Historic Memphis Guided Walking Tour

Overview

This two-hour walking tour of Memphis explores the city's rich history at a fun and leisurely pace. You'll explore historic Cotton Row and Court Square, the lovely and historic heart of 19th century Memphis; enjoy sweeping views of the Mississippi River; and hear fascinating tales of rebels during the Civil War as well as Prohibition Era bootleggers. You'll also experience a time-honored Memphis tradition, the famous March of the Ducks at The Peabody Hotel. This tour is suitable for the whole family.

City: Memphis

Sat 21 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $27.44

Make a reservation

Sat 21 Sep

Starting at $27.44

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional guide

Local taxes

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Within a few blocks there are four different parking garages, and several open-air parking lots. The closest garage to our location (just two blocks away) is at 149 Peabody Place between Second Street and BB King Blvd., next to the Hampton Inn. You can try your luck with on-street metered parking, too, on Second Street just south of Beale; on Beale between Front and Second; or along Peabody Place from Front to Fourth Street.
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Guests are recommended (but not required) to wear face masks on each tour.

What To Expect

Beale Street

The tour starts on historic Beale Street, the Home of the Blues, at Alfred's on Beale

Court Square

History of one of Memphis' oldest and most beautiful parks

Confederate Park

History of the 1862 Civil War Battle of Memphis

The Peabody Ducks

History of the South's Grand Hotel and the Peabody duck march

Mississippi River

History and importance of the Mississippi River

The Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange

History of the Cotton Exchange and historic Cotton Row

Show 3 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (246)

Kevin_C

Jul 2018

We’ve been to Memphis many times and this time decided to take a tour to learn about the history. What a great decision that was. Our guide, and I don’t remember his name, was great! Learned many things about the buildings and the history of downtown Memphis. He recommended places to eat and other things to do afterwards too.

ScottyInSyd

May 2018

We recently did the Historic Memphis Walking Tour. Mike was our guide on the day, and Larry drove the bus for the first part of the tour that required a brief ride up to mid-town. I enjoy doing walking tours in a new city. If the tour is well-designed and the guide is enthusiastic, there is no better way to get a cultural and historical orientation to a place. This tour met both these criteria, and then some. The tour starts outside BB King’s Blues Club. It was drizzly day in Memphis on the morning of the tour. Mike greeted as (my partner and I and a lovely couple from Massachusetts) with a couple of umbrellas and a promise, that ‘No rain is allowed on any of my tours’. A quick trip up the hill in the bus and the tour starts at Court Square. Over the next couple of hours we walk and listen to the storied history of Memphis riverboats and the cotton trade; yellow fever; gangsters, gamblers and ladies of the night; the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement and the slaying of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and social forces in contemporary Memphis. Mike is a guide by choice, having retired from another industry wanting to share his city with those who visit. He’s a natural. Mike’s style is conversational and never once sounds scripted. As if you were talking a long walk with a new friend. We made stops at the Peabody to watch the march of the famous ducks and to take in the view from the hotel’s roof. At Confederate Park Mike explains the tensions and controversies over the removal of a Confederate monument. He presents both sides of the argument with objectivity and sensitivity. On Main Street there is an extended discussion of the currents and history of Memphis, including the economic history of the Mighty Mississippi and the stories of vice in past times. Mikes gives us a tip about the newly reopened Trolley service on Main being free. We took advantage of that particular bit of advice! My partner and I really enjoyed the Backbeats tour with Mike. He made the tour educational and fun. As we’d say down under, Mike is a top bloke. Just as Mike had promised, it didn’t rain on our tour.

hammick333

Apr 2018

This was a very interesting introduction to Memphis-plenty of information and just the right length. We particularly enjoyed the humour. Just what we hoped for.