The Place for Government Per Diem Rate Hotels

City Overview

Memphis is known the world over; cradle of the blues, birthplace of rock n’ roll and home to Graceland, the mansion belonging to Elvis Presley. It is also home to plenty of federal per diem hotels catering for the busy federal traveler, government traveler and military traveling personnel.

In 1968, however, Memphis was the setting for tragedy when civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. The city has risen from the ashes of hatred, and the Lorraine Motel is now America's Civil Rights Museum.

Today, Memphis is an intriguing mix of old and new, with serene Victorian villas jostling for space with gleaming skyscrapers and malls.

Getting Around

Airport

Memphis International Airport (MIA)
Tel: (901) 922 8000.
Website: www.mscaa.com

Memphis airport is the world's busiest cargo airport and a bustling passenger terminal handling around 11 million passengers per year. Located approximately 16km (10 miles) southeast of Downtown Memphis, the airport handles flights from eight passenger airlines.

ApproximateflighttimestoMemphis: From London is 10 hours 50 minutes; from New York is 2 hours 35 minutes; from Los Angeles is 4 hours; from Toronto is 3 hours 10 minutes and from Sydney is 18 hours.

Airportfacilities: Facilities include bureau de change, bank, ATMs, travel agency, restaurants and duty-free shops. There is also a hairdresser and a hotel. New restaurants and concessions add a uniquely Memphis dining experience for travellers. Car hire is available from Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty.

Transporttothecity: It takes approximately 20 minutes to reach Downtown Memphis from the airport. For cab service, call Yellow/Checker Cab (tel: (901) 577 7777), CityWideCabCompany (tel: (901) 324 4202), Metro Cab Company (tel: (901) 323 3333) or Arrow Transportation (tel: (901) 523 2002). The local airport shuttle service will drop you at your rental car location. Hotels or motels may offer shuttle service to downtown/midtown, or will call a cab for you.

Trains

Rail Services

Trains run to Memphis Central Station, 545 South Main Street. The station serves as a major passenger terminal.

Rail Operators

Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com) is the country's official passenger train company. Amtrak's services are limited, although the City of New Orleans train does connect Memphis with Chicago and New Orleans. Reservations are necessary for priority seating and sleeping accommodation.

Connections

From Chicago - 10 hours 20 minutes; New Orleans - 8 hours 40 minutes.

By Road

The interstate highways are the fastest, most direct routes to Memphis. Some of these routes are tolled. The speed limit on interstate highways is 112kph (70mph) for cars, unless stated otherwise. There is also an extensive network of federal, state and local roads and highways.

The minimum driving age is 16 years old. Driving is on the right throughout the USA. In Tennessee, the driver and all passengers must wear seat belts. Drivers must carry their national driving licence with them when driving, as well as proof of their third-party liability insurance.

The American Automobile Association - AAA (tel: 1 800 222 1333 or (901) 761 5371; www.aaasouth.com) has reciprocal agreements with many foreign motoring associations.

Emergency breakdown services

AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357/AAA HELP).

Routes to the city

From the airport, I-240 goes into central Memphis. Memphis is a major crossroads of the south. The main routes into Memphis include interstates I-40 and I-55. I-40 comes from Dallas in the west through Little Rock, Arkansas, and from Nashville in the east; while I-55 runs from St Louis in the north and Jackson, Mississippi, in the south. I-55 has links to New Orleans in the south and Chicago in the north.

Driving times to the city
From Nashville - 3 hours 30 minutes; St Louis - 4 hours 30 minutes; New Orleans - 6 hours; Dallas - 7 hours; Chicago - 8 hours 30 minutes.

Coach services

Greyhound (tel: 1 800 231 2222; www.greyhound.com) operates coach services to and from Memphis and around the country. Coaches depart from the coach station, 203 Union Avenue (tel: (901) 523 9253), for destinations such as Nashville, New York and Chicago.

