Memphis, Tennessee is a city known for its music. As such, it just made sense that our next stop after Sun Studio was the Rock n' Soul Museum on Beale Street.
LOGISTICS: The cost of admission is $12.00 for adults and $9.00 for youth from ages 5-17. There are discounts available for AAA (which we got), AARP, military, and Smithsonian members. The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m. This is a great stop to make
PARKING: We parked at the parking garage at the 250 Peabody Place Parking Garage near Fourth Street and Rufus Thomas. It's a public parking garage that is close to a number of attractions, including the Rock n' Soul Museum, which is pretty much down the street from it. The museum is hard to miss because it is literally right there at the plaza of the Fed Ex Forum. We were okay paying the price (I can't remember what it was off the top of my head, but I do remember it being reasonable considering that we were parked there for about three and a half hours). There are parking options along the street, but seeing as we were downtown, we felt better knowing that our car was in a secure garage.
THE EXPERIENCE: This isn't your typical museum in that you have a whole bunch of artifacts that were dug up by archeologists. Instead, the museum is pretty much a bunch of exhibits, mostly photos and certain pieces (i.e saxophones, neon lights, and costumes) that are relevant to the subject matter/time period. The very beginning of your experience is an interesting documentary that introduces you to the musical scene of mid century Memphis. I did find it to be a bit long. However, it was helpful because I got a lot of background information that helped me to understand the relevance of what I would see in the rest of the museum. The other half is a self guided audio tour. Don't worry, it doesn't cost extra, but you'll need it to understand what's going on with the exhibits.
IN CONCLUSION: I would highly recommend this museum. They do a great job of showing you pictures and items from the era while also giving you plenty of chances to enjoy the music. I spent a good ten minutes listening to the likes of Johnny Cash and Howlin' Wolf and loved every second of it. I know that now a days this genre of music is considered for 'old people' however, I would remind you that every singer you know and love today is here because of these early revolutionaries.
Best Wishes,
The Pseudo Southerner
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