Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum

A Must-Visit Historic and Musical Heritage Site – Memphis Rock and Soul Museum** My recent visit to the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum was an enriching and insightful experience that I highly recommend to anyone interested in the rich musical history of Memphis. After enjoying a delightful brunch, we arrived at the museum in the middle of the day, eager to delve into its offerings. The museum features a self-guided tour system, beginning with an engaging introductory film that provides a comprehensive overview of the museum’s focus on the roots and evolution of rock and soul music. This visual introduction set the perfect tone for the exploration that followed. As we proceeded through the exhibits, it became evident just how significant Memphis has been in shaping American musical history. The museum offers detailed information about pivotal moments, such as the emergence of the first Black radio station, and how genres like gospel and country influenced the renaissance of blues music. Each exhibit was thoughtfully curated, offering a deep dive into the stories behind iconic figures and legendary venues. The tour effectively contextualizes Memphis’s pivotal role in music history, shedding light on cultural and historical factors that give the city its unique musical identity. It also provides insight into famous sites like Beale Street, and celebrates the legendary careers of musicians such as B.B. King and Elvis Presley. In summary, the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum is a must-visit destination for anyone seeking to understand the roots of Memphis’s vibrant musical landscape. Visiting here before exploring other attractions offers valuable background that enriches the experience of the city’s famous landmarks and musical legends.

This is probably the best music museum I have ever visited. From the name, you know what to expect but it is so well done and the audio guided tour is brilliant. We spent 2 hours here but could have stayed much longer. Highly recommended

Absolutely my favorite museum experience in Memphis so far. I was not sure how I would like the whole headset business but it added so much to the experience. By the end of the tour I found myself asking for more. This story is so beautiful, I do not and do not want it to end. Memphis! Please bring us more music!

Not worth the value at all in our opinion. There is basically one small room upstairs and that is it. You definitely can use the money spent for a better much more detailed attraction.

I visited last week with my kids high school music program. We had an absolutely fantastic time. The guided audio tour was fantastic. Everything was very clean and well maintained. All staff we encountered were also extremely friendly and assisted us with some directions as well. Thank you!

I would HIGHLY recommend coming to the Rock n Soul Museum in memphis, this museum is VERY educational and has a lot of historically significant objects and interesting items too look at. But I wouldn’t recommend coming here with kids because the lack of interactivity and how short the museum is.

If you’re short on time and want a one-stop-shop for Memphis music history — this is it. Having done both the Sun Studio and STAX tours, I found there’s definitely some overlapping history here, but Rock ‘n’ Soul brings in fresh narratives and perspectives that still made it a worthwhile and enriching stop. What really sets this place apart is the self-guided audio tour. It’s choose-your-own-adventure style — letting you move at your own pace, dive deeper where you want, or skip ahead when something else catches your ear. Tons of great music samples and stories along the way, all really well produced. It’s compact but content-rich, and located right near Beale Street and FedExForum, making it super easy to pop in. Whether you’re starting your Memphis music journey or adding it to a full tour lineup, the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum holds its own as a must-visit.

Visited from Germany and loved it! The audio tour is great, you can listen to all the songs and dance. I had a great 90 minutes 🥰🕺🏻

For $14pp you get an EXTENSIVE history of the Memphis music scene over the last ~100 years, beginning with sharecroppers history. You begin the entire journey with a video outlining the history- including MANY famous folks, and this was a super helpful 'tee up' to the exhibits. You are then presented with a set of headphones and the player device so you can move at your own pace thru all the rooms, selecting the associated number near the exhibit to the player. Many of the jukeboxes had lists on the wall so you could listen to full length song recordings- so make it a party for sure. I loved all the memorabilia as well as the passionate stories and history of music in Memphis (some of it is quite sad too) Definitely worth your time to drop it in if you love music