Local Transport

Public Transport

The Memphis Area Transit Authority - MATA (tel: (901) 274 6282; www.matatransit.com) operates buses and a streetcar service - the Main Street Trolley. Vintage trolley cars run along Main Street, Madison Avenue and on a Riverfront Loop. The service is inexpensive and runs every 10 to 15 minutes. Sunday service stops early.

Taxis

Taxis must be booked by telephone. Recommended taxi firms include Yellow Cab Company (tel: (901) 577 7777) or City Wide Cab Company (tel: (901) 324 4202).

Driving in the City

Traffic can be heavy during rush hour, from 0730 to 0900 and 1700 to 1830. The city is mainly laid out on a grid, with avenues running east-west and streets running north-south. Driving is on the right. Right turns on red lights are permitted unless otherwise stated. Metered street-parking or parking lots are available Downtown. There is a free car park between Front Street and the river.

Car Hire

Some companies require International Drivers Permits as well as a national licence, so check. Drivers must be over 25 years old.

All major companies have offices, including Alamo (tel: (901) 332 8412 or 1 800 327 9633; www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: (901) 346 6129 or 1 800 331 1212; www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (901) 398 8888 or 1 800 527 0700; www.budget.com), Hertz (tel: (901) 345 5680 or 1 800 654 3131; www.hertz.com) and Thrifty (tel: (901) 999 1111 or 1 800 367 2277; www.thrifty.com).

Bicycle Hire

Hire bikes at the Peddler Bicycle Shop (tel: (901) 327 4833; www.peddlerbikeshop.com). Outdoors Inc. (www.outdoorsinc.com) has two locations, at 5245 Poplar Avenue (tel: (901) 767 6790), and 1710 Union Avenue (tel: (901) 722 8988).

General Information

Location

Southwest corner of Tennessee, Shelby County, USA.

Time zone

GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November).

Electricity

110-120 volts AC, 60Hz; flat two-pin plugs are standard.

Average January temperatures

5°C (41°F).

Average July temperatures

27°C (81°F).

Annual rainfall

1,234mm (48.6 inches).

Things to do

Sightseeing Overview

Memphis spreads eastwards from its position on the banks of the Mississippi River and the best place for visitors to begin any sightseeing tour is Downtown, the oldest part of the city and the part nearest the river.

This is the location of Beale Street, always busy with tourists exploring its shops, lively clubs and restaurants and the famous Peabody Hotel. It is a short walk from here to the bank of the lazy Mississippi, where a monorail slides high above the river and onto Mud Island and the River Museum.

While Downtown can be explored on foot, other attractions are scattered throughout the city, which is so spread out that transport (preferably a car) is needed to reach them.

Graceland, for instance, Elvis Presley's mansion and the city's top visitor attraction, lies 16km (10 miles) to the south of the city, while the best shops are to be found in the gleaming malls of East Memphis.

A good introduction to the city is a trip on the Main Street Trolley, which runs along the river and through the heart of Downtown. On the last Friday of each month, the Main Street Trolley runs tours through the shops, restaurants and galleries of the South Main Arts District.

Tourist Information

Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau
47 Union Avenue
Tel: (901) 543 5333 or 1 888 633 9099.
Website: www.memphistravel.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700 (Oct-Mar); 0900-1800 (Apr-Sep).

Tennessee Welcome Centre
119 North Riverside Drive
Tel: (901) 543 6757.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-2200.

Passes

Passes and discounts depend on vendor and attraction site. MATA (Memphis Area Transit Authority) offers discounts to seniors, students and the disabled. The Memphis CVB also has downloadable discount coupons on its website.

Attractions

Peabody Ducks
Possibly the city's most unusual attraction, the Peabody Ducks live on the roof of the elegant Peabody Hotel. Every morning at 1100, the birds leave their enclosure and are led into a lift (elevator) by the hotel's Duckmaster. With great fanfare, they emerge downstairs and waddle across a red carpet to the marble fountain in the lobby, where they spend the day. In the evening, at 1700 precisely, the performance is repeated when they return to the roof.
The Peabody Hotel, 149 Union Avenue
Tel: (901) 529 4000.
Website: www.peabodymemphis.com
Ducks parade at 1100 and 1700.
Free admission.

