The 10 Best Specialty Museums in Memphis, Tennessee (TN)

At the place of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'S death in 1968 in Memphis, TN, the National Civil Rights Museum is a renowned educational and cultural institution. The Museum chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement with compelling presentations of iconic exhibits, oral histories of lesser-known civil rights foot soldiers, and visceral, in-the-moment experiences. Visitors will learn through emotionally charged, multi-user, multi-touch interactives, and a visually engaging, contemporary exhibit design that guides you through five centuries of history. Bring the whole family.

The Edge Motor Museum, Memphis’ only auto museum, highlights the rise and fall of the American sports car from “postwar to ‘74” in an exhibit called American Speed. Located just 600 feet west of Sun Studio, the museum is a short 2 minute walk down the street and features cars from the same era(s) that Sun highlights so well on their tours.

Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, is the home of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Elvis Presley's Graceland is open daily with tours of Graceland Mansion, Elvis’ custom jets and our new entertainment and exhibit complex, Elvis Presley’s Memphis. The complex includes a new automobile museum, Presley Motors, and Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum, the world’s largest and most comprehensive Elvis museum in the world, as well as many more exhibits, restaurants and shops. The tour of Graceland Mansion features an interactive, iPad tour with additional enhancements including photos, video and more. Continue your experience with the all-new Graceland Exhibition Center, which features three rotating exhibits, the TCB Food Hall and Jungle Room Bar.

The Sharpe Planetarium is temporarily closed.

Chronicling the artists and the music that shaped the legacy of "Memphis Sound," this museum features the Smithsonian's "Rock 'n' Roll: Social Crossroads" exhibition.

Memphis' Hottest Attraction!!! America’s premier interactive fire museum is in the legendary Fire Engine House No. 1 in downtown Memphis. Step back in time to a turn-of-the-century firehouse. Fight the flames of a burning skyscraper from a snorkel basket simulator. Take a look at the horse-drawn era of firefighting from the horse’s perspective! Test your ability to find an escape route to survive a fire. Feel the heat of the FEDEX Fire Room. Learn about the most devastating fires in the history of Memphis. Discover the proud history of Memphis’ first African-American firefighters. And many more hot attractions!

The Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee is the only museum of its kind in the United Sates. It is located on 3.2 acres of land directly overlooking the Mississippi River, just south of Downtown Memphis. On the grounds you will find a Sculpture Garden, a fully functioning Blacksmith Shop and Foundry, the Library which holds a Learning Space and works from the permanent collection, and the main Museum which houses rotating exhibitions. The Metal Museum is devoted exclusively to preserving, promoting, and advancing the art and craft of fine metal work. This is achieved through exhibitions, collections, studio practice, and community education and engagement. The value of the Metal Museum extends well beyond its exhibitions and facilities by recognizing and promoting the careers of living artists.

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, is a 17,000 square-foot museum offering interactive exhibits, videos, vintage musical instruments used to create the Stax sound, stage costumes, photographs, records, and approximately 3,000 other items of memorabilia that tell the unique story, from beginning to present, of American soul music, particularly that of Stax Records and the Memphis Sound.Artists highlighted include Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, the Bar-Kays, Booker T. & the MGs, Johnnie Taylor, Little Milton, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and hundreds of others. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have special safety precautions in place, such as mandatory mask-wearing for all employees and guests, social distancing, no large groups, and, for now, cashless transactions only.

Located in historic Memphis Central Station, the Memphis Railroad and Trolley Museum features "hands on" activities for the kids, model train layouts, memorabilia and displays with emphasis on the role of railroads and trolleys the history of Memphis.