Admission was $14, reduced for children, students & veterans. The Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum's exhibition is about the birth of rock & soul music. The museum tells the story of musical pioneers who, for the love of music, overcame racial & socio-economic barriers to create music that shook the entire world. We started with a :10 film about the #1 rated Memphis museum. We were given a headset & worked our way around the exhibits. This comprehensive experience took us from the rural field hollers & sharecroppers of the 1930s, to Memphis' musical heyday in the 70s, & its global influence. A music app helped take us through the museum ending in a shop. In 2008, the museum released a list of recordings which include "Memphis" in its lyrics. It had been long rumored, ever since Muddy Waters was "Going Back to Memphis" and long before Marc Cohn was "Walking in Memphis," that the birth of rock & roll & soul music had the distinction of being included in the lyrics of more recorded songs than any other city with a list of over 1,000 commerically recorded songs and over 800 distinct titles. Very quick, we made it through the exhibit in less than an hour.

We found ourselves in Memphis last summer and decided we had to hit this museum. While I'm not the largest fan of this genre, it was fascinating to go around and listen/read all of the kiosks, displays and memorabilia. Plan on two hours minimum.

This museum is well lit and has continual music playing throughout the entire place. It's really easy to get into go in the front door and there is someone there ready to help you. If you are not able to go upstairs, they do have an elevator for you to get to the floor, where the museum is. The staff are nice and it was hot outside and it's nice coming to an air condition place for four people it was under $30.

This fantastic museum is a must-see when you're in Memphis. There is so much to see, so plan on taking your time. From several different exhibits about early Memphis to the origins of blues soul, rockabilly, and rock 'n' roll, you can also enjoy multiple music selections and hear a self-paced tour of the area's music history.

Quality/Quantity - Lots of history. Maybe I am just comparing this to all the many other GREAT museums... See other reviews. This visit was not bad, but does not compare with the other venues. Atmosphere - Missing many of my pictures... Sorry. I like the complimentary phone charging station, see picture. So I can keep my phone charged for my Yelp reviews, lol. Open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm. Service - Good. Price - $14 adult, they have many discounts available, see website. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2000.

Pro Tip: Pop by to buy your "Backstage Pass" which provides 20% savings for 4 popular Memphis music attractions--sold in the gift shop! The Rock N Soul Museum is a perfect starting point if you are visiting Memphis. The museum presents a timeline of Southern History and how it shaped music, specifically Rock n Roll and Soul, in Memphis and the country. The tour starts with an introductory video, then opens up to the self-guided exhibits. You can peruse the museum and read each sign, but you also receive a headset with small device which allows you to key in numbers at each exhibit for a full audio visual experience. The audio can be played in any order since you are in control of which number you play and when. In addition to the audio component for each exhibit, there are also several jukeboxes throughout the museum that have full songs that you can play on your headset. I was especially interested in the earliest recordings. This museum has a decent amount of seating. If you wanted to, you could easily sit on a bench, listen to the audio for each exhibit, and just turn your body to view the exhibits from afar. Making Memphis Rock N Soul Museum the 1st stop on a Memphis sightseeing tour will provide any visitor with a base level history of music in the town before going to the other main museums for the deep dive on specific genres and artists. Plus, you have to stop by anyways to save some money on all of the music attractions in the city by purchasing the "Backstage Pass."

What I liked most about this museum was how they immersed you in it. Upon entry to the museum you are given a headset that allows you to interact with every single exhibit. As the headset says, you do not have to follow any type of plan here. You can, if you wish do this by numeric order, or you can do like I did, and jump around at your pace. This way you aren't attempting to see the same thing as another person if you don't want to. There are some spots in here that will allow you to have a photo op and you are probably better suited to d that if you visit with a friend of family member. The video that starts you out is interesting and then you are set free inside. You go through time with this museum from when music was for story telling of the family to how major a role it has played overall. This museum touches on several topics throughout time that are hard hitting topics and how music either shaped or was shaped by it all. They also touch on notable musicians along the way. Remember to tap into the headsets, they can offer more information than what is presented in front of you. One unique thing in this museum, the jukeboxes. They were a nice little surprise in it all. As you progress the jukeboxes get newer and newer, depicting the era you are in. But the interactive part of this is that each jukebox has a selection of music from the era it represents. You can select a song to jam out to if you so feel inclined. Before long, you find yourself at the end of the museum. Where you can hand over your headset for cleaning and filter into the gift shop.

