The Essential Guide to Memphis

"Commissioned as a public artwork for the Memorial Park Cemetery, Crystal Shine Grotto is the largest—and perhaps only—man-made quartz cavern in the country. In 1938, Mexican artist Dionicio Rodriguez had a 60-foot-deep cave dug into the hillside in the middle of the cemetery, then set to work creating a magical attraction out of sculpted cement and almost five tons of colorful quartz crystals. He even carved niches in the walls, which were later filled with biblical statues to complete an unusual but heartfelt religious shrine that now draws thousands of visitors each year. Accompanied by a loop of harp music, the Grotto can be a peaceful place to pray, though it’s also eminently Instagrammable and has become a favorite posing spot for special-occasion photos."

"Fans of The King flock to Graceland, making Elvis Presley’s former mansion the most-visited home in America after the White House. While the mansion is the main attraction, taking guests back in time to when Elvis ruled the zeitgeist from his 14-acre estate, there are several equally fun ancillary buildings spread across the grounds. Sure, you want to see the shag carpet on the ceiling and the Polynesian-themed Jungle Room, but also make time to tour the auto museum, browse the display of Elvis’s planes, and pay your respects at the flower-bedecked grave site on the premises. Several different tour packages are available depending on how deeply you want to delve into the history of The King and his home."

"Situated in Overton Park, the Memphis Zoo has been a city fixture for more than a century. Often named one of the top-rated zoos in the country, it’s among the few facilities on the continent with giant pandas—the most popular exhibit at any zoo lucky enough to house them. YaYa and LeLe attract big crowds as they cavort in their habitat, designed to mimic their home region in China. In addition to the pandas, the zoo features many other habitats filled with exotic animals, including one of the largest collections of hippos outside Africa. Trained naturalists also present shows throughout the day, offering the chance to get up close and personal with the animals, chat with the zookeepers, or just watch the sea lions show off their tricks."

"The site of everything from lunch counter sit-ins to the sanitation workers’ strike of 1968 that inspired Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have been to the mountaintop” speech, Memphis occupies an important place in the history of civil rights. Unfortunately, the city is also where MLK was assassinated, shot on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Hotel. Today, the fateful hotel is one in a series of buildings that make up the National Civil Rights Museum, which tells the story of the fight for equality, both in and outside Memphis, through artifacts and multimedia displays. Large exhibition spaces include an original lunch counter from an Atlanta sit-in and a replica of the bus that Rosa Parks once rode in Montgomery."

"An Italian immigrant to Memphis, Domenico Canale established food wholesaler D. Canale & Co. in 1866, selling, among other things, a whiskey he named Old Dominick and a novel bourbon-based cordial called the Dominick Toddy. He passed away in 1919, just three days before the ratification of Prohibition, but his name lives on at Old Dominick Distillery, which is run by his great-great-grandchildren. The state-of-the-art distillery makes spirits like vodka, gin, and Canale’s signature Dominick Toddy, and offers tours, tastings, live musical performances in the barrel room, and a fine-dining restaurant and craft cocktail bar called the Gray Canary."

"The Peabody Memphis has hosted many notable guests during its near century of operation. However, even more so than the presidents and movie stars who have spent the night at this opulent hotel, the resident ducks are the most famous. Legend has it that, back in the 1930s, the general manager of the Peabody, Frank Schutt, and his friend returned from a weekend hunting trip having had a bit too much Tennessee whiskey and thought it would be funny to put some of their live duck decoys in the hotel fountain. A tradition was born and now, every day at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., five mallard ducks march from their Royal Duck Palace on the hotel rooftop to the lobby fountain, led by a dedicated “Duckmaster” to the sounds of Sousa’s “King Cotton March.” Join the guests who ring the mezzanine and catch the spectacle live for a taste of Memphis tradition."

