Memphis: Where To Get the Shot
Memphis photographs well: neon on Beale, river light at sunset, and enough music history that half the backdrops come with a story attached.
Beale Street at night
The neon signage along Beale is the classic Memphis shot, and it’s genuinely better after dark than during the day, when the lit signs and street life both come alive. Weekend nights bring heavier crowds and the $5 security fee at some entrances after 9pm, but the street stays photogenic through it.
The Mississippi riverfront and Big River Crossing
Tom Lee Park and the riverfront give you the classic wide Mississippi shot with the Memphis skyline behind you; walking partway across Big River Crossing, the free pedestrian bridge to West Memphis, Arkansas, gives you the same river from a different angle, with the bridge’s own steel structure in frame.
Graceland’s gates and the “Welcome to Graceland” sign
Even if you’re not doing the full mansion tour, the gates and entrance sign are an easy, iconic shot, and the Music Gates themselves, the famous musical-note ironwork, are worth a photo on their own before you go in.
Sun Studio’s neon guitar sign
The exterior sign at 706 Union Ave is a compact, classic bit of only-in-Memphis signage, easy to shoot even if you don’t have time for the full tour that day.
Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid
The 32-story former arena is a strange, striking piece of architecture on the riverfront skyline, especially from across the river or from Big River Crossing. Inside, the indoor cypress swamp is free to walk through and photograph.
The Peabody lobby, timed right
The Peabody Duck March (149 Union Ave, 11am and 5pm daily) draws a crowd for a reason, the red-carpet procession to the lobby fountain is a genuinely charming, photographable few minutes. Arrive 30 minutes early for a clear sightline.
What to leave the camera down for
The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is a profound, solemn place built around the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, not a backdrop for a smiling photo. The preserved motel facade and wreath marking Room 306 are worth seeing in person and worth photographing respectfully if you choose to, quietly, without posing, in keeping with the weight of the place.
For the full sightseeing plan around these shots, see the Memphis guide and the 2-day itinerary .