It was a really amazing history lesson. Times back then were hard on folks but I love how everyone comes together and made the music we all know and love today. The only issue I had was that things weren't in straight order and I accidentally skipped some because I didn't see the logo. Thankfully my son had it figured out in no time.

This is a stroll through history! I appreciated the individual audio tour recordings with a headset. I could move around the museum at my own pace. Listening to the recordings was a special treat. I highly recommend this museum when you are visiting Memphis, TN.

My family and I did a girls trip from Houston, Texas. One of our visits was at this awesome place. We learned so much about the history and culture. The staff was awesome. The young lady let us in 10 minutes earlier due to the heat. She also told of us places to visit while here in Memphis. I wished I remembered her name but she had nice braids/locs. She was in the gift shop as well. This place deserves 10 stars plus!! Cassie Roberson

Great museum with a lot of information. Ticket prices are not bad either. It's starts out with a short movie and then you are handed some headphones and walk around. As you walk through the different areas you put the corresponding number in and it tells you about what you are looking at. There are several areas where you can play different sound tracks of music. Overall I thought it was well worth the time and money for the visit. We spent a little over an hour during our time there.

Of all the museums in Memphis, this is one of the best. It covers the music history of Memphis in a fun, interactive way. When you arrive, you receive headphones that guide you on an audio tour throughout the museum. There are many things to look at and interact with throughout the museum. I also appreciate how they incorporate other elements of Memphis history, like the civil rights movement. For easy access, I recommend reserving a parking spot in a parking garage near Beale St. and then walking over. After you visit the museum, you can walk straight to Beale St and enjoy live Memphis music!

Nice staff Interesting place to go A lot of music history , we enjoyed it We would have stayed longer but it was very cold in there Otherwise it was very nice

An Invaluable Treasure The Memphis Rock n Soul Museum provides comprehensive look at the origins of most American music of the last 80 years. Not only does the museum set forth the history of southern society after the Civil War, it sets forth the cultural influences that whites and blacks had on each other and provides insights into the daily life of the people. The museum contains an exhibit showing that, before the TVA, people could enjoy electricity only through machines that could be charged through turning a crank to generate the needed electricity or using a battery. Most companies provided only one battery a year, which, under normal use was consumed within the first 90 days. The museum shows how white country music and black gospel music and those who performed the music interacted, both before and after World War II. It presents the story of Sun Records, Stax Studio and many other creative incubators and how they developed emerging talent. There apparently was more interaction between white and black singers and musicians than the public knew. I can only assume that commercial pressure to respond to cultural imperatives dictated the small degree to which the public was allowed to see this. I also went to Sun Records and Stax Studio. They are both great and are worth your time, as are the B.B. King venues. But this museum ties it all together. It can be done well in 90 minutes, and be a good investment of time.

There are several museums that are fairly similar or overlap in content matter and style. The Rock n Soul Museum and Stax are similar, but just different enough that both are worth your time. While Stax (reviewed separately) is very in-depth about the Stax music company and its history/stars, Rock n' Soul is a little more general. Like most museums, it starts with Africa and chattel slavery as a basis of hymns and the blues. It then transitions to early pioneers, such as Robert Johnson. Then the rest of the fairly short visit peppers in small flakes of Elvis, Isaac Hayes (a Stax artist), some blues artists (many of which were featured at the Blues Hall of Fame, another museum I'll review). I think the main sell here is the audio tour, rather than just reading and viewing the exhibits. I didn't take the audio tour, but I saw several people doing so, and many were dancing and singing along. This museum looks huge from the outside, but is fairly succinct and small, but the content is good. Depending on how much you want to absorb, 1-2 hours is probably adequate. Visually appealing, nice staff. I parked at the Hyatt garage for 10 dollars. Worth a stop, and again I recommend both this museum and the Stax museum, and even the tiny Blues Hall of Fame, but if I had to choose, I would go with Stax (reviewed separately).

