When traveling to Memphis, TN, museum tours are available to suit any tourist or group. The Pink Palace family of museums is one place to start if you’re traveling with a group comprised of different ages and interests. It offers a detailed history of Memphis from the time of the Spanish exploration, through the Civil War, and to economic conditions today. It also branches out to natural history, with dinosaurs and fossils and other special exhibits that change throughout the year.
The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is another inclusive museum that explores the struggles of the American civil rights movement and is located at the Lorraine Motel, the site of the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This museum honors the effort and sacrifice of the key in the civil rights movement in Memphis and America overall and details the timeline of progress.
Other museums suitable for the whole family include the Children’s Museum, the Fire Museum of Memphis, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Graceland, and Cotton Museum. Also, walking tours for an outdoor museum-like experience are readily available in the city.
The Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum in Memphis hosts the first and only exhibit completely developed by the Smithsonian Institution in conjunction with another museum. The comprehensive research project about the origins of rock and soul music led developers to Memphis, the birthplace of the blues and the cradle of rock ‘n’ roll. The Smithsonian Institution exhibition tells of the musical pioneers of all racial and socio-economic backgrounds who, for the love of music, created the sound that changed the world. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum complex and research organization and its integrity is exhibited at Rock ‘n’ Soul. The Smithsonian Institution developed Rock ‘n’ Soul’s exhibit as a part of its 150th anniversary.
Another musical Memphis, TN, museum is the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. This museum is dedicated to the history and education of soul music and the soul artists that broke into mainstream music. Home to Stax Records and other blues and soul labels, Memphis plays an essential role in the history of these musical genres.