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Established in 1912, the Brooks holds an astonishing world-class collection of art and often showcases exhibitions from major museums and private collections around the world. Highly regarded for its medieval and Renaissance works, the museum also offers tours and creative workshops to over 20,000 students a year. Wine tastings and lunches are popular in the museum's Brushmark Restaurant (see Restaurants).
1934 Poplar Avenue
Overton Park
Tel: (901) 544 6200.
Website: www.brooksmuseum.org
Opening hours: Tues, Wed, Fri 1000-1600, Thurs 1000-2000, Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1130-1700.
Admission charge.

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens
The former home of cotton tycoon Hugo Dixon, set in a seven-hectare (17-acre) English country garden, houses an impressive collection of French and American impressionist and post-impressionist art works. Stroll through the gardens or learn the history of each exhibition on self-guided or volunteer-led tours.
4339 Park Avenue
Tel: (901) 761 5250.
Website: www.dixon.org
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1600, Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1300-1700.
Admission charge.

Full Gospel Tabernacle Church
The Full Gospel Tabernacle is the church where the Reverend Al Green preaches on most Sundays. The music is loud and the Reverend Green's sermons are energetic and uplifting. The congregation dance (and frequently faint) in the aisles. Although attracting tourists, these are genuine religious services and should be respected.
787 Hale Road
Tel: (901) 396 9192.
Website: www.algreenmusic.com
Sunday services run 1100-1400.
Free admission.

Restaurants

Gastronomic

Chez Philippe
The Peabody Hotel's signature restaurant has a menu featuring French and Asian dishes. The hot lobster bisque with vichyssoise martini and shaved truffles is the most incredible martini you will ever taste. The restaurant is the city's most opulent and romantic. Classical music adds to the quiet elegance of impressive, travertine marble columns, chandeliers and mirrors, and larger-than-life murals. Main courses range from melt-in-the-mouth roasted marinated lamb loin to Ahi tuna in a spicy, crisp coating. No meal is complete without the Grand Marnier soufflé and a glass of cognac or port. The wine list is extensive, with an expensive range of French wines. Reservations recommended.
The Peabody Memphis, 149 Union Avenue
Tel: (901) 529 4188.
Website: www.peabodymemphis.com
Price: $$$$

Itta Bena
Designed like a Speakeasy above B B King's Blues Club, with access through a secret passage, Itta Bena is Memphis' best kept dining secret, mostly discovered by word of mouth. Exotic Mediterranean ambiance is created with carved wooden panels and wrought iron from Afghanistan, and archways and candlelight suffused with blue light reflected through tall windows from Beale Street. The evolving menu of Beale Street's newest and only fine dining restaurant is worthy of the most discerning palate. She-Crab soup and jumbo grilled scallops are not to be missed. The white chocolate cheesecake is quite possibly the best in town.
B B King's Blues Club, 143 Beale Street
Tel: (901) 578 3031.
Website: www.bbkingclubs.com
Price: $$$

Paulette's
The perfect place for a pampered romantic evening out, Paulette's is modelled after a French country inn, complete with antiques, exposed beams, dim lighting and traditional European paintings. Enjoy live piano music at weekends and during the popular Sunday brunch. Indulge in fresh lobster at special rates every Friday night. The delectable menu of French and Continental dishes such as mouth-watering southern blue-crab soup, juicy angus filet mignon with julienne vegetables, or honey-curry marinated pork tenderloin, are accompanied with their famous popovers with strawberry butter. Save room for the kahlua-mocha pie, made with a pecan-coconut crust. A popular spot for the theatre crowd.
2110 Madison Avenue
Tel: (901) 726 5128.
Website: www.paulettes.net
Price: $$$-$$$$