Great musical tour. Self paced with audio. My 11 yr old enjoyed it. If you are ever in the Memphis area definitely check it out.

Great tour! Learned a lot about Memphis and rock n roll. Highly recommend. Be warned it's small.

If you are looking for something to do in Memphis and you find yourself walking around Beale Street, The Memphis Rock 'n Soul Museum is definitely one of my favorite places to go. It is a self-guided tour with headphones & a number coordinated remote control that you get to decide yourself which exhibit to learn about. The lady at the front of the museum was very helpful in getting us to understand the way it worked. The audio tour was very informative & also had retro-style music playing most of the time which was nice. While walking through the building you could definitely see some stand out exhibits like Elvis branded memorabilia/Souvenirs, Real Autographed items by Celebrities, and Important Historical elements. The bathrooms are at the very end of the museum where the gift shop is which is my only gripe but all in all it was a very nice museum to visit. They intrigued me with their own branded biscuit mixes in their gift shop on the way out!

Nice little museum right in downtown Memphis on the corner of Union and Beale Street. This is where the mixing of musical genres gave birth to rock and roll... it was interesting and informative. Check it out when you find yourself in Memphis.

The museum was small, limited, and dim. It doesn't compare to Stax Museum in any way. I was disappointed and expected to see more. The highlights were the piano, juke box, and transmitter. I do not recommend this museum. Thankfully, I only paid $13 for an adult ticket.

Thoroughly enjoyed myself! Spent 2 + hours touring the museum. It starts off with a short film that details the origins of country, blues, soul and rock. The rest of the tour is audio/self guided. The audio guides perfectly present the history and offer lots of info. You're also able to listen to tons of musical selections applicable to the time period. Was impressed with the number of jukeboxes, radios and other musical relics they have.

[1039] 11/2019 Due to high reviews we visited this museum while in Memphis. This Rock and Soul Museum was great to visit as it had tons of history inside. We enjoyed looking at all the items during a self guided tour which included headphones. The museum is nicely organized so you get a little of everything. If I'm in Memphis again I would definitely visit. I'm not sure about parking as we took a rideshare here.

I had no idea this was backed by the Smithsonian. In any case, it was very well done! The museum isn't especially large, but it is packed full of stories. An Informative video starts your visit, which is then followed by rooms that creatively and visibly trace the roots of blues and country music to their intertwining in rock and soul music. The audio tour includes LOTS of opportunities to listen to music, giving added depth to the verbal and written narratives. In addition, the ticket includes a Spotify link to all the wonderful music in the museum. If you enjoy the history of music, this is a great stop.

Wow what an incredible museum. Everything you wanted to learn about the history of Rock and Soul music is in this museum. The museum is near Beale Street. I thought the entry fee was very reasonable. The tour is via audio tape so I could take my time and repeat, if needed. So many memorabilia from this era. Have a great time at this museum.

Great place to spend an hour learning about music history in memphis. The tour is self guided and has an auditory component which was nice.

This museum was not originally on our list of museums to see but because of New Years some of the other spots were closed. However, we were pleasantly surprised! The location is super convenient, right beside the FedEx center and Beale Street. At the beginning of the museum there is a short intro film and then you get to go around and look at all the exhibits. The audio guide is super helpful and you get to play many songs from the period. Definitely recommend!

This museum is two blocks below Beale street to me it is fantastic. The price is right although they have raised it they will discount you if you have your concert ticket with you. Its the history of music they have headsets etc. To me I love it . It's not so fancy like the one of its type in Seattle Washington . I prefer it I been three times try not to miss it each visit. If you love music you need to come here as well as a lot of other places In Memphis.

