Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All United States Tennessee Memphis

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Memphis

19 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Memphis, Tennessee

Updated March 1, 2022

Email
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists
Hotel Deals

Unusual Attractions in Memphis

The Crystal Shrine Grotto

Memphis, Tennessee

The Crystal Shrine Grotto

This head-spinningly bizarre Depression-era art cave is wall-to-wall quartz and Jesus.
The National Civil Rights Museum

Memphis, Tennessee

National Civil Rights Museum

The hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot is now a museum dedicated to his work.

Memphis, Tennessee

Mud Island River Park

Walk the whole Mississippi River!
One of the Peabody Ducks takes the stage.

Memphis, Tennessee

Peabody Hotel Duck March

Every day a troupe of pampered water fowl walk the red carpet to their favorite fountain.

Memphis, Tennessee

Silky O'Sullivan's

Home to drunken tower-climbing goats... seriously.
Entrance on Union Ave, just around the corner from Beale Street

Memphis, Tennessee

Sun Studio

This Memphis recording studio launched the careers of Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley.
The Jungle Room at Graceland.

Memphis, Tennessee

The Jungle Room at Graceland

Elvis's own personal tropical hideaway.
St. Peter’s Spiritual Temple

Memphis, Tennessee

St. Peter’s Spiritual Temple (Voodoo Village)

A reclusive Memphis neighborhood is home to decades worth of misunderstood Masonic folk art.
See All 19 Things To Do in Memphis

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

Silky O'Sullivan's

Home to drunken tower-climbing goats... seriously.
Earnestine & Hazel's.

Memphis, Tennessee

Earnestine & Hazel's

The juke joint where legendary soul artists ate, drank, and made merry.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

All Points South

Whatever hand the U.S. had in shaping world music, it had its feet planted firmly in the South. From New Orleans, where a confluence of West Africans laid the groundwork for the musical improvisation we call jazz; to Mississippi, where work-songs birthed the blues before the blues birthed rock ‘n’ roll; to Tennessee, where rock intersected with Appalachian folk songs to create country rock, this distinct artistic heritage was forged uphill, from the humblest of origins. Nonetheless, the musical legacy of unsung field hands, farmers, and blue collar workers coming up from the South would go on to change the world, and in no quiet way.

View Itinerary

Explore Memphis, Tennessee

Music 6
Animals 3
Elvis 3

Memphis Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. S
    S Lee
    1
  2. Avatar image for Nicholas Jackson
    Nicholas Jackson
    1
  3. T
    TLara
    1
  4. Avatar image for tkillems
    tkillems
    1
  5. C
    collinqburke
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Memphis.

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for Collector of Experiences
    Collector of Experiences
    13
  2. Avatar image for notoriousFIG
    notoriousFIG
    3
  3. Avatar image for tylercole
    tylercole
    3
  4. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    3
  5. Avatar image for mjflanagan0
    mjflanagan0
    2
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. E
    Erik
    16
  2. Avatar image for jsadlerjr
    jsadlerjr
    16
  3. J
    jeremyspeakes
    15
  4. M
    melandrumnoe
    15
  5. 7
    7oddgr
    14
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in Memphis.

Recent Memphis Activity

  • A

    Alexclevidence

    has been to National Civil Rights Museum

  • G

    gothicfaeriemilk

    wants to go to The Crystal Shrine Grotto

  • J

    jidf06

    wants to go to National Civil Rights Museum

  • J

    jidf06

    wants to go to Sun Studio

  • J

    jidf06

    wants to go to House of Mews

Stories About Memphis

A royal chariot...

For Sale: Elvis Presley's Dusty Old Lincoln Limo

The King kind of had a thing for cars.
by Matthew Taub
August 7, 2019
Joe Hill Louis, aka The Be-Bop Boy (right) was one of WDIA's DJs in the early 1950s.

How America Got Its First Black Radio Station

In 1948, Memphis channel WDIA became a community voice and a rock 'n' roll star-maker.
by Teresa Bitler
June 18, 2019

Lists Featuring Memphis

The House of the Temple.
Statue of George Washington

Novus Ordo Seclorum: 14 Places to Unearth Masonic Secrets

Your best bets for gaining insight into the real history of Freemasonry.

14

Including Zedekiah's Cave, Masonic Lodge of the Andaz Hotel, and House of the Temple

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Puzzles
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Trips Blog
  • Art & Culture Trips
  • Food Trips
  • Hidden City Trips
  • History Trips
  • Wildlife & Nature Trips
  • FAQ
  • Experiences
  • Online Courses
  • Online Experience FAQ
  • Online Course FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2023 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.