The Most Delectable Museums in Memphis

Sultana Disaster Museum

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"This is a terrific museum dedicated to a disaster that has largely been forgotten, lost in the aftermath of the Civil War. There is a great introductory film, and then several rooms of artifacts and interpretive material about this event, the largest maritime loss of life in American history. The passionate and deeply knowledgeable guide made our visit very special. Highly recommended."

Blues Hall of Fame

★★★★☆ 4.3 (30)

"Quality/Quantity - So much history and art. Best to see their website because it seems like all my pictures did NOT upload... SorryAtmosphere - Decent size, two stories.Open 5 days a week from 10am to 5pm from Tuesday to Saturday.Street parking, free all day a few blocks away. Service - Good.Price - $15 per person.Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1980. What a great long history; see website."

New Madrid Historical Museum

★★★★★ 4.7 (9)

"Nice little museum. I stopped to learn about the great earthquake in the area and I was not disappointed. Also, I learned about the civil war in the area and the Trail of Tears, and, the early French explorers.I highly recommend you pull off of I-55 like I did and go to see this museum.Also, you can stretch your legs and go up on the levee and see the Mississippi River.And the man working there was very friendly and informative."

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

★★★★★ 4.7 (247)

"When visiting Memphis, this museum is a must see! If you love music and especially are into music history, this is the place to just get all of the juice so to speak. Music would not be what it is today without Stax records. The number of artists that were born and developed through this company is astounding. I was born in 1968 so I can appreciate each and every song ever made because of the composers, musicians, singers and engineers that came from here. This museum is full of nostalgia. There are actual costumes, instruments, awards etc located here. This place is a gem. The movie in the beginning sets the tone for what is to come in the rest of this museum. It really was a good time. I loved it."

Memphis Museum of Science and History

★★★★☆ 3.8 (92)

"I only heard about Pink Palace since my family friend told me about it and took me here back in November. We got the standard admission entry. There's the 1st floor where you can see the natural history exhibits (e.g. dinosaurs figures). There's the 2nd floor where you can learn about cultural history (e.g. Civil Wars, slavery, and history of medicine). Then, there's various exhibits in the mansion area. I enjoyed learning about the history of the Pink Palace and how the entrepreneur and founder of Piggly Wiggly, Clarence Saunders, originally designed his Pink Palace mansion home before losing his fortune. Visitors could take a walk around a replica of the Piggly Wiggly self-service grocery story. The 2nd floor of the mansion has other exhibits as well, but I enjoyed 'Clyde Parke Circus' the most in that area. You'll see a miniature display of a circus and I thought it was really cool.Overall, I learned a lot from visiting this museum."

Dixon Gallery & Gardens

★★★★★ 4.5 (62)

"This is a stellar art gallery. Because of that, when some relatives came into town and they wanted to visit the Dixon, I heartily agreed.We spent quite a bit of time examining the various paintings. As it turns out, my aunt had taken classes during the 1970-s from some of the California-based artists mentioned in some of the exhibits. (She is a juried sculptor.)After strolling through the beautiful and peaceful gardens, we retired to the indoor cafe, where we indulged in some delicious and well-crafted foods and beverages and discussed our observations of the museum.I've visited the Dixon several times over the course of the past four decades, and highly recommend it to anyone with even a slight interest in art. tip: Due to the continued generosity of local patrons, admission is now free."

Delta Gateway Museum

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Such a cool museum, highly recommend if you're heading through town. The curator was very knowledgeable about local history."

Overton Park Shell

★★★★★ 4.8 (76) • $

"A Sunset Symphony concert at the Levitt Shell was the perfect way for us to end our stay in Memphis. With a stop at the Brooks beforehand, the Shell has history! Elvis gave his first public performance here, and the summer concert series goes back generations. This is a family friendly activity make sure to fill the donation buckets to keep it going. Bring your chairs, blankets, it gets crowded early! There were some local food trucks, but some people bring their own food, Ravinia style. We loved the music program of pop hits going back a few decades, some symphony standards, and some singers gave us chills. Walkin' in Memphis with full singers? "What's Goin' On" with Symphony backing the score? Shell, Yeah!"

Graceland Mansion

★★★★☆ 4.2 (73)

"We took the 4 hour tour here as we are big Elvis fans. It was highlight of our trip. Tour guide was very good and knowledgeable; very friendly and open to answering questions. The best part of the tour was the grave sight as we were able to really feel the presence of Elvis there. Sad that he was buried next to his still-born brother, parents, wife and daughter. This tour was very memorable and so glad we were there. Highly recommend!"

Victorian Village Historic District

★★★★☆ 3.8 (8)

"Victorian Village is home to a row of old victorian style mansions.Parking is street meters, $1.50 per hour. The surrounding area is pretty sketchy. All the houses are next to each other all within a block.The houses are all different in their own unique way. Very pretty. Gives you that small up close glimpse at how houses were back in the day."