The facility was very clean and modern. There were lots of places to scan a code, and get more information about an exhibit. Every exhibit was on, accompanied by music plan. There were also two displays that featured lists of music that could be played using the audio headphone system. It was a great museum, and I could've sat here all day and just listen to the music. PS, the bathrooms were roomy and very clean.

" Honor's Many People " We went to the Rock N Soul Museum and spent some time looking, reading and thinking about the musical pioneers who overcame barriers to create the music that changed the world ! The museum offers a comprehensive Memphis music experience from the rural music of the 1930's, through Memphis' musical heyday in the 70's, to its global musical influence. Nice Museum to visit.

Excellent memerobilia. They have everything from BB King's guitar to Elvis's jumpsuit and everything in between. It's smaller than I thought, about 1 1/2 hours but with good detail. The audio tour is great with snippets of music and interviews.

Interesting take on the history of blues and birth of rock. Very small, audio tour was informative as it should be. Not sure I'd recommend to others but not terrible either.

I was worried about what type of experience this would be but I should have known being that is affiliated with the Smithsonian. It is very interactive and you are given headphones to use as you walk through. Each exhibit has a three digit number and if you are interested you can enter that 3 digit number and listen to the narrator talk to you about the exhibit. There are also jukeboxes all over that have music you can enter the 3 digit code to and listen to the entire song. It is amazing and I would highly recommend it if you plan to visit Memphis.

Amazing museum. Much better than I thought. Highly educational and wonderful history Very reasonable and amazing music throughout. Enjoyed it just as much as Graceland

Had the pleasure of visiting the museum for the first time, visiting from Dallas, Texas. The tour starts with a 12 mini yet video and it's a guided audio tour which we really enjoyed. Hearing the story and the commentary from some of the artists, was really neat and made the experience authentic. You can listen to music in history on the device as well and I was so happy to see how music can be enjoyed and create joy in people's hearts. The staff was very friendly and helpful and their cleaning/sanitizing is impressive. It took us about an hour and a half to walk through and look at everything and listen to everything. You could probably walk it quicker if you don't listen to the audio and just read but I don't recommend that as the audio enhanced the experience! Thank you for a great visit!

It's $12 to get in and they have discounts for students, military, senior citizens, etc. You learn a lot coming here. Although the majority of the learning comes from their 20 minute 1980s video as soon as you walk in. But at least some of their exhibits include both old and new stuff. A lot of history of Memphis can be learned here and as you walk along downtown, you realize how much musical history originated here and this museum brings it to life. The audio guides give a lot of detail, but there are dozens of songs you can listen to while touring the museum.

Great place to stop in Memphis. Multiple different displays. The tour guide was extremely nice and knowledgeable.

Fun Museum but wish we checked out others. Although very informative, it is self-guiding and we kind of breezed thru. We are big museum fans. Conveniently located to Beale street so grab a bite to eat before or after.

My family and I visited on Sunday afternoon. The museum was incredible. It is a self-tour. I was disappointed the staff was not friendly. No one greeted us. There were four ladies in front of us purchasing tickets. One of them had to ask how the museum tour works. When it was my turn to purchase tickets, I tried to make small talk with the ladies about how the tour works, but they did not respond. The movie had already started, so we had to watch from that point. We were given headsets and then told how to use them. Other than that, this is a great museum full of good music and interesting information.

This museum isn't too expensive to visit, so I think it was definitely worth it. I learned a lot and their interactive head sets help out a ton. It's the perfect sized museum that you can get through it all!

My wife and I went to the Gibson-Tours across the street, but no joy. The bankruptcy Gibson is going through has the storefront visible but not open. So we crossed the street to this museum. So glad! It's a Smithsonian museum, so they got clout behind the presentation. You walk the exhibits with headphones attached to an MP3 player. Each exhibit has a 3 digit code you tap in and hear about the exhibit. The exhibits generally move forward through history and show black and white musicians. I could have done with less Elvis (impossible in this town) and more how slave music shaped white Appalachian country music into Rock n Roll. Overall, the museum was awesome and totally recommend it.