Business

Brushmark Restaurant
Popular for business lunches or the cultural crowd visiting the impressive Brooks Museum of Art, the restaurant overlooks the greens and trees of Overton Park, with outdoor seating available during warm weather. Produce is fresh and dishes artfully presented. Arugula and shaved fennel salad, with grilled shrimp, avocado, radishes and pomegranate vinaigrette is a favourite, complimented by a good wine selection. Open daily for lunch (except Mondays), and every Thursday and the first Wednesday of each month for dinner to coincide with museum activities.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 1934 Poplar Aevnue
Tel: (901) 544 6225.
Website: www.brooksmuseum.org
Price: $$-$$$

Folk's Folly Prime Steak House
A Memphis tradition for sizzling prime steaks and fresh seafood. Folk's Folly occupies a renovated house where couples can dine in private alcoves, or groups enjoy cosy fireside seating. The romantic piano bar provides music nightly. Portions of tender classic cuts of prime beef, veal, lamb and chicken are enormous. For a special treat, savour Australian cold-water lobster tail, live Maine lobster or Scottish salmon. Extensive wine list of over 400 fine wines. Open for dinner every night.
551 South Mendenhall Road
Tel: (901) 762 8200 or 1 800 467 0245.
Website: www.folksfolly.com
Price: $$$-$$$$

Sekisui Pacific Rim & Sushi Bistro
Sekisui has several locations around town. This is its newest pan-Asian dining venue, blending ingredients from Japanese, Chinese, Thai and other Asian cuisines. A wall of water fountain is a feature in this modern interior of neon, glass, steel and marble. The tantalising offerings at the sushi bar and robata grill go well with premium sakes, Japanese beers or fine wines. Exotic desserts complete this dining experience from the Far East.
4724 Poplar Avenue
Tel: (901) 767 7770.
Website: www.sekisuiusa.com
Price: $$$

Trendy

Automatic Slim's Tonga Club
Eclectic and artsy décor sets the mood for this vibrant downtown restaurant. Cuisine is Southwestern and Caribbean with a touch of Memphis and Manhattan. Perfect ambiance for business lunches, with Ray Charles-style background music. Sit at one of the zebra-covered bar stools for one of the many flavoured martinis at the bar before dinner, when the hip night crowd rocks to upbeat 1980s and 90s music. Dishes range from the wicked voodoo stew for the adventurous, to whole fish served Caribbean style with mango and hot pepper salsa. Keep your eyes open for Hollywood celebs who occasionally stop by when in town.
83 South Second Street
Tel: (901) 525 7948.
Price: $$-$$$

The Beauty Shop
A 1960s style beauty shop turned into a trendy restaurant in the Cooper-Young Historic District is the brainchild of artist and culinary entrepreneur Karen Blockman Carrier. Patrons can dine in refurbished hair-dryer chairs, enjoy the privacy of original booths enclosed by glass block walls, or sit on stools at the raw bar. Global cuisine with a Mediterranean touch offers mouth-watering selections such as the crispy duck and pomegranate vinaigrette and panzenella salad. Triple-layer cakes are homemade by a nearby bakery. Food is tasty and innovative, but service is very slow.
966 South Cooper
Tel: (901) 272 7111.
Price: $$-$$$

Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro
Ideally located in historic Overton Square in the heart of Midtown Memphis, Le Chardonnay has the city's largest wine list and is a great spot for a pre-theatre glass of wine for those visiting the Playhouse on the Square or taking in a movie. This popular bistro-style restaurant is known for its scallops carbonara, smoked chicken with ravioli, scampi portofino, and gourmet pizza from the wood-fired stone oven. Perfect for an intimate lunch or dinner.
2105 Overton Square Lane
Tel: (901) 725 1375.
Website: www.lechardonnay.com
Price: $-$$

