Top 12 Things To Do In Memphis, Tennessee

After flying in last night from Memphis I couldn't wait to write about all the fun and fascinating things there are to do there. You will need a few days to do them all. Here are the top 12 things to do in Memphis:

1) Civil Rights Museum/Lorraine Motel: This is where Dr. Martin Luther King was shot from a boarding house across the street. You can walk through the museum which will eventually take you to view the two rooms MLK and his team had during their stay. They have kept the rooms the same. They even parked the two cars that were in the parking lot the day of the shooting in front of the museum. You will see a bus with Rosa Parks, protesters, slave ships and much more.

2) Graceland/Elvis Presley's House: Tour the home where Elvis Presley lived and stayed with his family. See the his grave and listen to an audio explaining what each room was used for. You will also be to tour his personal airplane, car museum, army museum and more. See private home videos, how other musicians later tribute their style to him and learn about the man who was famous for more than rock n roll.

3) Victorian Village/Millionaires Row: There were 37 mansions on this row at one point, but now there are 7 left. Due to Covid many of the museums are closed, but the Woodruff-Fontaine museum is open for tours. This row has beautiful homes that were built by millionaires back in the 1800's. During our tour we found that the Woodruff-Fontaine home was known to be haunted, but we didn't have any issues. Walk through history and explore how the wealthy lived.

4) Sunrise Memphis: Before going to Victorian Village check out this great breakfast/lunch spot. The food was amazingly fresh, fast and plentiful. Try a great southern breakfast right around the corner (walking distance) from the beautiful homes on Victorian Village.

5) Beale Street: A place with more history in Memphis than most know. This is where a lot of blacks would shop and support other blacks when segregation was still present. This is also the place for blues playing, clubs and dining for a lot of blacks coming from other parts of the south looking for a better life than farming. The lights, history and music bring people from all walks of life here. This is also where you will find Coyote Ugly.

6) Coyote Ugly: If you haven't seen the movie, you should watch it before going so you understand the dynamics of this bar. This isn't your average sit by the bar and watch sports bar. This is the dance on the bar, get drinks poured down your throat bar. This bar was a bit more "hood" mostly because of the history or Beale street, but also because of the culture of today's younger generation. If you want to have a blast check out this place.

7) Rock N Soul Museum: Here is a place to learn how rock and soul music came together and how greats worked on creating music together. You can hear the music, watch the video, and see actual outfits worn by the great musicians of our past.

8) Red Hook Seafood Restaurant: This seafood palace is housed in an 1900 victorian home that was build by Rowland J Darnell for his family and later sold to an elite white woman's philanthropic club that wanted to address civic reform, needs of woman, children, employment and more. The house is now used as a seafood restaurant. The crown molding, fireplaces everywhere and the elegance of the house invites an at home feeling for your meal.

9) Sugar Grits: On the last morning in Memphis we ate at this place. This wasn't a place on my list to add, but it made it because of the great food and hospitality. The servers were fast and polite. The food was delicious with a touch of southern charm. A must try.

10) Horse Drawn Carriage down BB King Blvd: To our delight every night when we walked out of our hotel there were horse drawn carriages across the street in front of the Peabody Hotel. Hop on one of these and take a ride down BB King Blvd and enjoy the sites. They play music and allow you to just relax.

11) GoApe Zip lining: This zip lining obstacle course is amazing. Dress with tennis shoes or boots because you will be climbing ladders, zipping over water, walking through paths and over moving obstacle barriers. It wasn't too high in the trees, but high enough to smell adventure. You go through a quick training and safety class then strap up to head through this 1 1/2 course. (Could take longer for others).

12) 117 Prime: You may need to make a reservation for this place. It is a bit upper scale and has an amazing ambiance. Here you will find great drinks, delicious food and an inviting atmosphere. It's a bit on the pricey side, however, it's worth it. Enjoy an elegant dinner with wow status food.

There are so many things to do in Memphis. Explore the history, the music, the story and the life behind how it became so popular. These 12 ideas are starters. There are so many other things to see and do. If you have done any of these things leave us your experience.Stay safe, stay focused and stay traveling. Happy Travels.

Here are more awesome photos and videos from our trip: