Memphis is the smell of sweet smoke from barbeque pits and the melancholy mojo of the best guitar you ever heard. There’s just something unique about Memphis. From the holy grails of music landmarks to the restaurants, from the basketball court to the acclaimed Memphis Zoo, from the elegant hotels to the mystical nightclubs on legendary Beale Street, there’s an irresistible soul that’s drawn people to Memphis for more than a century. In addition to Memphis’ legendary nightlife, there’s irresistible food, captivating museums and something quirky fun and real for everyone.

Memphis was born from the rhythm of the land. The site was chosen on the bluffs of the Mississippi as an ideal port and trading center, it was not long before its roots in the rich delta soil gave birth to the music that became its soul. Early Irish and German immigrants were responsible for much of the city’s early growth. These immigrants opened businesses, built neighborhoods, and started churches. As Memphis grew, slaves were brought in to further develop the city, building businesses and farming the land - especially the cotton fields. The cotton trade became so profitable that many people did not
want to secede from the Union at the beginning of the Civil War, unwilling to give up their industry ties to the northern United States. After the Civil War, the cotton trade was rebuilt and once again the city became one of the busiest and most prosperous in the South.

Decades later, it’s now the “Home of the Blues” and “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Memphis has been transformed. It’s history is told in many of the landmark museums and attractions like the National Civil Rights Museum and the Rock N’ Soul Museum. The Rock ‘N’ Soul Museum offers a comprehensive Memphis music experience from the rural field hollers and sharecroppers of the 1930s, through the explosion of Sun, Stax and Hi Records, and Memphis’ musical heyday in the 70s, to its global musical influence.

We hope you’ll take this opportunity to visit this special city, taste the barbeque and experience down-home Southern hospitality at it’s finest, as you follow the musical pioneers who, for the love of music, overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to create the music that shook the entire world. We sincerely hope you will enjoy your stay!