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Your ticket to the fastest game in town. NASCAR, NHRA, and
200-plus events on the racetrack Feb-Nov. Just 15 minutes
from Downtown. 5500 Victory Lane, 901-358-RACE, 866-40-SPEED,
www.memphismotorsportspark.com. |
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The museum includes the marble Pink Palace mansion built
in 1922 by grocery store magnate Clarence Saunders and houses
a 240-seat IMAX Theater and 165-seat planetarium. Permanent
exhibits include Memphis history 1800-1907; geology; natural
history; a full-scale replica of America’s first self-service
grocery store; a roaring, stomping Triceratops dinosaur;
the hand-carved Clyde Parke Miniature Circus; and three
temporary exhibits per year. 3050 Central, 901-320-6320,
www.memphismuseums.org.
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This unique, not-for-profit AAA affiliate of the St. Louis
Cardinals plays Apr-Sep at AutoZone Park, the finest ballpark
ever built below the major league level, located in
the heart of Downtown. 200 Union, 901-721-6000, www.memphisredbirds.com.
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A wide variety of sight-seeing cruises with concessions
and commentary on the sights and history of the Mississippi
River. Evening music cruises with dinner, holiday cruises,
and private charters. Wheelchair access on most trips. Closed
Jan-Feb except by appt. Foot of Monroe at Riverside Drive,
901-527-BOAT, 800-221-6197, www.memphisriverboats.net.
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The museum’s exhibition, created by the Smithsonian
Institution, tells the story of music pioneers who overcame
racial and socio-economic barriers to create the music
that shook the world. It offers a comprehensive Memphis
music experience, from the rural music of the 1930s, through
Memphis’s musical heyday in global musical influence.
Personal audio-guided tour and gift shop. Open daily.
Inside FedExForum, the 1970s, to its 191 Beale at Third,
901-205-2533, www.memphisrocknsoul.org.
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Restored to the elegance of their 1912-1940 predecessors,
today’s trolleys run from the South Main Arts District
to the Pinch District, along the picturesque riverfront,
and from Downtown to the Medical Center along Madison
Ave. Passengers may board at any of 34 accessible stations
for persons with disabilities. Enjoy the sights of Downtown
as you travel to your next trolley-served attraction.
547 N. Main, 901-274-6282, www.matatransit.com.
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The 70-acre zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals representing
500 species. Get nose-to-nose with polar bears, seals,
and sea lions in the all-new Northwest Passage exhibit.
The breathtaking CHINA exhibit features giant pandas Le
Le and Ya Ya, and the new Butterflies: In Living Color
exhibit is open May-Oct annually. Other exhibits include
Cat Country, Animals of the Night, Dragon’s Lair,
Primate Canyon, and Once Upon a Farm. All exhibits are
naturalistic homes for rare, exotic animals. Gift shops,
concessions, and children’s rides. Overton Park,
2000 Prentiss Place, 901-276-WILD, www.memphiszoo.org.
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Proud members of the Central Hockey League, two-time President’s
Cup Champions, and the longest-running professional sports franchise in
the Mid-South. The team plays 32 games Oct-Mar. DeSoto Civic Center, I-55
and Church Rd, 662-342-1755, www.riverkings.com. |
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This world-class museum features 18 galleries showcasing
10,000 years of history in the Lower Mississippi Valley.
More than 5,000 artifacts make up the permanent collection,
often highlighted by traveling exhibits and special events.
See a full-scale reproduction of the front third of an
1870 steamboat; a recreation of a Civil War battle on
the river; full-scale reproduction of a Union gunboat;
five galleries following the development of Delta music;
a 4,000-gallon aquarium; and more. Open Apr-Oct. Mud Island
River Park, 125 N. Front, 901-576-7241, 800-507-6507,
www.mudisland.com.
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Experience the river on the river at America’s premier
Mississippi River Park, a unique historical, cultural,
and educational facility dedicated to telling the story
of the Mighty Mississippi. Walk along the 1/2-mile scale
model of the Lower Mississippi. Step inside the Mississippi
River Museum. Enjoy green spaces to jog, bike, picnic,
or relax, or experience the water first hand by renting
a canoe, kayak, or pedal boat. Venues for concerts, parties,
receptions, and other gatherings. Open Apr-Oct. Free general
admission. 125 N. Front, 901-576-7241, 800-507-6507, www.mudisland.com.
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Located on the site of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, the museum provides
a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights
Movement. Exhibits and interactive displays trace the
history of the movement and its leaders. Examine never-before-seen
materials. The recent expansion explores events after
Dr. King’s death. 450 Mulberry, 901-521-9699, www.civilrightsmuseum.org.
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The only museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the
exhibition and preservation of fine metalwork. Changing
exhibitions range from jewelry and hollowware in precious
metals to architectural wrought iron, plus metal-working
demonstrations. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the spectacular
view of the Mississippi River from the grounds. 374 Metal
Museum Dr, 901-774-6380, www.metalmuseum.org.
