Downtown Memphis is the beating heart of the city, home to the landmarks, the food, the music, and the river views that define it. This guide covers what’s open right now, what’s changed, and what’s on the way, block by block.
Top Attractions in Downtown Memphis
- Mississippi River Views: Take in the river from Tom Lee Park, fully reopened since its 2023 redesign and still adding features, most recently the “Memphis Flyway” viewing attraction in June 2026, or from Beale Street Landing, which today functions more as a riverside park and small-craft dock than a cruise-ship hub.
- The Peabody Hotel: The famous duck march still runs twice daily, 11am and 5pm, in the Grand Lobby fountain, a tradition that hasn’t skipped a beat.
- National Civil Rights Museum: Housed at the historic Lorraine Motel, the museum just completed a $38M expansion and cut the ribbon on its new Legacy Experience on May 19, 2026.
- Beale Street: The world-famous street is still the epicenter of live music and nightlife, now backed by a $74M state grant funding infrastructure and safety upgrades. A few longtime anchors have closed (Hard Rock Cafe, Ghost River’s taproom, Tater Red’s), but the core, B.B. King’s, Rum Boogie, Blues City Cafe, Silky O’Sullivan’s, is still going strong.
- FedExForum: Home to the Memphis Grizzlies, now mid-renovation on a long-term modernization deal with the city and county to keep the team downtown.
- AutoZone Park: Catch a Memphis Redbirds game at this Triple-A ballpark, currently in a three-phase, $55M renovation.
- The Orpheum Theatre: A historic venue hosting Broadway shows, concerts, and performances, run by the nonprofit Orpheum Theatre Group.
- Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid: A one-of-a-kind destination with an aquarium, cypress swamp, observation deck, bowling, and the Big Cypress Lodge hotel inside, fully open, no changes.
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Still anchored in the Pinch District, and in the middle of building its largest tower ever, an $810M, 17-story research center due in 2029.
Where to Eat, Drink & Shop
Downtown’s food and drink scene spans South Main, Beale Street, the Edge District, Uptown, and the riverfront.
Restaurants
- Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, 310 S. Front St. The hot fried chicken plate that needs no introduction.
- Mahogany River Terrace, 280 Island Drive, Harbor Town. Upscale Southern/Creole across multiple levels, with a literal terrace on the river and live music Fridays.
- Sage Memphis, 94 South Main St. Urban chic fusion soul cuisine, farm-to-table, brunch through late night.
- The Genre, Downtown, a music-heritage-themed modern bistro, open since 2021, also runs a food truck.
- Felicia Suzanne’s, South Main. Chef Felicia Willett’s upscale Southern spot, reopened as “FSR 2.0” in April 2025.
- Catherine & Mary’s, South Main, in the Chisca building. Tuscan/Sicilian-inspired, from James Beard-nominated chefs.
- The Arcade Restaurant, 540 S. Main St. Memphis’s oldest restaurant, opened in 1919, home of the Elvis booth and sweet potato pancakes.
- Rendezvous, 52 S. Second St. Legendary dry-rub-ribs BBQ since 1948.
- Itta Bena, 145 Beale St, above B.B. King’s. Upscale Southern/Creole above the street-level noise.
Bars & Breweries
- Fat Tuesday, Beale Street Entertainment District. “Memphis’s ONLY daiquiri sports bar,” open 11am to 2am.
- Silky O’Sullivan’s, 183 Beale St. Iconic since 1973, known for the goats, the dueling pianos, and the giant Diver bucket.
- Loflin Yard, a two-acre outdoor beer garden near South Main, with house-smoked BBQ and fire pits.
- Wiseacre Brewing Co. & Little Bettie, 398 S. B.B. King Blvd. The Downtown taproom paired with its pizza counter.
- Ghost River Brewing Co. Taproom, 827 South Main St, Memphis’ first craft brewery. Their separate Beale Street taproom closed in May 2026, but this South Main location is unaffected.
Coffee & Retail
- Ouri Matcha, 606 N. Main St, Uptown. A slow-matcha bar, targeting an early August 2026 opening.
- Groovy Gratitude, 605 N 2nd St, Uptown. Plant-based café that just won “Best Grab-and-Go Healthy Food” in Memphis Health & Fitness Magazine’s 2026 awards.
- Ritual, 505 S. Main St. Coffee by day, cocktails by night, opened June 2026 in the former Bluff City Coffee space.
- A. Schwab Dry Goods, 163 Beale St. A historic 1876 dry-goods store, Elvis memorabilia to old-fashioned candy.
- Dinstuhl’s Fine Candy, 147 S. Main St. A longtime Memphis candy maker with award-winning fudge.
Neighborhoods to Know
Downtown isn’t one place, it’s a set of distinct districts, several mid-transformation right now.
Victorian Village
A small historic enclave on Adams Avenue, known as “Millionaire’s Row” for its 19th-century mansions, including the Mallory-Neely House, the Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum, and the James Lee House, now an inn. One correction: Mollie Fontaine Lounge is closed as of August 2026, so drop it from anything describing current nightlife here.
Mud Island & Harbor Town
A riverfront peninsula combining Mud Island River Park with the residential Harbor Town village. The long-dormant Mud Island Amphitheater reopened as “Grind City Amp” with a free concert on April 25, 2026, while Harbor Town runs its own recurring outdoor “River Series” concerts separately. The former Mississippi River Museum building is now home to a new immersive attraction, “Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time,” which opened its first phase in May 2026.
South Main Historic Arts District
A walkable strip of galleries, vintage shops, and restaurants anchored by the National Civil Rights Museum and the Arcade. Monthly “Trolley Night” continues, though currently trolley-free, MATA’s rail relaunch is targeted for fall 2026.
The Pinch District
Memphis’s oldest neighborhood, now absorbing St. Jude’s biggest-ever expansion after a long-stalled private redevelopment fell through and the land was sold to St. Jude’s fundraising arm in 2024.
Uptown
A historic residential district, formerly known as Greenlaw, just north of the core, home to new arrivals Groovy Gratitude and Ouri Matcha, with a Chick-fil-A on the way.
What’s Coming
Announced projects worth knowing about before you plan around them.
Memphis Art Museum
The Brooks Museum’s new downtown home at Union & Front, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, with free admission forever for all Shelby County residents. On track as of August 2026.
Regional One Health, New Hospital Campus
A $900M, 600,000 sq ft replacement hospital at 495 Union Ave, with expanded trauma and burn units. Demolition of the old Commercial Appeal building began in June 2026.
A few more to watch
Downtown’s pipeline keeps growing: the “Neural Nexus” innovation district near Civic Center is an exciting proposal still gathering momentum since its December 2025 announcement. The Sterick Building restoration and the 100 North Main tower redevelopment are both historic properties with big plans in the works. The MATA trolley relaunch is targeted for fall 2026, bringing the rail cars back to Main Street.