Budget

Java Cabana
Cooper-Young's first coffeehouse, now owned by former employee and welcoming barrista Mary Burns, is a wonderfully eccentric place to stop. A comfortable, odd collection of easy chairs blends with the 1950s décor, inviting patrons to sip on a gourmet cup of java or snack on tasty sandwiches or desserts while reading a good book. Local and regional art for sale adorns the walls. Poetry readings are held every Thursday night, and there's live music and jazz on weekends.
2170 Young Avenue
Tel: (901) 272 7210.
Price: $

Neely's Bar-B-Que
Barbecue is a religion in Memphis - small wonder that it is known as the pork barbecue capital of the world. Patrick Neely and his brothers serve up some of the most delicious and tasty barbecue in Tennessee. Award-winning ribs and their signature BBQ nachos top the menu, though Pork, beef, chicken, turkey, wings and even BBQ spaghetti all get a look in. The only barbecue available seven days a week downtown.
670 Jefferson Street
Tel: (901) 521 9798.
Website: www.neelysbbq.com
Price: $

The Arcade
Memphis' oldest restaurant sits opposite Central Station in the recently revitalised South Main Historic Arts District. Owner Harry Speros continues his grandfather's tradition begun in 1919, charming his customers with his friendly, personal attention. The restaurant features home-style breakfasts, plate lunch specials, Mediterranean-style fresh salads and hand-tossed pizzas. A daily special is the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, a favourite of Elvis, who was a regular customer. The signature Mystery Train Sandwich was named after the movie, one of many which have used The Arcade in location shoots. Don't miss the hand-dipped chocolate sundaes with three generous scoops of ice cream. Breakfast and lunch daily.
540 South Main Street
Tel: (901) 526 5757.
Price: $

Personal Recommendations

Dish
In the trendy Cooper-Young district, this Mediterranean tapas lounge, the only one of its kind in Memphis, offers a delectable selection of hot and cold tapas in a bohemian atmosphere. Dine in intimate corners or stretch out on comfortable lounge beds for a more low-key dining experience. After 2200, the dinner crowd dissolves into a late night party scene, complete with DJ and dance floor, till 2400 on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 0300 the rest of the week. Excellent food and service at affordable prices. Ideal for a short snack or romantic rendezvous.
948 South Cooper Street
Tel: (901) 276 0002.
Website: www.dishmemphis.com
Price: $$

Peabody Sunday Brunch
Voted best Sunday brunch in Memphis, the Skyway atop the Peabody Hotel affords an elegant setting for this sumptuous feast. Artistic displays of salads, seafood, pasta, fresh-baked breads and pastries, exotic pâtés and smoked fish. Omelettes, waffles and Eggs Benedict are cooked to order, while chefs carve from roast beef, lamb and pork. Desserts are a decadent work of art. Musicians even play requests while servers pour unlimited mimosas and champagne.
The Peabody Memphis Skyway, 149 Union Avenue
Tel: (901) 529 3668.
Website: www.peabodymemphis.com
Price: $$$

Tsunami
Located in the growing enclave of restaurants clustered around the intersection of Cooper and Young. Owner and chef Ben Smith's Pacific Rim cuisine transports diners to exotic locales. Small plates are a welcome menu option - half-size portions of regular mains. Patrons are encouraged to order several dishes to enjoy a variety of tastes. Speciality desserts baked to order. Extensive wine list from the Pacific West Coast, Australia and New Zealand. Reservations highly recommended. Dinner only.
928 South Cooper
Tel: (901) 274 2556.
Website: www.tsunamimemphis.com
Price: $$$

Night Life

The bars and clubs of Memphis are so lively that some people come here for the nightlife alone. There is little differentiation between bars and clubs, as practically every venue has live music at least a couple of nights a week. Beale Street is the hub of activity and is lined with clubs that stay open until the early hours. While drinks in Beale Street clubs might be a bit pricier than at other outlets, they are not outrageously expensive.