I was in town for a day and wanted to check out some museums. This one was one of them. Very informative with plenty of exhibits. You need to dedicate quite a bit of time in order to read all the info and listed to music provided. Fun afternoon.

Located on the plaza of the FedExForum, this Museum focuses on the musical pioneers who overcame barriers to create the music that changed the world! The Rock 'n' Soul opened in 2000 as the Smithsonian's 1st permanent exhibition outside Washington & New York & continues to be relevant to music lovers. The Mission of the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum is to Preserve and Tell the Story of Memphis Music and to perpetuate its legacy. It does this very well.

It is exactly as described. Very interesting and not too expensive. Comes with an Audio tour experience which is ... neat. I preferred reading the panels next to each exhibit more since it provided different information that I felt was more interesting most of the time. There are several Jukeboxes with labeled audio tracks. I ended up picking some of those songs and just listened to them as I read the panels which made it a lot more enjoyable for me. Really good stop and definitely worth the price of admission.

I expected more, it was a quick walk through. They had some great exhibits on display and I enjoyed the audio clips of the exhibits.

Boy, do I love this place. The Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum tells the tale of the musical pioneers who, for the love of music, overcame big time racial and economic challenges to create music that shook the world and paved the way for future rock legends. Just a couple blocks from legendary Beale St., the journey starts with the rural songs of the 30's, through the Sun and Stax records explosion and Memphis' musical heyday in the 70s, to its massive influence today. There are four jukeboxes that feature full-length songs of countless influential artists and the tour guide encourages you to sing and dance your ass off if the mood should strike you. Apparently I got so into my favorite Robert Johnson song that my friends heard me OVER their headphones. I couldn't help it, I had the music IN me. Again my AAA card saved me a buck, which adds up if you're touring Memphis for the first time. Rock N Soul is just across the street from the Gibson Factory, so if you're a guitar geek you can kill two little songbirds with one stone.

This isn't one of the main attractions, but it's worth it. It pulls several independent museums together. Each artist seems to have there own place/bar/home, ect. This is a cumulative museum. You see many different artists in one place. I enjoyed the digital tour. You didn't have to go from beginning to end. You could jump around to see each exhibit. It kept my attention and allowed me to go at my own pace. You can also see as much or little as you like and choose how long you stay. This was just one of many stops for the day. Even though we didn't stay over an hour, I felt we got our money's worth. I got to see a little of everything and learned a lot.

The Rock 'n' Soul Museum in Memphis provides a great look into early rock 'n' roll and soul music, its roots, and local labels in a relaxed interactive environment. Just steps from Beale Street, this is a great stop if you don't have time to do STAX/SUN on their own. I've been to both of the former, and we had a Grizzlies game to attend with a tight timeline, so this was a great pop-in before the game. Staff here are relaxed, but helpful and a delight. There was a brief introductory film, and then you get a set of headphones and a keypad operator, which you can use to listen to exhibits that interest you. I love this. They have this at the EMP in Seattle, and it allows you to skip what you don't care for, and drill down into things that really interest you! You start with the roots of the blues and country, on the plantations and farms. Exhibits are nicely done, and there are plenty of musical examples, along with the history lesson. My son liked this museum, because he could roam away from me, and not get lost, and explore on his own for a bit. Further rooms let you explore the legacies of Sun Records, STAX, Hi Records, and even Ardent has some fair representation (although leaving out that the Replacements recorded Pleased to Meet Me at Ardent Studios was an error of omission I'd correct)! But this is the little museum that could, and they even note they can't list everybody- that's just how cool this museum is. This is a great little museum with a great selection of memorabilia, history, and great musical examples and it's close to Beale; for an all-in-one experience you really can't beat it!

Small museum, you can get through the entire thing in about 1-1.5 hours. There is a pretty good collection and really spans the time period from slavery to music of the late 70s and 80s. This is a good mix of items and mixed mediums. Certainly worth a stop when in Memphis!