The birthplace of rock n’ roll. The site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Elvis Presley’s mansion.
Memphis is home to endless history in music and culture. How much do you, as a student at The University of Memphis, know about the history of the city you call home?
Natives of Memphis, and out-of-towners alike have numerous museums and tours at their fingertips. For the music lovers, Memphis is the perfect town to explore the history of rock n’ roll and the blues.
Elvis Presley called Memphis, in particular Graceland, his home. The Graceland mansion is open to the public and brings in Elvis fans from all over the globe.
Fans of the King of rock n’ roll can simply tour the mansion, or pay a bit more for the ultimate Elvis experience. Several cars and planes are on display, and there are seemingly endless gift shops across from the mansion’s gates.
Although Kimberly Holt, graduate student in nutrition, is not the biggest Elvis fan, she has roamed the halls of Graceland.
“I enjoyed it and I’d go back,” she said.
Downtown Memphis is home to both Stax and Sun Studios. Stax, nicknamed “Soulsville USA,” is the studio in which soul pioneers such as Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin recorded. The recording studio has now been restored into a museum showcasing various artifacts such as one of Tina Turner’s dresses and Isaac Hayes’ Cadillac. Stax also has different exhibits from season to season. Recently, rare photos of The Beatles and Bob Dylan have brought in a new crowd to Soulsville.
Sun Studios, located on Union Avenue, is the studio in which Elvis Presley recorded his first single, as well as most of his early tunes. Other timeless artists such as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins have all recorded within the walls of Sun Studio.
For tourists and Memphians who are more fond of traditional museum tours, Memphis has its fair share of those as well. The National Civil Rights Museum, formerly the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King spent his final days, has been converted into a museum for the entire Civil Rights movement, in particular showcasing the 1960s. The Museum tour is nothing short of powerful. For several U of M students, who have visited the Lorraine several times, they intend to go back for more.
“I’m a native of Memphis and I’ve gone 9 or 10 times,” said Melissa Gaines, junior business major.
Each time I go I notice something different.”
Anika Richmond, junior dietetics major, agrees with Gaines.
“There is so much to learn and take in,” Richmond said.
The landmarks listed above, as well as the Pink Palace and the Memphis Zoo, offer either student discounts or affordable prices to college students.
For more information, research online, stop by the UC for special offers on tickets or simply drive to a part of history. As summer vacation comes to a close, take a mini-vacation this fall and visit what all Memphis has to offer.
