Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to get around Memphis?
While an easy city to navigate by walking, Memphis also runs a comprehensive public bus and trolley network called MATA that runs across the whole of the city. Journeys cost $1, or you can purchase an all-day pass for $3. There are several places to rent bicycles across the city, with Explore Bike Share offering GPS-equipped bikes for either an hour, or the full day. When finished, you can simply park up at the nearest station.
When is the best time to visit Memphis?
The best times to visit Memphis are April to May, or October to November. The summer months bring temperatures averaging 32°C. In winter temperatures can drop to -1°C.
What’s the food like in Memphis?
Memphis is known for its love of barbecue. A haven for meat-lovers, visitors can bite into Memphis-style barbecue ribs, prepared either dry and seasoned with salt and herbs, or wet, glazed with a thick hot sauce. Smoky pulled pork is a local favourite, and can be served alongside nachos or in a sandwich. The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is held here every May, and is officially recognised as the world’s largest pork barbecue contest by the Guinness Book of World Records.
As the Mississippi River runs through Memphis, so does rock ‘n’ roll and the blues. A city embedded with a deep passion for music and barbecue cuisine, the bright lights of Beale Street and its many blues bars call out to music-lovers the world over.
Why you’ll love Memphis…
• Listening to rousing blues solos as you wander down historic Beale Street
• Sampling succulent barbecued ribs from one of over 100 barbecue speciality restaurants
• Appreciating the trials and tribulations of black Americans at the National Civil Rights Museum
• Touring Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley
• Enjoying the scenery at the Mud Island Greenbelt Park
• Gliding down the Mississippi River on a elegant paddle steamer
• Sipping cocktails as you catch a thrilling live performance at a blues bar
• Discovering the pioneers of soul music at the Stax Museum
• Catching a baseball game at the AutoZone Park
• Touring world-renowned studios, including Sun Studio and Ardent
Did you know?
• Martin Luther King was shot in Memphis. To commemorate his life and work there’s a museum which has preserved the hotel as it was when he was killed.
• The city is named after the Egyptian town of Memphis, located along the River Nile.
• Memphis is named in over 400 songs, which is more than any other city in the world.
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