Clubs charge a small admission fee but on Friday nights during the summertime you can buy a wristband from the Blues City Café on the corner of 2nd and Beale Street that will get you entry to all the clubs along the street. Dress can be as casual as you wish, although you might want to make a bit of an effort, seeing as the Memphis crowd loves to dress up - and flash their flesh. The minimum legal drinking age is 21 years old and you might be asked for proof of your age. Some bars on Beale Street are open till 0500.
Nightlife is not restricted to Beale Street. The Pinch Historic District in Downtown has several popular restaurants/bars and the area around Overton Square in Midtown is also worth investigating. Weekly updates of events in the city can be found in the Memphis Playbook (website: www.commercialappeal.com), a free local paper.

Bars: While it can hardly be termed just a bar, the lobby of the luxurious Peabody Hotel, 149 Union Avenue, in Downtown Memphis, is an essential stop for anyone visiting the city. It is the most elegant venue in town and the best place for people watching. The busiest nights are Thursday evenings, during the summer, when rooftop parties are held. Attracting a young, fashionable crowd is Sleep Out Louie's, 88 Union Avenue, a popular oyster bar and place to pose. More down-to-earth places are Silky O'Sullivan's, 183 Beale Street, an Irish theme bar where you can get a chilled Guinness, and Zinnie's, 1688 Madison Avenue, a well-established, no-nonsense bar in midtown Memphis. If you want a burger along with your beer, head for one of the branches of Huey's, said to serve the best burgers in town, along with Sunday night live jazz and blues. You can find them at 1927 Madison Avenue, in midtown, as well as 77 South Second Street, Downtown.

Clubs: Old-fashioned cars are out in front of the red, white and blue building that houses Raiford's Hollywood Disco Lounge, 115 Vance Avenue, where the dancing stretches into the wee hours. Another good dancing alternative is Club 152, 152 Beale Street, Downtown's premier place for techno, house and alternative dance music. Live music and the hottest local bands are popular with the younger set. Backstreet, 2018 Court Avenue (website: www.backstreetmemphis.com), is the largest gay club in Memphis.

LiveMusic: Practically everywhere in Memphis has live music at least a couple of nights a week, so your main problem will be deciding where to go. Beale Street is the starting place for anyone wanting to check out the Memphis scene. Perhaps the best known but also most touristy place is B B King's Blues Club, 143 Beale Street (website: www.bbkingbluesclub.com), owned by the legendary musician.

More popular with the locals is Ernestine and Hazel's, 531 South Main Street. This one-time brothel is now a lively joint with late-night rhythm and blues and rock music. You can also try Rum Boogie, 182 Beale Street (website: www.rumboogie.com), which attracts national big-name blues bands, and offers something for all ages on its three floors. Silky O'Sullivan's draws a crowd to hear its dueling pianos Thursday to Saturday nights. The Benchmark Hotel, opposite The Peabody, features live jazz every Wednesday night. For the ultimate in cool blues, take a taxi to Wild Bill's, 1580 Vollintine Avenue, a smoky, no-frills juke joint that's so good the locals like to keep it to themselves.

Shopping

Shopping in Memphis offers everything from great value outlet malls to modern shopping malls.

Markets

On the third weekend of each month, there is a large flea market at, 955 Early Maxwell Boulevard, open 0800 to 1800.

Shopping centres

Malls worth heading for include Oak Court Mall, 4451 Poplar Avenue; Wolfchase Galleria, 2760 North Germantown Parkway, and Hickory Ridge Mall, 6075 Winchester Road, all in the northeastern suburbs. The city's newest mall is Peabody Place, 150 Peabody Place, Downtown Memphis.

Key areas

Bargain hunters should head for Belz Factory Outlet Mall, 3536 Canada Road, where brand-name goods are available at up to 75% off normal prices. For musical souvenirs, it is worth visiting Shangri-la Records, 1916 Madison Avenue, which is an Aladdin's Cave of vinyl records, cassettes and CDs. The most famous shop in Memphis is A Schwab, on Beale Street. This dusty emporium seems to have changed little since it opened in 1876. Those determined to buy an Elvis souvenir should head to Graceland Plaza, opposite Graceland.

