This is the second installment of my Memphis reviews. Before returning to Nashville, we stopped at the National Civil Rights Museum. It’s partly located in the Lorraine Hotel where Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

The first section of the museum chronologically guides you through significant Civil Rights moments. It starts with a small section on slavery. Although small, it provides an overview that places the rest of the museum in context. You are then guided through the Civil War, Brown Vs Board of Education, Freedom Rides, etc. etc. Each section is clearly divided through the use of different coloured boards and information panels. It’s a very informative museum with didactic exhibitions that present narratives. Even though there is a large overriding narrative, each different section also contains its own story that can be traced through the text and objects.Read More »

I’ve decided to separate my posts on Memphis considering we visited two extremely different heritage sites/museums. Both, I believe, deserve their own focus. The first I want to review is Graceland – the former home of Elvis Presley. Just to be clear it is a massive tourist site drawing around 800 people a day in off season and up to 2 000 during peak season. You will find tacky shops and just about everything Elvis-themed under the sun. This, however, should not detract you from visiting. I wanted to see Graceland for two reasons. One, I’ve heard it’s a beautiful house and two, I spent a lot of Sunday afternoons sitting at home with nothing to watch on TV but old Elvis movies. Read More »