I came from Missouri to take a tour in June 2021. Kelly was our tour guide. She was amazing!! The…read moreLewis ranch is absolutely beautiful. I've been to Graceland several times and this is a completely different experience. Kelly made everything so personal and was so welcoming. The memorabilia displayed is one of a kind. By the end of the tour, between the stories and the home, I felt like I actually knew Jerry Lee ! Thank you Kelly and the Lewis Ranch for making my experience beyond what was expected.

Hands down an memorable, unique, and genuine experience. We were met by our tour guide who just…read morehappened to be Jerry Lee Lewis' best friend for over 50 years, Mr. Glenn Gosset. He was very happy to share intimate details about his friendship with Jerry and Jerry's life, the house, Jerry's belongings, and the history behind some of the household items. When we arrived, a room normally part of the tour was closed due to repairs so Glenn more than made up for it by showing us other areas not normally seen by outsiders. Glenn was a gracious and warm host. My girlfriend and I felt as though we were part of the family by the way he treated us and showed us around. Do yourself a favor and come check this place out.

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

Aretha Franklin's birthplace…read more If you're in Memphis, you should definitely stop by to see the childhood home of Aretha Franklin. You can't go inside but are able to get out and view the outside. It was a wonderful experience and honor to visit the Queen of Soul's birthplace. However, as a historic place the city should clean up the area and street.

This historical site is just a small park. It is good for taking pictures and reading a little…read moreabout history. It is pet friendly and has a few parking spots. It is not large, therefore if you are looking for a place to walk or run, then don't come here.

A quiet little neighborhood in the heart of Germantown holds a treasure from the past. If you're…read moreinto history or the civil war and in the Germantown area at least stop and look. There is not a lot to see but the diagrams on the signs will carry your imagination into the past. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this place but definitely something I would visit if lived in the area.

Springhill Cemetery (Hernando, MS) was established in 1836. It was the public burial ground for…read moreresidents of the town, free and slave, until churches and other groups established separate cemeteries. There are probably 500-1000 burials on the site even though there are only about 100 headstones present because graves were usually marked wood boards or posts, plantings, or earthen mounds decorated with the deceased's cup, bowl, bottle, or other personal items. It also encases victims of the 1878 yellow fever epidemic that nearly destroyed the town of Hernando, so much that it lost its city charter. After this, the cemetery declined. For years, cattle roamed the cemetery and broke off many of the tombstones. It was covered over by kudzu, briars, and honeysuckle before Mayor Ferguson and others undertook its restoration. Here's a link that explains some of the tombstones and their history! http://m.desototimes.com/news/a-walk-among-the-dead/article_5b1816de-dbd1-11e8-8d84-eb4af7cf397f.html

There is just something cool about a water tower. Hernando, Mississippi has a cool one visible from…read morethe highway and a lovely landmark for this cool Mississippi community This is something that I don't see in the cities and these water towers are, at least to me, a slice of Americana.

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.

A little piece of history to explore when visiting Beale Street…read more From the 1920s to the 1940s, Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Memphis Minnie, B. B. King, Rufus Thomas, Rosco Gordon and other blues and jazz legends played on Beale Street and helped develop the style known as Memphis Blues. There are 170 brass notes on the Walk of Fame on Beale Street which cover all music genres.

On the corner of Park Street and West Street, sits a sign commemorating a part of the Mississippi…read moreBlues Trail. This sign remembers area musicians who helped solidify Memphis as an important part of the blues scene in the 1920's. I love discovering these markers that bring the past to life. The blues is a strictly American creation and this little pocket of America brought this music to what would not only be a major city in blues, but a city that would help create rock and roll.

The cultural impact on the U.S. and the music recording industry being celebrated by this museum is…read moreextremely important! But there isn't much to the museum itself. With a 90-minute tour recommended, it's a very quick loop that can be made in about 20 minutes, even if you savor the exhibits. The on-stage clothing from various celebrities like Al Green, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash is all very interesting! The impact of black musicians is evident, something that should be heralded. Ike Turner's first piano is a pleasant surprise! And perhaps the crown jewel of the exhibit comes at the very end, the Ardent Studios soundboard that mixed albums for every group ranging from Led Zeppelin to Juvenile, old school rock to modern hip hop. But the tour is far too short to warrant the $16 entry fee.

Loved it. Interesting museum to check out if you're into rock and roll and the blues. This is an…read moreamazing place to visit. It is right next to the FedEx building, just off Beale Street, so very central. Excellent collection of old memorabilia from musical instruments, clothes,posters and the most amazing jukeboxes. There is a short video when you first arrive to introduce you to what you will see. I enjoyed the costumes of Reverend Al Green and Carla Thomas and others . Definitely worth checking out.A++++

My spouse and I came here while we were in Memphis. For anyone who is interested in American…read morehistory, especially in the south. This is one spot you will want to check out as this was a house that was used during the underground railroad that runway slaves would come as a safe spot to hide before running off to the northern states. If you are in the area I would highly recommend visited it. [Review #722] (20th Review of 2024)

0 stars as this place is NOT open, IS abandoned and IS scary…read more The surrounding neighborhood is a little uncomfortable for two white women walking through. Seems to be a low income area. Yelp said this museum was open but clearly has not been for quite some time:

In 1980 the world's first bronze Elvis statue was unveiled on Beale Street, where the future King…read moreof Rock & Roll crafted his early musical style. It was taken down in 1994 & moved indoors to the downtown Memphis Tennessee Welcome Center. That left Elvis Presley Plaza with a big, empty spot. It was finally filled in 1997 with the arrival of a new, completely different bronze Elvis statue by sculptor Andrea Lugar. This Elvis, unlike the original, shows him as he would have looked on Beale Street circa 1955, wearing a stage outfit he might have bought at Lansky Bros. down the block.

"It's not how much you have that makes people look up to you, it's who you are." -Elvis…read more There is the Godfather of Soul, the Godmother of Rock & Roll, an artist simply named Prince but there's only "The King" aka the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis Presley (1935-1977). Widely considered the most influential and most famous musician of the 20th century. This statue on Beale Street depicts him with his knees bent and a guitar in hand. You can almost hear him singing one of his early tunes. The statue is surrounded by a low wall with signs prohibiting climbing over. So this is as close as you get. [Review 19855 overall - 407 in Tennessee - 828 of 2023.]