Beyond the Obvious in Memphis: Weekends with a soundtrack
Curious about what you'll do when you live in Memphis? If you like the idea of jamming on Beale Street, getting artsy in Overton Square, and are daring enough to try fried PB&J sandwiches, Memphis is calling you home! This list of fun things to do will take you from blues clubs to BBQ joints and give you a real taste of Memphis' legendary music and food scene.
Mike, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Michael is a Tennessee native who has lived, worked, or worn out tires in all three divisions of the state, from Memphis to Nashville to Johnson City, plus plenty of small towns that never make postcards. He once moved from the far northeast corner of Tennessee to the far southwest for college, stayed twenty years, then somehow boomeranged right back to Appalachia. He knows the difference between mountain quiet and river loud, will defend Memphis BBQ like its a birthright, and can point you to everything from out of the way eateries to where locals actually hunt. We are not all barefoot moonshiners, but yes, some of us know where the real stuff is. At Snappy Scout Michael uses that deep statewide mileage to refine Tennessee moving guides so they're as real as a proper BBQ smoke ring, not some oven baked liquid smoke waste of calories.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Will You Do in Memphis?
From weekend adventures to iconic road trips, here's how locals spend their time off.
on a Saturday with perfect weather
Shelby Farms Park before the humidity hits apocalyptic levels, the Memphis Zoo for great walks in the shade, or a U of Memphis football game.
when the gals come to town for the weekend
Beale Street bar crawl followed by questionable life choices.
dude hangout
BBQ pit or catfish place pilgrimage followed by Grizzlies game beer consumption.
rainy dreary day
National Civil Rights Museum will make weather irrelevant anyway, or exploring the Wolfchase Galleriea to get your shopping fix.
artsy
Memphis Brooks Museum or Cooper Young gallery-hopping extravaganza.
outdoorsy
Bike the Big River Crossing into Arkansas for bragging rights.
with your dog
Overton Bark where every golden retriever is named Elvis, or explore the many dog-friendly restaurants and coffee shops.
family oriented
Memphis Zoo to see pandas or Shelby Farms Water Spray Playground to exhaust small humans.
in need of a selfie
Graceland gates or that giant Bass Pro Shop and hotel in the pyramid by the river.
you have to see this
Sun Studio where rock and roll literally got born and the twice-daily duck parage at The Peabody Hotel downtown.
on a budget
Free concerts at Levitt Shell, horse-drawn carriage rides to tour downtown, and endless BBQ joint sampling.
for sports fans
AutoZone Park for Redbirds games and superior stadium snacks.
My Favorite Local Spot in Memphis
People come to Memphis for the BBQ, and they should, but many don't realize that the best catfish in the south is also in The Bluff City. My favorite is Mcewen's Memphis on Monroe Avenue. Get the sweet potato crusted catfish with shitake mushroom risotto. Pair it with a Monroe Ave. Shakedown coctail.
— Mike Stover
Tennessee Local Expert
Ready to See If Memphis Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Memphis guide for the bigger picture.