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Built in 1928, the 2,500-seat Orpheum is one of the few
remaining elegant movie palaces of the ‘20s. The $5
million renovation in 1984 included refurbishing ornamental
plasterwork, crystal chandeliers, and original furnishings
plus remodeling backstage and technical areas. The theater
presents a variety of events, from Broadway shows and concerts
to films and dance performances. Main at Beale, 901-525-7800,
box office 901-525-3000, www.orpheum-memphis.com. |
This 342-acre public park nestled in the heart of Memphis
offers a nine-hole golf course, 1.4-mile fitness trail,
playgrounds, open play fields, wooded trails, picnic area,
Rainbow Lake formal gardens, and Veterans Plaza. Also home
to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the Memphis College
of Art, and the Overton Park Shell, an open-air theater
where Elvis performed his first paid concert. 2080 Poplar,
golf course: 901-725-9905. |
An exciting array of restaurants, shops, theaters, and more
with a Georgetown atmosphere located in the heart of Memphis
and Midtown. Offers live music, dancing, local theater,
specialty shopping, a New Orleans-style luxury hotel, and
local restaurants. Madison and Cooper, 901-526-7070, www.overtonsquare.com. |
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The South’s Grand Hotel, a historic Downtown landmark,
first opened in 1925. Local developer Jack Belz bought
the hotel in 1975 and restored it to its original splendor,
kicking off Downtown’s dynamic revitalization when
the hotel reopened in 1981. This legendary hotel includes
a magnificent ornate lobby and is famous for the twice-daily
march of the Peabody Ducks (11am and 5pm). Gift shops,
restaurants, retail, and more. 149 Union, 901-529-4000,
www.peabodymemphis.com.
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Anchored by the historic Peabody Hotel and within one block
of Beale Street and AutoZone Park, this entertainment destination
is at the center of it all! Shop brand-name stores, such
as Gap, Victoria’s Secret, and Ann Taylor Loft, and
unique boutiques like Sydnie’s Gifts, Coco & Lilly,
and Walsons Jewelers. Dine out at some of Memphis’s
best restaurants, including Encore and Dan McGuinness Irish
Pub, or enjoy a sweet treat from MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream
and Treatery, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, or Starbucks.
There’s also the Muvico Complex, with its 60-foot
big-screen theater, and Jillian’s, a multilevel entertainment
and dining experience. 150 Peabody Place at Third, 901-261-PLAY,
www.belz.com. |
Memphis’s first neighborhood, settled by Irish immigrants
in the mid-1800s, is reborn as a shopping and entertainment
area. Given its name from the gaunt appearance of the immigrants
who resided there after fleeing the great potato famine
in Ireland, The Pinch includes live music, pubs, coffee
shops, and more. Between Jackson and Auction directly east
of The Pyramid and north of Memphis Cook Convention Center. |
A two-room museum gives visitors earthquake facts and helps
those who live in seismic zones learn ways to prepare for
quakes with interactive displays, maps, and computer programs.
3918 Central on the University of Memphis campus, 901-678-1723,
appt. required, www.ceri.memphis.edu. |
This 165-seat planetarium hosts astronomy shows, stargazing,
and laser light concerts. Open Saturdays only. Pink Palace
Museum, 3050 Central, 901-320-6320, www.memphismuseums.org.
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Originally the site of the Shelby County Penal Farm, this
park now provides a wide array of recreational opportunities,
picnic shelters, and meeting rooms and is the largest
facility of its kind in the U.S. within an urban setting.
The park includes 31 fishing lakes; walking, biking, and
exercise trails; bird watching; a 1,000-acre wildlife
preserve; a 60-acre lake for sailing, wind surfing, and
pedal boating; bison herds; an 18-hole disc golf course;
rental horses; Agricenter International’s exhibition
center; a Farmers Market, and more. 500 Pine Lake, 901-382-0235,
www.shelbycountytn.gov,
www.sfparkalliance.org.
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Explore this way station on the Underground Railroad at
Burkle Estate. A secret cellar and trap doors reveal the
escape route of runaway slaves. Startling displays of ads,
auctions, and artifacts help tell the story of the slave
era as Heritage Tours guides visitors through this 1856
Antebellum hideaway. 826 N. Second, 901-527-3427. |
This historic neighborhood just five minutes from Downtown
was the birthplace of such musical luminaries as Aretha
Franklin, David Porter, Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice
White, Memphis Slim, Memphis Minnie, and numerous others.
It remains home to Royal Studios, where Hi Records recorded
soul greats, such as Al Green and Ann Peebles. It is now
home to the 17,000-square-foot Stax Museum of American Soul
Music at the original site of Stax Records, the only soul
music museum in the world. 926 E. McLemore, 901-946-2535,
www.soulsvilleusa.com. |
Where culture, style, and class come together.Anchored by
the historic Central Train Station on the south and the
Orpheum Theatre on the north, the city’s official
Historic Arts District offers a diverse neighborhood of
fine arts, specialty shopping, restaurants, bars, and live
music. 901-578-7262, www.southmainmemphis.org. |
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