6 Ways to Celebrate Elvis in Memphis  

Imagine pop music without Elvis Presley. Yeah, didn’t think you could. The King of Rock and Roll’s impact is everywhere, with a substantial influence in rock, pop, country, blues, gospel and R&B. So, if you’re planning to book a stay in Memphis, be sure to include a pilgrimage to Graceland, his stately home there. And definitely make time to stop by the places where he ate, recorded and played. All you have to do is get here and be ready to have fun. We’ll help guide you with this list of ways to celebrate Elvis in Memphis.

See where it all began at Humes Middle School

Decades ago, Humes Middle School was Humes High School, and this was where a teenage Elvis Presley (class of ’53!) attended. Here, Elvis’ obsession with his hair and clothes began, and he even performed at the school talent show. Since it is a functional school, we don’t recommend you stop and look around—but you can at least drive by. If you want to celebrate Elvis in Memphis and see where he played his first paid concert on July 30, 1954 (which some go as far as to call the first rock and roll show), catch a concert at Levitt Shell. Who knows? The band you see may be as huge as the King someday.

Go where the magic happens at Sun Studio

Pull up to Sun Studio and visit the place where Elvis made his first record.

Sun Studio looms large in the Elvis legend, as it was here that the teenage Presley first impressed producer Sam Phillips. Today, Sun Studio is a museum, and it’s an essential stop if you’re looking to celebrate Elvis in Memphis. In 1960, when Phillips outgrew the original Sun Studio, he opened Sam Phillips Recording, which remains a functional recording studio. If you’re a musician or you know one, think about how cool it would be to record at a studio founded by the man who discovered Elvis Presley!

Honor the King’s influences at Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum

Elvis stood on the shoulders of giants, owing his style and many of his hits to African-American blues and R&B musicians. A great way to celebrate Elvis in Memphis is to check out the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum to learn the roots of rock and roll and R&B, without which there would be no Elvis. Appropriately, this museum stands on the city’s storied Beale Street, where young Presley used to go seeking the sound of Delta blues. If you’re looking for stuff to do in Memphis, related to Elvis or not, this is one of the places you need to go.

Eat like a king at Arcade Restaurant

Founded in 1919, The Arcade is the oldest restaurant in Memphis and counted Elvis as one of its regulars.

Perhaps one of the best ways to celebrate Elvis in Memphis (or anywhere else in the U.S., for that matter) is to adopt his legendary eating habits, if only for a day. Stop by the deliciously retro Arcade Restaurant and, if it’s available, take a seat in Elvis’ favorite booth. To complete the experience, order the King’s favorite: the Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich.

Blow out the candles at Graceland

Fans pay their respects to The King during the annual candlelight vigil held during Memphis’ Elvis Week.

Presley was born January 8, 1935, in a two-room shotgun house in Mississippi. Every year, Graceland—the sprawling, 23-room mansion he called home as a star—celebrates Elvis in Memphis with several days of festivities, all culminating with the free Elvis Presley Birthday Proclamation Ceremony.

Rock out during Elvis Week

Every August, celebrate Elvis in Memphis when the city honors the King of Rock and Roll with Elvis Week. Its many festivities include the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, a competition that pits top Elvis impersonators against each other. (Come on, who wouldn’t want to see that?) The heart of the celebration is a candlelight vigil. Fans pass through Graceland’s gates in a solemn progression on the night of August 15, completing their pilgrimage by paying homage to the King.