Red Roads State Pages
Memphis
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Overview of our visit to Memphis
Overview of our visit to Memphis
Memphis was the first city we visited after we hit the road from Ohio, in November, 2002. We stayed at a campground in Arkansas, across the Mississippi River from Memphis. Each time we went into the city, we crossed the river near the Pyramid Arena. This unique sports and entertainment facility is the world's third largest pyramid. The 32-story stainless steel pyramid commemorates the city's namesake, Memphis, Egypt, on the Nile River.
Near the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, we took an orientation ride on an antique trolley. The Riverfront Loop of the Main Street Trolley took us through some of the most historic sections of town. (Another neat website that has good information and pictures about the trolley is maintained by North American Vintage Trolley Systems.)
Just for fun, we went to the Peabody, "Memphis' Only 5-Duck Meeting Hotel." We sat in the posh lobby of this historic building, waiting patiently to see the famous Peabody ducks. At the designated time, observed daily, we joined the crown of people lining the special red carpet down which the five mallard ducks were conducted by the uniformed Duck Master. From the lobby's ornate marble fountain, in which they had been swimming since their morning arrival via the same red carpet, the ducks paraded in a Grand March to the waiting elevator, which presumably conveyed them to there overnight accommodations.
It would be an understatement to say that music is big in Memphis! The city is known as the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll. We walked up and down Beale Street, a once notorious section of town which has been revitalized into a key entertainment venue. Unfortunately, because of the time of year of our visit (November), there wasn't much going on in the way of live musical shows. We ate dinner at the Rum Boogie Cafe and walked past the Hard Rock Cafe. Memphis is also the home of Elvis Presley and his famous residence, Graceland. Yes, we did go to the mansion, but we didn't pay to enter the grounds and take a tour. We only looked in the front gate and visited nearby souvenir shops.
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National Civil Rights Museum
This is the mission statement of the museum, from the official website:
"The National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination, chronicles key episodes of the American civil rights movement and the legacy of this movement to inspire participation in civil and human rights efforts globally, through our collections, exhibitions, and educational programs."
We did not allow ourselves nearly enough time to explore this rich collection of historical documents, photographs, and film clips. At the Little Rock display, we saw film footage documenting the confrontation that developed out of the 1957 enrollment attempt of nine black students at Central High School.
The Lorraine Motel itself is part of the museum. We saw the actual motel room in which Dr. King stayed, restored to its April 4, 1968, appearance, and the balcony on which he was assassinated.
Although the museum's former website is no longer maintained, its virtual tour can still be viewed.
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Pink Palace Museum
With our ASTC membership, we were granted free admission to the Pink Palace Museum. This large facility is attached to a beautiful Memphis mansion known as the Pink Palace because of its ornate Georgian pink marble facade. The museum is divided into several main sections. An area of personal interest to our family was the replica of the first self-service grocery store in the country, Clarence Saunders' Memphis Piggly Wiggly. The first store opened in 1916 in Memphis. We walked up and down the short, narrow aisles of the small museum "store," studying the cans and packages which had been recreated for the museum.
Another major section of the Pink Palace Museum concerned the yellow fever epidemic in 1878 and the story of how health care grew to be Memphis' largest industry. We saw displays of medical instruments and first-hand accounts of the battle against the epidemic. The population of the city was decimated as citizens died or fled Memphis. In 1879, the once-thriving port city declared bankruptcy and its charter was revoked.
There is also an IMAX® theater in the museum. We saw the April 2002 documentary film SPACE STATION. In a room off the theater lobby, we enjoyed a Star Trek (the TV show) exhibit. Featured prop artifacts included an original command chair from the bridge, a tricorder, a hypo-spray, a phaser, one of Captain Kirk's uniform shirts, and a hand-held communicator.
Much of the Pink Palace Mansion itself is open to the public as well. After experiencing financial success with his grocery stores, Clarence Saunders began building his dream home in early 1920's. Unfortunately, he never lived in it or even completed it, due to a legal dispute that forced him to declare bankruptcy. By the late 1920's, the unfinished building was given to the city of Memphis to be used as a museum. Some of the displays from the early days of the museum can still be viewed in the mansion. Not all of the artifacts would be considered significant or appropriate today (for example, the shrunken human head). However, I was fascinated to see a lock of Andrew Jackson's hair. After being closed for some years, the mansion was re-opened in 1996, featuring an all new permanent exhibit on life in early 20th century Memphis. The grounds immediately surrounding the mansion are maintained in elegant style.
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