"Located in a massive, pink Georgia marble mansion built by Piggly Wiggly grocery magnate Clarence Saunders in the 1920s, the Pink Palace Museum features much of what you’d expect from a typical tourist attraction, including laser shows, an IMAX theater, a planetarium, and exhibits focused on the cultural and natural history of the surrounding region. Where it gets especially interesting, however, is in some of the more weathered display cases, which prove the museum’s early policy of accepting just about any donated items and artifacts. The eclectic collection includes more than 800 stuffed birds as well as several other stuffed exotic animals, plus a shrunken head, which the donor claimed to have acquired on his travels to a tribal region in the South American jungle. Its authenticity remains unconfirmed, but it’s a fascinating object to behold."

"Sun Studio Perhaps no studio was more instrumental to the birth of rock ’n’ roll than this humble spot east of downtown. It was here that illustrious music producer Sam Phillips launched Elvis’s career and worked with an epic roster of recording artists, including blues legend Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, Ike Turner, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and crooner Roy Orbison. On tours of Sun Studio, visitors can stand in the same spot where those stars made musical history, and even cut a record of their own by reserving a block of studio time after the museum closes for the evening. A free shuttle runs to and from Graceland so you can experience two musical landmarks in one trip."

"Memphis is blessed with some great dive bars and burger joints, but no place combines the two concepts better than Earnestine & Hazel’s, an iconic spot on the edge of downtown, just a short walk from the debauchery of Beale Street. An excellent option for a nightcap after an evening of madcap fun, the eatery is best known for its Soul Burger, a classic griddled patty served on a buttered bun with pickles, onion, cheese, and top-secret “Soul Sauce.” Beyond the menu, however, the biggest attraction at E&H is the grungy ambience, plus the reputation that the former hotel-cum-brothel is now the most haunted building in Memphis. Employees and customers alike have reported seeing shadowy figures moving through the hallways, and the legendary jukebox has been known to play songs that are spookily in sync with something a patron just said at the bar. Come for the burger, stay for the ghosts."

"Michael Hudman and Andrew Ticer operate several restaurants around Memphis and across the Southeast, but none of them express the duo’s Italian heritage and Southern sensibility better than Hog & Hominy. The food served up by these award-winning chefs—classic Italian dishes made with Southern ingredients and cooked over a wood-burning fire—includes everything from roasted vegetables, meats, and seafood to margherita pizzas and one with pork belly, spicy honey, and snap peas. At the bar, guests can sip creative cocktails featuring top-shelf spirits and house-made syrups and bitters. Should you have to wait for a table at this popular eatery, pass the time at the on-site bocce court with all the other eager diners."

"Don’t let the unpretentious exterior and strip-mall location of this little deli fool you—Las Tortugas is deadly serious about crafting delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine with only the freshest ingredients. At locations in East Memphis and Germantown, father-son duo Pepe and Jonathan Magallanes offer a menu of Mexican street food highlighted by sandwiches called tortugas (Spanish for turtle , because they’re stuffed so full with ingredients like carnitas, chorizo, chicken, and beef that they’re shaped like tortoises). Patrons can order the same fillings in a taco if they’d prefer, then top them with one of Pepe’s specialty sauces, like spicy avocado green salsa. Whichever you order, be sure to wash it down with one of the fresh-squeezed juices or a traditional horchata for a taste of real Mexico."

"Chef Kelly English trained in some of the best kitchens inNew Orleansbefore opening Restaurant Iris, where he now serves his homey take on French-Creole cuisine. Here, dining spaces are spread throughout the rooms of a cozy bungalow, encouraging diners to interact with other tables like guests at a convivial dinner party. A recent remodel added more modern decor and an expanded bar area where patrons without reservations can dine under a large, bayou-inspired mural that harks back to English’s Louisiana roots. On the menu you’ll find Southern classics, prepared with French techniques and international flavors. Don’t miss the corn bread–stuffed quail and the crawfish beignets, which come with a heavenly sauce ravigote ."

"A classic Southern smokehouse, the Bar-B-Q Shop is reputedly where the Memphis specialty known as barbecue spaghetti was invented. Riffing on traditional spaghetti with meat sauce, the dish features a mountain of pasta topped with pulled pork and tangy barbecue sauce. Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it, though there are also more traditional smoked meats, from dry ribs and beef brisket to decadent beef bologna, for the less adventurous. If you fall in love with a particular flavor, know that the Bar-B-Q Shop sells its rubs and sauces at several grocery stores around the region."