Things to do in Memphis

Memphis is the place where blues, rock and roll, and soul all emerged and this musical legacy is evident everywhere. Graceland is the tacky home of Elvis Presley, attracting tourists and pilgrims alike to see places such as the jungle room and his grave. The spiritual home of the blues is along Beale Street, where such luminaries as B B King, Muddy Waters and Otis Redding all got their first breaks.

Graceland

The home of Elvis Presley, Graceland is the most famous attraction in Memphis. Elvis purchased the mansion in 1957, and lived there until his death in 1977. His rags-to-riches story is an embodiment of the American dream, and Graceland has plenty to interest the casual visitor as well as the devoted fan. A tour of the mansion includes the gloriously tasteless jungle room, and the Meditation Garden, where visitors can see his grave. Graceland Plaza, opposite the mansion, hosts a number of exhibitions dedicated to different areas of the singers life and obsessions, including an automobile museum with his famous pink Cadillac. Open in March to October from 08:30 to 17:00, Mondays to Saturdays; and from 09:30 to 16:00 on Sundays. Open daily in November to February from 09:30 to 16:00. Phone: +1 901 332 3322; website: www.elvis.com.

Memphis Rock n Soul Museum

This museum tells the story of Memphis music and how it influenced various genres. It explains how rock n roll (and later soul) grew out of the blues, gospel and country music of poor rural sharecroppers from Mississippi. The collection includes early films of Elvis and memorabilia such as Ike Turners piano and Carl Perkins guitar. CD players are distributed to each visitor, so they can listen in on the songs relating to each exhibit. These range from scratchy recordings of old blues numbers to famous songs from Memphis Stax Records, including Dock of the Bay and the theme from Shaft. Open daily from 10:00 to 19:00. Phone: +1 901 205 2533; website: www.memphisrocknsoul.org.

Sun Studio

Visitors who come to Memphis to pay homage to Elvis Presley inevitably are also keen to visit the legendary recording studio in Union Avenue where the King of rock n rolls career, and that of numerous other stars, began. The story is that Elvis first walked into the Sun Studio in the early 1950s to record a song as a birthday present for his mother. The rest is musical history, now enshrined in the studio that also launched the likes of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis on the road to stardom. Visitors to the studio can hear outtakes from recording sessions, touch Elvis first microphone, see a great deal of memorabilia, and listen to anecdotes. Alongside the studio is the Sun Studio Caf, a diner that retains its 1950s style, and is still a favourite musicians hangout. Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, with public tours starting every hour on the half-hour, beginning at 10.30am. Phone: +1 901 521 0664; website: www.sunstudio.com.

Memphis Botanic Gardens

The Memphis Botanic Gardens are a sensory delight through which to stroll at any time of year. The 96-acre site comprises 22 formal gardens, each focusing on a theme or species, ranging from a tranquil Japanese garden to the magnificent Municipal Rose Garden, an organic vegetable garden and a tropical conservatory. Highlights are the Ketchum Memorial Iris Garden (at its best in April and May), and a Sensory Garden designed to be enjoyed by the disabled. Open in April to October from 09:00 to 18:00, Mondays to Saturdays; and from 11:00 to 18:00 on Sundays. Open in November to March from 09:00 to 16:30, Mondays to Saturdays; and from 11:00 to 16:00 on Sundays. Phone: +1 901 685 1566; website: www.memphisbotanicgarden.com.

Mud Island River Park

Mud Island in the Mississippi River offers a fascinating insight into the famous river with a series of fun and informative attractions. The island emerged in the river in 1900 and was turned into a 52-acre park. Main attractions on the island are the Mississippi River Museum, an amphitheatre where touring acts perform during summer, a huge swimming pool and a display of the Memphis Belle, a famous B-17 bomber from World War II. The highlight of a visit to Mud Island, however, is the unique and fascinating River Walk, a scaled down replica of the lower Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois to New Orleans in Louisiana. The River walk is five blocks long and represents a journey of 1,000 miles. Open in April to 26 May and 5 September to 31 October from 08:10 to 17:00; 27 May to 4 September from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed Mondays. Phone: +1 901 576 7241; website: www.mudisland.com.

National Civil Rights Museum

This museum is housed in what was formerly the Lorraine Motel, the site of the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr in 1968. The museum traces the history of the civil rights movement in America, from slavery to the present day. There are various tableaux, such as one demonstrating Rosa Parks refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. The most poignant sight of all is Dr Kings motel room, which has been preserved as it was on the day of the shooting. Open in June to August from 09:00 to 18:00 on Monday and Wednesday to Saturday, and from 13:00 to 18:00 on Sundays; open in September to May from 09:00 to 17:00 on Monday and Wednesday to Saturday, and from 13:00 to 17:00 on Sundays. Phone: +1 901 521 9699; website: www.civilrightsmuseum.org.

Peabody ducks

Possibly the citys most unusual attraction, the Peabody ducks live on the roof of the elegant Peabody Hotel. Every morning at 11:00, the birds leave their enclosure and are led into a lift and, 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 17:00 precisely, the performance is repeated when they return to the roof. Duck parade daily at 11:00 and 17:00. Phone: +1 901 529 4000; website: www.peabodymemphis.com.