What could be better than nature combined with music and entertainment? Enjoy the outdoors and live music in Overton Park, a small shell theater where Elvis once played that hosts concerts in the summer. Listen to jazz, classical or blues music while you gaze at the stars. Occasionally, old films are shown and live performances are hosted here. This is a great place to take children, since there is lots of room for them to play and use their imaginations.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music is located on the site of Stax Records which is known to have much significance in the music industry. The company is known to have launched the careers of many successful musicians. There are around 2000 exhibits that include videos, artifacts, films, photographs, and more. Apart from the exhibits, the museum regularly plays host to events like live concerts, educational programs, and fundraisers.
The Dixons were a childless couple who collected art, both fine and decorative and left it all to the city when they died. The travelling exhibits, are often spectacular and have included Faberge eggs, glassworks by Seattle artist Dale Chihuly, and an explosion of color from Raoul Dufy. The 17-acre (7-hectare) garden is usually open for strolling, except during outdoor concerts, picnics, or theater productions. The museum shop often has items from Memphis' Great Wonders exhibits! The museum is free for everyone on every Saturday between 10 am to noon.
Standing on Union Avenue since 1950, this iconic studio has played host to everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis and to B.B King and Johnny Cash, who've all recorded multiple legendary albums here. In 1953, a certain 18-year-old named Elvis Presley walked into the studio and paid to record two songs; the rest is history. Trending even today, the Sun welcomes modern musicians to make records here, many of whom have gone on to join the studio's golden roster of world-famous musical talents. The studio has gradually transformed itself into a historic attraction where numerous artifacts and exhibits relating to its illustrious guests are delicately preserved and displayed for generations to cherish.
Memphis Botanic Garden is a collection of gardens that covers over 96 acres (39 hectares) in East Memphis. The lovely Japanese garden, with its bridges, ponds and goldfish is a favorite with visitors, who come for the candlelight evening tours in the summer. In the spring, the Ketchum Iris Garden glows with a myriad of colors, while the Municipal Rose Garden is at its best in May, June, and September. There is even a Sensory Garden that is designed to appeal to all five senses.
Memphis' main museum is housed in a marble building completed in 1916. The architecturally beautiful rooms house an outstanding collection of medieval art and a small but worthwhile collection of Impressionist works. One room is dedicated to a "touch" exhibit for vision-impaired visitors. Temporary exhibits include a patriotic show held during the Memphis in May Festival. The restaurant, the Brushmark, is a fine place to lunch, especially when the outside patio is open, which looks out on Overton Park.
Mafaid Attaqwa is a Muslim place of worship in Memphis. Along with the prayers that are held five times a day, they also utilize the premises for teaching the Holy Book (Koran), once a week to the children and youth. They also reach out and are active in social service of the community. Ceremonies like birth, marriage and the last rites are performed here.
Headed by Donald O’Conner, the Watoto Memphis Performing Arts Academy is local theater at its best. Housed within a huge building, the academy boasts of a moderate event space. The essence of Afro-American culture can be experienced in almost all the shows put up by this group. The group with its international appeal aims at promoting and preserving the heritage of Afro-American culture. It also conducts summer workshops and other such activities at its location.
Tops Gallery, in Downtown Memphis is located on Front Street. The wonderful gallery offers a great platform for budding and well-known artists from many genres of contemporary visual arts. Open for walk-ins on Saturdays, between 1p and 6p, Tops Gallery has a busy schedule with many exhibitions and other events lined up all year. The cultural space remains open for prior-fixed appointments all week and has showcased immensely talented artists like Victoria Sambunaris, Chris Dorland and Sarah Jones, to name a few.
Situated in the growing art center of Memphis, local artist Jay Etkin takes the Memphis experience one step further at his gallery. He does so by featuring a large selection of hard-to-find Southern contemporary art, something which Etkin says sets this gallery apart. Works in different media by a variety of established and up-and-coming artists can be found in the collection, along with ones by the proprietor himself, who has a national following. Pieces range from ones that even a student could afford, to works meant more for the serious collector.
This 27000 square feet (0.61 acre) space is an ideal destination to plan your next event in Memphis, TN. Well-equipped with modern facilities, LED lighting and a beautiful paint scheme in the interiors of this venue makes it an ideal place for hosting events in the area. Its open floorplan avails accommodation of over 100 vendor booths at a time. There are restrooms and other event services available at this place too.