Things to do in Memphis, Tennessee (TN): The Best Points of Interest & Landmarks

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.

How did the tradition of the ducks in The Peabody fountain begin? Back in the 1930s Frank Schutt, General Manager of The Peabody, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Tennessee sippin' whiskey, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal then for hunters to use live decoys) in the beautiful Peabody fountain. Three small English call ducks were selected as "guinea pigs," and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic. Thus began a Peabody tradition which was to become internationally famous.® In 1940, Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March. Mr. Pembroke became The Peabody Duckmaster, serving in that capacity for 50 years until his retirement in 1991. Nearly 90 years after the inaugural march, ducks still visit the lobby fountain at 11 a.m

The Crystal Shrine Grotto is located in the center of Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. It serves as the beating heart of the park and reminds those who visit that death is not the end. Those who enter the confines of the 60 foot deep man made cave don't just see the dark beauty of the cave and its eclectic artwork they can feel its magical presence all around them. Memorial Park itself was founded in 1924 by E. Clovis Hinds. He was a wealthy businessman from nearby Mississippi who had recently sold his insurance business. He became aware of a movement at the time to develop "park like" and memorial cemeteries. These cemeteries were a departure from the historical burial yards of the 1800's, which were dark and depressing places full of headstones and reminders of death. This new style known as "The Cemetery Beautiful" provided for cemeteries filled with nature, open spaces, art, pools, fountains, and well-kept plantings. The park was intended to be not merely a burial place, it was a place for memories to reside. A place to enjoy and to celebrate. He decided to develop the park in this new style and in 1935 commissioned Mexican artist Dionicio Rodriguez to construct the main features of the park. In 1938 a cave was dug into the hillside at the center of the park and work began on The Crystal Shrine Grotto. Mr. Rodriguez worked in faux bois style of concrete. Meticulously texturing and coloring surfaces to mimic natural materials like wood and stone. He was extremely secretive about his methods and was sought after as a master of this art at the time and made a good living for himself even during the depression. The cave is comprised of almost 5 tons of natural crystals hand placed onto the cave walls and ceiling. The crystals were collected from the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Worked continued on and off until it was completed in 1955 just after Rodriguez's death. The niche art displays were not completed until the 1980's when the last of the 10 niches were filled with art work depicting events in the life of Christ. All the features around and in the grotto depict events and places out of the Old and New Testaments. The Cave of Machpelah to the left of the Grotto is a depiction of the 1st tomb mentioned in The Bible, Genesis 23, as Abraham and Sarah's resting place. The Pool of Hebron and Abrahams Oak invite visitors to explore the area and find the hidden faces, figures, and resting places the artist included in the naturalistic concrete to entertain visitors. If one looks closely you can even see the faces of children in the base of the fountain in The Pool of Hebron. In 1991 The Grotto and Rodriguez's other works in the park were added to the National Historic Register. Although it took nearly 60 years to complete and fill with art, it has remained virtually unchanged since its construction. Roughly 100,000 people visit The Grotto each year and it is a very popular spot for photographers, sightseers, and is even used occasionally as a wedding venue. The Crystal Shrine Grotto continues to carry out its purpose as a work of art that houses works of art. Entertaining and inspiring to both young and old. A timeless reminder that death is not the end in a place that must be seen in person to fully understand.

Renovation and renewal have come to this historic street known as the "Home of the Blues." Flashy music clubs and restaurants abound.