Monuments in Memphis

Memphis Monuments & Memorials

Memphis's landscape is defined by its musical and civil rights heritage. This collection features bronze tributes to icons like W.C. Handy and B.B. King alongside critical historical markers. Visitors can explore sites commemorating the 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike, the legacy of Ida B. Wells, and the Sultana maritime disaster. Many of these monuments are concentrated around the historic Beale Street district, highlighting the city's role as a cultural and social crossroads in the American South.

Memphis Monuments & Memorials — Map

Thomas R Machnitzki / CC BY 3.0

A

Elvis Presley Memorial

Statue of the King of Rock'n'roll! What more to say?

B

Beale Street Center for Southern Folklore

Cultural center dedicated to preserving the arts, music, and traditions of the Mississippi Delta region through exhibits and archives.

Anthony22 / CC BY-SA 3.0

C

W. C. Handy

Bronze statue of the "Father of the Blues" located in Handy Park on Beale Street.

Thomas R Machnitzki / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Rufus Thomas

Memorial honoring the legendary Stax Records artist and entertainer known as the "World's Oldest Teenager."

E

1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike Monument

Commemorates the historic 1968 labor strike and the "I Am a Man" slogan that became a defining symbol of the Civil Rights Movement.

F

B. B. King

Monument celebrating the legendary blues guitarist and his deep historical connection to the Memphis music scene.

G

Ida B. Wells Historical Marker

Marks the site where the pioneering investigative journalist and civil rights activist operated her newspaper, the Memphis Free Speech.

H

Nat D. Williams Historical Marker

Honors the first Black radio announcer in the South and a prominent teacher and journalist on Beale Street.

I

Memphis Queen II Historical Marker

Commemorates the historic paddle-wheel riverboat that operated on the Mississippi River.

J

The Sultana Disaster Historic Marker

Remembers the 1865 steamboat explosion on the Mississippi River, the deadliest maritime disaster in United States history.

K

Solvent Savings Bank Historical Marker

Site of the first Black-owned bank in Memphis, founded in 1906 by Robert R. Church Sr.

L

Hooks Brothers Photography Historical Marker

Honors one of the oldest Black-owned photography businesses in the country, which documented Memphis life for over a century.

M

Church Park Historical Marker

Marks the park established by Robert R. Church Sr. in 1899 as a recreational space for African Americans during the Jim Crow era.

N

Historical First Baptist Beale Street Church

Built in 1864, this was the first brick church in the South constructed for and by African Americans.

O

Church Park Auditorium Historical Marker

Site of the former 2,000-seat auditorium that hosted political rallies and performances by legendary blues musicians.

P

Rufus Thomas Jr. Historical Marker

Historical marker detailing the life and career of the influential Memphis soul singer and DJ.

Q

Pee Wee Saloon

The historic location where W.C. Handy reportedly wrote "The Memphis Blues," the first published blues song.

R

Beale Street Center for Southern Folklore 9

Space dedicated to the preservation of Mid-South folklore and heritage through community storytelling and art.

S

U.s Supreme Court rules on Overton park and I-40

Commemorates the 1971 landmark Supreme Court case Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe, which protected the park from highway construction.

Tripomatic User / CC-BY-SA

T

Memphis Welcome Center EGG

Large decorative egg sculpture located at the Tennessee Welcome Center near the Mississippi River.

Other Lists

Memphis Unmissables Memphis Museums & Cultural Gems Memphis Parks and Recreation