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Today Pamela shares her family fun spots in her hometown of Memphis… There’s so much more than just Graceland.
City or town name:
Memphis
Is there an airport there?
Yes
Is this a place you have visited more than once? If so, what keeps you coming back?
I live here.
What were the ages of your children when you visited?
Current ages are 5 1/2 & 8.
What makes this place great for families to visit?
It’s very easy to get around from place to place with very little traffic and there are lots of young families in the area and most events are family oriented.
How long should a family plan to stay to hit the highlights?
You could see the main sites in a long weekend.
What are some of the fun things to do?
- The Children’s Museum of Memphis is great for kids from about age 2-10. They have a kid size grocery store that my kids LOVE and they have an area that changes their exhibit often so you can see something new almost every time you visit.
- The Memphis Zoo is really nice with a Panda exhibit; the polar bear exhibit is great and the sea lion show is lots of fun for the kids.
- The Pink Palace Museum is near the children’s museum and it has an IMAX theater which is always fun!
- AutoZone Park is a fairly new AAA baseball stadium which is located downtown and it’s easy to get tickets.
- If you’re an Elvis fan, Graceland offers tours which are very well organized…unfortunately, it is not in a very nice area of town.
What family-friendly places to eat would you recommend?
- Memphis is known for BBQ so Corky’s is good if you want to try Memphis BBQ!
- Bonefish is great and there are two locations (Collierville and Cordova – both nearby suburbs) Good food, nice atmosphere for parents, butcher paper on tables for kids to draw with crayons, try the Bang Bang shrimp!
- Mellow Mushroom in Germantown is yummy… offers sandwiches, salads and freshly made-to-order pizzas along with several vegetarian options…pizza does take a little while so order an appetizer!
What hotels or other places to stay can you recommend?
If you want to stay downtown, the Westin is nice.
The Peabody is a historical hotel but the rooms are a bit small and pricey. If you’re downtown, you can check out the ducks that swim in the fountains in the lobby of the Peabody. They also have a cute ceremony in the mornings and late afternoons when the ducks come downstairs in the elevator and walk down the corridor and get into the fountain. If you go, get there early because lots of people show up to watch!
If you want to be more centrally located, the Hilton or Embassy Suites are in East Memphis and both have a good reputation.
If adults can fit in a date night without the kids while there, what would you suggest?
The Orpheum Theater is fun and offers musicals and ballet…it’s an older theater and seating is tight so get an aisle seat if you’re tall so you have some leg room!! Some people say Beale Street is like a miniature Bourbon Street and offers live jazz music…but it’s a bit touristy, I think.
Thanks, Pamela, for sharing your experiences and ideas with us! And thanks for being a fantastic hostess to my family when we visited the Children’s Museum of Memphis last year. That was a lot of fun for everyone!
Anyone else want to share some of their Mom-servations on Memphis? Please comment away!
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