Discovery Park of America

★★★★★ 4.6 (56)

"This is a FANTASTIC educational entertainment option if you live somewhere in the vicinity of the museum. There is a little of everything: military history, animals, american history, gardens, play areas, trains, farming, automobiles, rockets and even an exhibit on historical torture practices! I'm not sure I've ever been to a museum that casts such a wide net on topics to learn about. We were there about 4 hours and did not fully explore everything. The highlights for us were the civil and revolutionary war reenactors, the working blacksmith, the torture section, military section, and the garden maze (which was fun now but will be far better when the hedges fully grow in). As a whole, we were more impressed by the outside than the inside, and the grounds were beautiful even in March. I can only imagine how gorgeous this place must be once Spring has hit! We were given free admission because we happened to be there on a military weekend where all active military and veterans (AND their families) were free. What luck! Super grateful. Initially I planned to add on some of the extras since we weren't paying for admission, but after looking at the earthquake simulator and Cooper Tower we decided the cost was excessive for the potential experience. We did eat in the cafe and the food was reasonably priced, albeit basic and a little light on portion size. We had read great things about this museum online and decided to incorporate it into our roadtrip despite it not being super convenient. The main issue was lodging. There is a hotel right next to Discovery Park, but it does not have rooms to accommodate our sized family. There are no airbnbs in Union City that can fit 8 either (at least at the time I was looking), so we ended up having to stay in Martin. I mention all this as a preface to the question, was it worth it? I don't know. We really enjoyed our visit and if we lived in the area, we'd for sure become members and frequent visitors of Discovery Park. For someone wondering if they should drive in from out of state and make a weekend of it... I'm less sure."

Mud Island Park

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (71)

"Only visited the Mud island river park for the vegan block party. It was a day filled with great vegan food, drinks, music, and fun! The venue was large enough to sit with lounge chairs. Parking was plentiful, however if you got there early you were closer for less walking. The weather was beautiful considering we had summer, winter, and fall in a week, but hey that's Memphis weather."

Graceland

★★★★☆ 4.1

"Quality/Quantity - Wow, one of the highlights of our trip!! Well, we are lucky to have had a few. See my excessive pictures.Learned something new, when I upload too many pictures, Yelp crashes... It took approximately 24 hours for it to fix itself and then it lost some/many of my pictures...My daughter bought us the $82 tickets. See picture of the menu (if it got uploaded).Started off with a short 7 minute video.Then we were shuttled off to the house.Given an iPad with headphones to walk the property at your convenience.After we finished the house tour, we went back to the front of the house and had Brian, the "professional" photographer, take our pictures. We took so many pictures, we missed our shuttle... Had to take the 3rd shuttle back.Then we toured the airplanes.Then we hit all the Elvis museums, including Lisa Marias... So many and not enough time.Atmosphere - Huge location. 500 acres...Well the tour is only on a few acres, see picture of the maps (if it uploaded).Prior to getting here, there was major road construction so be safe. Service - Overall good.Price - $10 for parking; $82 per person for the tour we selected.Owner Comment - Thank you Elvis for welcoming us to your home. :)"

Lichterman Nature Center

★★★★☆ 4.1 (30)

"This is a kid's paradise hidden in plain sight - 65 acres of lake, meadow, and forest - smack dab in the middle of the city. I don't even really like kids, but this place made me excited about having a new place to go when I get conned into babysitting my friends' offspring. Because let's face it, it is incredibly rare for me to be entertained during "children" activities or places. But Lichterman somehow manages to keep adults' interest too. It is a certified arboretum and their Backyard Wildlife Center has live animals, hands-on explorations, microscopic discoveries, a forest boardwalk two stories high, as well as a pretty awesome underwater viewing area. I hadn't been here since I was little one myself (eeek, was that really 20+ years ago?!) and the improvements are fantastic. I enjoyed feeding the fish and walking on the trails (easy for small ones and the elderly - it is scenic but not "hiking").My mother is a Master Gardener and loves their plant sales and seed swaps. Fun for all ages!"

Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum

★★★★☆ 4.4 (33)

"We were so lucky to have found out about the tour they offer at night for 1 night every month. Gilded Twilight Tour is the best way to see the WFH. The house is restored beautifully and the ladies who gave us the night tour are very informative, friendly and very hospitable. We saw the whole 3 floors and all the rooms in each respective floor. There is a small room on the 4th floor (attic) that isn't accessible during normal hour tours. This is one of the reason why to get in to this special tour to have access and hear other creepy stories that isn't brought for debate during regular tour hours. Kudos to the ladies for bringing the whole house to life (all the chandeliers were turned on) for us to experience how the family loved during their time and how it feels like in there when the family will hold big parties, host dinners during night time. Definitely a great stop when in Memphis."

