Experience
Beale Street
Memphis, TN, USA
Beale Street in Memphis is best known as the Home of the Blues! It spans nearly 2 miles in downtown Memphis, and holds many blues clubs and restaurants, all filling the streets with live music and soulful vibes!
Beale Street was created in 1841 by an entrepreneur and developer, Robertson Topp. It originally served as a place for merchants to trade goods but, in 1870, after the yellow fever epidemic swept through the city, Robert Church bought the surrounding land and renovated Beale Street. Church, who became the first black millionaire from the south, created a recreation park, where blues musicians could gather, attracting musicians from all over!
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During the 60s, Beale Street experienced hard times, forcing a lot of the clubs, shops and restaurants to close. But in 1966, a section of the street was declared a National Historic Landmark and, in 1977, Congress declared Beale Street to be the ‘Home of the Blues’.
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A wander down Beale Street will leave you singing and dancing to the music pouring out of the restaurants and bars along the way. At the start of Beale Street, snap a photo of the Elvis statue, then continue past the Orpheum Theater, one of the oldest and most well known buildings on the street. You will see many guitars dedicated to famous musicians of all time!
