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Key Attractions Graceland The home of Elvis Presley, Graceland is the most famous attraction in Memphis. Elvis purchased the mansion in 1957 and lived there until his death in 1977. His rags to riches story embodies the American Dream and Graceland has plenty to interest the casual visitor as well as the devoted fan. A tour of the mansion includes the gloriously tasteless ‘jungle room’, with its floor-to-ceiling carpets that Elvis designed himself. In the Meditation Garden, visitors can see Elvis’ grave, which is always covered with bouquets and wreaths, sent by sobbing and adoring fans from all over the world. At Graceland Plaza, opposite the mansion, are a number of exhibitions dedicated to different areas of the singer’s life and obsessions. These include an Automobile Museum, containing his famous pink Cadillac. 3734 Elvis Presley Boulevard Tel: (800) 238 2000 (reservations) or (901) 332 3322. E-mail: glsales@elvis.com (reservations). Website: www.elvis.com Transport: By car, I-55 from Memphis, exit 5-B; a free shuttle bus runs every hour on the half hour, from 1130 to 1730, departing from Elvis Presley’s Memphis restaurant, 126 Beale Street. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0830-1700, Sun 0930-1600 (Mar-Oct); daily 0930-1600 (Nov-Feb); no tours Tues. Admission: US$16 (mansion only); US$25 (Platinum Tour, which includes all attractions); concessions available. Beale Street Historically the centre for black music and culture in the city, Beale Street is still the musical heart of Memphis and worth visiting just for its atmosphere. It is known as the birthplace of the blues, because it was here that W C Handy wrote ‘Memphis Blues’, so marking the very first time a blues tune had been put onto paper. His house is now a museum, the W C Handy House Museum, filled with photographs, memorabilia and some of the original sheet music written by the man who popularised blues. Beale Street is still the best place in the city for fans to hear live music, with bars such as B B King’s Blues Club. It is also the location of A Schwab, the oldest shop in the city, which has been run by the Schwab family business for 127 years. The general store sells everything from size 74 men’s trousers to various voodoo potions. Beale Street Historic District Tel: (901) 526 0110. Fax: (901) 526 0125. E-mail: bluesmaster@bealestreet.com Website: www.bealestreet.com Transport: Main Street Trolley stop 4; any Downtown bus. W C Handy House Museum 525 Beale Street Tel: (901) 522 1556. Fax: (901) 527 8784. Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1300-1700 (summer); Tues-Sat 1100-1600 (winter). Admission: US$2. A Schwab 163 Beale Street Tel: (901) 523 9782. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700. Admission: Free. Sun Studio This small recording studio fully deserves its title as ‘the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll’, for it was here that Elvis Presley made his very first recording, ‘My Happiness’. Sun Studio looks much as it did in the 1950s and contains musical memorabilia, such as a microphone used by Elvis. The tour includes outakes of recordings made there by the king and other Sun artists, such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. It is still a working studio and artists like U2 have recently made recordings here. The adjacent Sun Studio café has an old-fashioned fountain where sodas and milkshakes are served. 706 Union Avenue Tel: (901) 521 0664 or (800) 441 6249. Fax: (901) 525 8055. E-mail: info@sunstudio.com Website: www.sunstudio.com Transport: Bus 10, 13, 20, 34 or 58. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800. Admission: US$7.85. Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum This museum tells the story of Memphis music and how it influenced various genres. It explains how rock ‘n’ roll – and later soul – grew out of the blues, gospel and country music of poor rural sharecroppers from Mississippi. The collection includes early film of Elvis and memorabilia, such as Ike Turner’s piano and Carl Perkins’ guitar. CD players are distributed to each visitor, so they can listen in on the songs related to each exhibit. These range from scratchy recordings of old blues numbers to famous songs from Memphis’ Stax Records, including ‘Dock of the Bay’ and the theme from Shaft. The museum is in the same building as the Gibson Guitar Factory, the manufacturing base for the world-famous guitars. 145 Lieutenant George W Lee Avenue Tel: (901) 543 0800. Fax: (901) 543 0888. Website: www.memphisrocknsoul.org Transport: Main Street Trolley stop 4. Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri and Sat 1000-2000. Admission: US$8.50. National Civil Rights Museum This museum is housed in what was formerly the Lorraine Motel, the site of the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, in 1968. The museum traces the history of the civil rights movement in America, from slavery to the present day. There are various tableaux, such as one demonstrating Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white man – sparking a whole wave of protests. The most poignant sight of all is Dr King’s motel room, which has been preserved as it was on the day of the shooting. 450 Mulberry Street Tel: (901) 521 9699. Fax: (901) 521 9740. E-mail: contact@civilrightsmuseum.org Website: www.civilrightsmuseum.org Transport: Bus 11 or 19; Main Street Trolley stop 2. Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Sat 0900-1800, Sun 1300-1800 (Jun-Aug); Mon, Wed-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1300-1700 (Sep-May). Admission: US$8.50. Mud Island River Park Mud Island is just what its name says it is – an island made from the mud and silt that is found in the Mississippi River. It first appeared in 1900, was washed away and then reappeared as a permanent feature in 1913. Attractions include the bomber Memphis Belle, one of the most famous B-17s to fight in World War II and a scale model of the Mississippi River, which is even filled with flowing water. The main draw for visitors is the Mississippi River Museum, which covers 10,000 years of river history. 125 North Front Street Tel: (901) 576 7241 or (800) 507 6507. Fax: (901) 576 6666. Website: www.mudisland.com Transport: Monorail from Front Street. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (spring and autumn); daily 1000-2000 (summer); closed (winter). Admission: Free (general admission); US$8 (Pay One Price Package, includes museum, roundtrip monorail ride and a guided river walk). Peabody Place Museum There is much more to Memphis than music, as this extensive collection of Chinese art proves. Works come from the Manchu Qing (Ch’ing) Dynasty and include over 100 exquisite exhibits crafted from jade, ivory and porcelain. 119 South Main Street, Pembroke Square, Concourse Level Tel: (901) 523 2787. E-mail: info@belz.com Website: www.belz.com Transport: Main Street Trolley stop 5. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1730, Sat and Sun 1200-1700. Admission: US$5. |
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