Tax information

There is no state income tax in Tennessee, which means that sales tax is high at 9.25% and there is no way to reclaim it. Prices in shops are quoted without this tax added on, so shoppers should always bear this in mind before purchasing anything.

Events

Dr Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday
January
Commemorative events.
National Civil Rights Museums

Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration
Early January
Concert and parties.
Graceland

Blues First Weekend
January
Beale Street
Website: www.blues.org

Black History Month
February

Beale Street Zydeco Festival
February
Mardi Gras Comes to Beale Street with Cajun music.

Africa in April
April
Celebration of African culture, art and history.
Robert R Church Park
Website: www.africainapril.org

Memphis International Film Festival
April
Whispering Woods Hotel and Convention Center
Website: www.memphisfilmfestival.com

Memphis in May International Festival
May
Including the Beale Street Music Festival, World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest and Great Southern Food Festival.
Various venues
Website: http://memphisinmay.org 

W C Handy Parade & Awards
May
Awards honouring blues musicians.

Memphis Italian Festival
June
Marquette Park
Website: www.memphisitalianfestival.com

FedEx St Jude Golf Classic
June
Tournament Players Club, Southwind
Website: www.fedex.com/us/sports/stjude 

AutoZone Red, White & Blue Celebration
July
Fireworks show.
Tom Lee Park

Elvis Tribute Week
Early August
Celebration of the life and work of Elvis Presley.
Throughout the city and Graceland

Mid-South Fair
Mid September
Family event with amusement rides, food stands and other attractions.
South Fairgrounds, 940 Maxwell Boulevard
Website: www.midsouthfair.org

Memphis Music & Heritage Festival
September
Website: www.memphismusicandheritagefestival.com

Southern Heritage Classic Football
September
Website: www.southernheritageclassic.com

Germantown Festival
September

Cooper-Young Festival
September
Cultural festival with art and music.
Website: www.cooperyoungfestival.com

Christmas at Graceland
December

History & Culture

The cultural scene in Memphis is dominated by popular music. It was here that W C Handy wrote Memphis Blues and the young Elvis Presley was exposed to the black music that so influenced him. When Presley was discovered by Sun Records in the early 1950s, his distinctive sound took the country by storm and rock 'n' roll was born. In the 1960s, Memphis recording studio Stax Records (website: www.soulsvilleusa.com) helped to develop a new sound that had its roots in the civil rights movement. This was soul music - born in the church and the cotton fields. There are still several recording studios in Memphis and the city continues to inspire musicians, such as Henry Rawlins and Vertical Horizon, who have recorded recently at Sun Studio.

There are two main performance venues in the city. The FedExForum, 191 Beale Street (tel: (901) 205 1535; website: www.fedexforum.com), opened in October 2004, is the home of the NBA Grizzlies, the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team, and is a major venue for concerts and special events such as boxing and world wrestling. Mud Island Amphitheatre, 125 North Front Street (tel: 1 800 507 6507 or (901) 576 7241; website: www.mudisland.com), is a popular setting for outdoor concerts. The main performing arts venue is a restored vaudeville palace, the Orpheum Theatre, 203 Main Street (tel: (901) 525 3000; website: www.orpheum-memphis.com).

The Memphis Cook Convention Centre, 255 North Main Street (tel: 1 800 726 0915; website: www.memphisconvention.com), completed its US$92 million expansion project and in January 2003 opened the world-class Cannon Centre for the Performing Arts (website: www.thecannoncenter.com). The 2,100-seat facility is the home of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and hosts a multitude of other events including ballet, opera, pop and jazz concerts.

