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Civil Rights Movement Tours Memphis TN: Beale Street & Museum

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/7

Duration2h–3h

GroupUp to 36

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Beale Street to the Lorraine Motel: Memphis civil rights and blues in one tour

You get a full-day Memphis tour with a professional guide covering blues history, civil rights landmarks, and barbecue, plus optional museum entry. The pace moves through neighborhoods and historical sites without requiring you to plan stops or navigate yourself. Plan for a moderate walking pace and bring comfortable shoes.

2h–3h

Step-by-step itinerary

Start tour on Beale Street
Visit Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum
Taste Memphis BBQ
Learn about MLK assassination at Lorraine Motel
See Mississippi River history
Pass Victorian Village historic homes
Pass oldest surviving residence
Pass Cotton Exchange and Cotton Row
Pass Presley family's first home
Pass St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
Pass Court Square historic park
Pass Memphis Orpheum Theater
Pass Memphis baseball history site
Visit Handy Park and blues history
Pass Shelby County Courthouse
Pass city's oldest church
Pass South Main Historic District
Visit Edge Motor Museum (optional)

The Experience

The tour kicks off on Beale Street at Alfred's on Beale, where your guide walks you through the birthplace of the blues and the story of W.C. Handy, the man who shaped it all. From there you're moving through the heart of Memphis—past the Orpheum Theater, Court Square with its 19th-century architecture, and into Victorian Village where the cotton barons built their mansions. It's a lot of ground, but the guide ties it together so you're not just checking boxes; you're actually understanding why Memphis matters.

The barbecue tasting happens at one of the city's best joints, and yeah, it's pork—no substitutions, so know that going in. After that comes the harder part of the day: the Lorraine Motel and the National Civil Rights Museum, which covers the 1968 sanitation strike and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. It's heavy, necessary history, and the museum gives you about an hour and a half to sit with it. If you want to skip the museums, you can—the tour works either way—but most people add at least one. The Rock 'n' Soul Museum is another option if you'd rather stay in the music lane, or the Edge Motor Museum if you're into American sports cars.

You'll also see the Mississippi River, Cotton Row and the Cotton Exchange, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and some of the city's oldest churches and parks. The guide handles the talking and the route; you just show up at Beale Street and follow along. Parking is two blocks away at 149 Peabody Place, or you can hunt for metered spots on Second Street or Beale itself.

What’s included

Your day includes a professional guide, a barbecue tasting at a top Memphis restaurant, and optional admission to one or more museums (National Civil Rights Museum, Rock 'n' Soul Museum, or Edge Motor Museum, depending on your selection).
The guide covers the history of Beale Street and the blues, the Lorraine Motel, Victorian Village, Court Square, the Mississippi River, Cotton Row, St.
Jude's, historic churches, and the Orpheum Theater.
You arrange your own parking near the Beale Street starting point.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Backbeat Tours

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want Memphis' main stories—blues, civil rights, food, and architecture—woven together in one outing with a guide handling the route. Expect a full day of walking and stops; that's what fits all the neighborhoods and history into one afternoon.