"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."