National Civil Rights Museum

★★★★★ 4.8 (914)

"The National Civil Rights Museum is a must see if you are visiting Memphis, TN. I was actually heading towards St. Louis but made a detour to Memphis just to see this museum. I'm a fan of museums in general, but none has really touched me like this one. It is located in the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was actually assassinated in 1968. Not only does it provide an inside look into his life and death, but it also sheds light into the Civil Rights Movement. You learn things in school, but there was so much more that I learned about here. They touched on slavery, student sit ins, Rosa Parks, Freedom Rides, and the Black Power movement. There are some recreations, but there are alot of actual items from that time period as well. One of the most sombering parts of the visit was when as you are finishing the tour, you walk through Dr. King's final hours leading up to his assassination. It ends as you walk through the actual hotel room and balcony he was on when he was gunned down. You can see the building where the shots were fired and go there too to see the different vantage points. I would definitely recommend visiting the National Civil Rights Museum if you are in the area. I plan on coming again if in the area because there is so much I did not have time to see and there are always rotating special exhibits from time to time."

The Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange

★★★★☆ 3.7 (34)

"As a venue space, this place gets 5 stars. It is absolutely gorgeous and in perfect condition. Plus the history of this place rocks. And as everyone mentions, the chalkboards with the cotton numbers are super duper cool and I really enjoyed the exhibits...especially the Cotton Carnival ones...because I was a Cotton Carnival Princess back in the day. Oh goodness...10 years...where does the time go?? Speaking of 10...the price of admission is $10 and while that isn't ridiculously expensive, I did think it was a bit on the high side. I understand it takes money to keep the museum running but I think $7 is a bit more fair. Just my two cents. Oh! But the gift shop. Do not miss that place because I got the cutest cotton wreath for my door ever and they also have local goodies like soaps and art. Perfect for unique and local holiday shopping."

Sun Studio

★★★★★ 4.6 (598)

"Cut and pasted from their website:"Sun Studio is known worldwide as "The Birthplace of Rock'n'roll." It is the discovery location of musical legends and genres of the 50's from B.B. King and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis; from Blues and Gospel to Country and Rock'n'roll."Quality/Quantity - What a fun piece of history. We spent over an hour just hanging out and reading all that history.And yes, I am an Elvis fan.And yes, I was an Elvis impersonator once in HI.What great memories.Got here right after a bus load of tourists, see picture.So tours were booked up for the next few hours, too bad we could not wait.Atmosphere - Tiny studio, not like what they have these days.And yes, they are still an active recording studio. After all the tours were done for the day.Open 7 days a week from 10am to 5:15pm.Street parking, not a problem as most people take rideshare or come by bus.So many souvenirs to buy, plus there is another gift shop next door with more souvenirs. See other review. Service - 5 stars, very welcoming.Price - $20 for adults, $18 for students, and $15 for kids.Owner Comment - Congrats on your continued success."

Sun Studio Entertainment

★★★★★ 4.9 (7)

"Sun studio was one of my favorite tours that I took on my trip to Memphis. The history behind the recording studio was amazing and you could clearly tell that the tour guide was very passionate about his job and the music. The studio was very clean and well organized. I cannot recommend this enough. It is a great time for all ages and does not take more than 2 hours."

Memphis Rock n Soul Museum

★★★★☆ 4.1 (109)

"What I liked most about this museum was how they immersed you in it. Upon entry to the museum you are given a headset that allows you to interact with every single exhibit. As the headset says, you do not have to follow any type of plan here. You can, if you wish do this by numeric order, or you can do like I did, and jump around at your pace. This way you aren't attempting to see the same thing as another person if you don't want to.There are some spots in here that will allow you to have a photo op and you are probably better suited to d that if you visit with a friend of family member. The video that starts you out is interesting and then you are set free inside. You go through time with this museum from when music was for story telling of the family to how major a role it has played overall. This museum touches on several topics throughout time that are hard hitting topics and how music either shaped or was shaped by it all.They also touch on notable musicians along the way. Remember to tap into the headsets, they can offer more information than what is presented in front of you. One unique thing in this museum, the jukeboxes. They were a nice little surprise in it all. As you progress the jukeboxes get newer and newer, depicting the era you are in. But the interactive part of this is that each jukebox has a selection of music from the era it represents. You can select a song to jam out to if you so feel inclined. Before long, you find yourself at the end of the museum. Where you can hand over your headset for cleaning and filter into the gift shop."

Slave Haven Underground Railroad

★★★★☆ 4.4 (120)

"Take this tour and bring your children. My husband and I were in Memphis for a wedding and were lucky enough to have time to visit Slave Haven. Being born and raised in New Orleans I learned of the horrors of slavery and the slave trade that happened in my own city. As the Underground Railroad was a very secretive society of amazing people - abolitionists and enslaved - all had to protect each other's identities for the system to remain operational. I guess it's for this reason that little is known of the actual homes and people involved. This is a rare chance to personally see a dwelling that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad and hear the stories of many amazing people who took action against the enslavement of human beings. Imagining the suffering souls who passed through on their way to some semblance of peace brought tears. I am humbled by their courage and perseverance. I can't imagine what it took to escape, I don't exactly know how to explain my personal experience. The tour was sobering, deeply sad, and informative.I believe we've come a very long way, and acknowledge we have far to go."