The Memphis Playbook is a free weekly publication that is available throughout the city. The main ticket agency is TicketMaster (tel: (901) 525 1515).
Music: The Memphis Symphony Orchestra (tel: (901) 537 2525; website: www.memphissymphony.org) is well established and performs both classical and pop concerts from September to early May. Their permanent home is the Cannon Centre for the Performing Arts (see above). Germantown Performing Arts Centre, 1801 Exeter Road (tel: (901) 751 7500; website: www.gpacweb.com), hosts a variety of professional world-class performers and is home to the IRIS Chamber Orchestra. Opera Memphis (tel: (901) 257 3100; website: www.operamemphis.org) is the state's largest professional opera company. It performs at the Orpheum Theatre (see above), and the company stages four productions each year.

Theatre: Memphis has a lively theatre scene. For professional productions, there is the Playhouse on the Square, 51 South Cooper Street (tel: (901) 726 4656; website: www.playhouseonthesquare.org), which stages a large number of Broadway musicals. It has a sister theatre, Circuit Playhouse, 1705 Poplar Avenue (tel: (901) 726 5523), which offers still more plays and the occasional premiere. For highly respected community theatre, there is Theatre Memphis, 630 Perkins Extended (tel: (901) 682 8601/8323; website: www.theatrememphis.org), which presents everything from Broadway plays to alternative works.

Dance: Thanks to professional dance company Ballet Memphis (tel: (901) 737 7322; website: www.balletmemphis.org) the city also has a reputation for top-quality dance performance. The company includes national and international award-winning dancers and stages contemporary ballets by choreographers such as Trey McIntyre, as well as classical works like TheNutcracker and Giselle. Performances take place at the Orpheum Theatre (see above).

Film: There is no shortage of cinemas in Memphis and it is possible to watch anything from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to art house movies. Studio on the Square, 2105 Court Street (tel: (901) 725 7151; website: www.malco.com), has five screens showing alternative, foreign and speciality films. Other cinemas showing mainstream films include the 22-screen theatre at Peabody Place, Second Street; Stage Cinema, Germantown Parkway, Bartlett; The Majestic, Winchester at Riverdale; and Wolfchase Galleria, Germantown Parkway, Cordova. There is also a 3D IMAX cinema at the Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central Avenue (tel: (901) 763 4629).

Memphis is rapidly becoming a favourite with location hunters, and a number of films have been shot in the city in recent years. These include Jim Jarmusch's cult film MysteryTrain (1989), Cookie'sFortune (1999), a Robert Altman murder mystery; a number of film adaptations of John Grisham's books, including Sidney Pollack's 1993 film TheFirm, starring Tom Cruise; TheClient (1993) and TheRainmaker (1997) and CastAway, starring Tom Hanks (2000). Other notable films produced by clients of the Memphis Shelby County Film Commission include WalktheLine (2004), starring Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix; the two latest movies by Memphian Director Craig Brewer - Hustle & Flow (2005) and Black Snake Moan (2006), with Samuel Jackson and Justin Timberlake; My Blueberry Nights (Norah Jones), which opened the 2007 Cannes Film Festival; In the Valley of Elah (2007); Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) and Nothing But the Truth (2008).

LiteraryNotes: It was in Memphis that the career of the acclaimed playwright, Tennessee Williams, began. He wrote his first play, Cairo! Shanghai! Bombay! here in 1935, and it was premiered in a Memphis theatre. 'Then and there the theatre and I found each other, for better and for worse,' he wrote later. Not surprisingly, the Memphis music scene has inspired a number of books, including AnotherGoodLovingBlues (1994), Arthur Flowers' book about a blues singer's move to Beale Street in the 1920s, when the blues was the hottest music around. Memphis is also the setting for many of the novels of John Grisham, who practised law in Southaven, a Memphis suburb, for 10 years and who uses the city as an atmospheric backdrop to his plot-driven bestsellers. These legal thrillers include TheFirm (1993), TheClient (1994) and TheRainmaker (1997).

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