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Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Memphis, TN

Photo: Victor Chapa from Denton, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

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Stax Museum of American Soul Music

926 E McLemore Ave · Memphis, TN

Why you should go…

Built on the site of Stax Records in the Soulsville neighborhood, this museum tells the story of the Memphis label through more than 3,000 items. You see Isaac Hayes's peacock-blue 1972 Cadillac Eldorado with gold trim, a recreation of Studio A with its sloping floor, and a Mississippi Delta church from around 1906 rebuilt inside. The Soul Train dance floor is on display, and listening stations let you hear the classics.

  • #music museum
  • #soul music
  • #stax records
  • #memphis music

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Stax Museum of American Soul Music, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Sun Studio

    Under $25

    Tour the small Memphis studio where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis cut records in the 1950s.

    1.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    Iconic

    National Civil Rights Museum

    $25–$50

    Walk through the story of the American civil rights movement at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968.

    2.0 mi awayMore like this

  • Nightlife
    Iconic

    Beale Street

    Free

    Walk a historic downtown Memphis street lined with blues clubs, bars, restaurants and shops with live music.

    2.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife

  • Stay
    Iconic

    The Peabody Memphis

    $50+

    Stay at a 1925 grand hotel or stop in the lobby to watch five mallard ducks march to the fountain.

    2.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Shopping
    Quirky Fun

    Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid

    Free

    Shop outdoor gear inside a 32-story pyramid with an indoor cypress swamp, aquariums and an elevator ride to a glass-floored deck.

    3.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Memphis Zoo

    $25–$50

    See polar bears, hippos, Komodo dragons and thousands of other animals across themed zones at a zoo in Midtown Memphis.

    3.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions