant to so many individuals. She used her voice to and fame to keep the civil rights movement going. She performed free concerts and put gas in the vans for people to drive. This is where she came from, now she's watching from Heaven. This special lady, a preachers daughter. She is remembered always for her love and dedication to humankind. When you're in Memphis, Tennessee next time make sure and stop to see this.

Strolling up to 406 Lucy Avenue--a modest, boarded-up shotgun house in South Memphis--hits you with…read morea mix of reverence and heartbreak. This humble home is where the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, first drew breath on March25,1942 Despite being in a rough spot--windows boarded, weeds creeping, and parts collapsing--it still whispers history at every creak You can't go inside, but stepping onto the porch--or as close as allowed--fills you with awe. This is ground zero for gospel that would later shake the world. Aretha herself returned here in 2014 and recalled memories of her father preaching and her family gathering under a backyard tree with nostalgia and fondness The neighborhood, part of historic Soulsville, bears its own scars--decades of neglect and blight. But the house stands at the center of a hopeful revival. Local activists and preservation groups have fought zoning orders and demolition plans, and as recently as mid-2024, efforts to stabilize and restore the site gained traction--especially now that Anasa Troutman owns the property with the intent to honor its legacy in place

John Elkington,envisioned attractions & amenities that would connect the street's rich past with…read morethe future. Elkington's idea for the Beale Street Brass Note Walk of Fame offered this connection, as visitors from all over the world can read the names of the talented people who put Memphis music & Beale St on the map. There were brief biographies of the honorees, offering a glimpse into the lives of the musicians, composers, disc jockeys, promoters & music supporters whose names grace the sidewalks of Beale Street.

Beale Street wasn't always famous. It wasn't always such a tourist destination. And for a period,…read moreit wasn't anything much at all. That changed and these notes in the ground honor the people who helped make this area what it is - disc jockeys, promoters, musicians and music supporters. A few examples. Elvis Presley (1935-1977), the King of Rock and Roll. Robert Leroy Johnson (1911-1938). One of the first musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and ranked as one #5 of the top 100 Guitarists of All Time. B.B. King (1925-2015). The "Beale Street Blues Boy" and Grammy Award winner. Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022). Wrote the "Great Balls of Fire" and continued performing late into life. Otis Redding (1941-1967). In 1962, Otis recorded "These Arms of Mine". Walk the walk. read the Notes and read up on these great folks. Nearly 200 Notes so far. [Review 19858 overall - 410 in Tennessee - 831 of 2023.]

Small but well pteserved plantation. Not the grand style, but sort of a working class style…read more Probably more typical. Had a number of slaves working it and they address slavery very honestly. The interior is furnished with some original and some replica, but all very interesting. They give a quick talk, then you tour on your own. Definitely worth a stop.

Awesome historical treasures and the kindest host. Beautiful historical home and surrounding area.read more

It's easy to walk right past the marker on the corner of South Front Street and G.E. Patterson in…read moreMemphis without realizing you're standing where the city's very first telephone rang to life. Just a simple plaque, no fanfare. But lean in close, and the past starts talking. Back in 1877, before smartphones, before dial tones, before anyone could shout "Can you hear me now?", a railroad superintendent named Mike Burke picked up a brand-new contraption and made a call from his house to the train office. That call was the spark--Memphis's first step into the modern, buzzing world of communication. Now the marker stands quiet among trains, traffic, and city hum. It doesn't need neon lights or a museum around it. Its power is in its simplicity. It marks a moment when a voice crossed a wire and everything changed. Standing there, it's kind of wild to think: this little corner, now mostly walked past without a glance, is where Memphis first connected. Where someone spoke, someone answered, and the world got just a little smaller.

Cool little tidbit of history in Memphis. We take so much for history and now carry phones in our…read morepockets. This must have indeed been a big deal to Memphis, Tennessee back in the day. This landmark sign is located in front of the dog park.

This is my third ghost tour one in New Orleans and one in Atlanta with New Orleans being the best…read morehands down and Memphis being the worst. First things first, the meet up spot was not well described he mentioned landmarks such as meeting at a firehouse that neither me and my companion nor the other members of our tour could find. It started at the museum where MLK was assassinated. And it had nothing to do with ghosts or paranormal activity. We then moved on to other locations throughout downtown Memphis that were also underwhelming. The stories that he told often ended with nothing to do with paranormal activity or ghost sitings. In my opinion it was colorful historical facts about the city which were cool to hear but after almost two hours it got old when I realized it was more often than not, would not end in connecting to ghosts. I would do another ghost tour in Memphis, but not with this company.

The tour features several stops and a variety of stories so (geographically) close together that I…read morehave to wonder whether the rest of Memphis is equally inhabited by macabre history. Some of the deaths you'll hear about include national or regional historic figures. Many other stories center around everyday people who found themselves in extraordinary and tragic circumstances. And if you enjoy sentient objects, ask about the jukebox that always knows which song to play! My tour guide, Bayleigh, hosted a captivating evening of spooky yet -True- stories told in places where the history is still vibrant. As we visited the Bluff City Ghosts sites, I had a few other questions about Memphis and its history, and Bayleigh answered so many questions for me that Memphis now feels familiar to me--as well as intriguing! This was a great tour. I can't recommend it enough. Thank you, Bayleigh!

A new offering from Memphis tour standby, Backbeat Tours, the Cocktail Tour definitely has…read morepotential to be awesome. Right now, I think it's fun, but needs a little smoothing out. Admittedly, we only took about 2/3 of the tour, as our tour guide was about 15-20 minutes late and we had somewhere to be, so we left a bit early. Our tour went to three bars (total, we missed one), and at each one we were told about some signature cocktails we could order (drinks aren't included in the ticket price). Our tour guide, Memphis Jones I believe, was super nice and informative. He stopped along the way between bars to point out important historical facts and to share some info. Small problems with this tour: Memphis was doing it for the first time, and he was clearly not a cocktail expert. He was suuuper nice and knew a lot about history, but not a ton specific to drinks. Again, he's new and clearly cared a lot about giving us a good tour, so hopefully his knowledge will increase over time. At each bar, we were given a list of signature cocktails that would be good to order there. Most were old Memphis cocktails that were popular at the turn of the century. The guide went in with a list of cocktails, gave it to the bartenders, and asked them to make them. This went smoothly at some stops, particularly places with extensive cocktail lists already. At some of the bars, though, it was the bartenders knew we were coming, but not that they were going to be asked to create some vintage cocktails. In fact, at one place, they had to substitute the ingredients in most of the drinks, meaning we got something totally different than what we ordered. I also got the impression that some of the bartenders were slightly annoyed by a guide coming in with a list of drinks they weren't familiar with. I kind of expected this tour to go more to places that were famous for a certain drink, not to just random bars and ask them to create certain drinks, so this was a little weird. In all, I think some of these kinks can be worked out as the tour gets its footing. Either way, the guide was nice and we had some tasty libations! I liked the ones I got that were made properly, particularly the off-menu suggestions at Magestic Grille.