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Sun Studio, Memphis, TN

Photo: dbking from Washington, DC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory BuffRainy-Day Pick

Sun Studio

706 Union Ave · Memphis, TN

Why you should go…

Sam Phillips opened this small studio at 706 Union Avenue in January 1950 as the Memphis Recording Service, and Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis all recorded here in the 1950s. Guided tours leave from the corner of Union and Marshall and take you into the original studio room, which still books recording sessions. The building is a National Historic Landmark, and tickets are first come, first served with no reservations.

  • #music history
  • #recording studio
  • #elvis presley
  • #guided tour
  • #rock and roll

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

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

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

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

  • Nightlife
    Iconic

    Beale Street

    Free

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

    0.8 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.

    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • 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.

    1.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • 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.

    1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Stax Museum of American Soul Music

    Under $25

    Explore soul music history on the site of Stax Records, with Isaac Hayes's gold-trimmed Cadillac and a recreated Studio A.

    1.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Graceland

    $50+

    Tour Elvis Presley's Memphis mansion, step aboard his custom airplanes and visit his grave in the Meditation Garden.

    6.5 mi awayMore like this