Absolutely loved this museum. So much history, especially Civil war history which is my favorite!…read moreThis is definitely a diamond in this town. Ok,... random history lesson to go along with it! Thomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. was a voice for Arkansas's secession and was essentially Arkansas's most prominent Fire-Eater. When Arkansas voted 65-5 to secede in May 1861, Hindman resigned from the U.S. Congress and recruited a regiment in Helena. He requested the state government for muskets, clothing, and 10 days of rations so that his men could "fight for our country." By September 1861, Hindman was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and soon participated in the disastrous Kentucky Campaign, followed by the Battle of Shiloh, where he was slightly wounded. After his recovery, Hindman was promoted to Major General and appointed commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department to prevent an invasion by the Union troops led by Samuel Curtis. Events in Arkansas had taken a terrible turn, and when Hindman arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas, he found that his command was "bare of soldiers, penniless, defenseless, and dreadfully exposed" to the Federal Army that was approaching. Hindman commenced a campaign of misinformation designed to mislead Federal authorities about the strength of the state's defenses. He also diverted Texas troops bound for Virginia for use in the defense of Arkansas. This confused the Federal authorities, causing them to divert from the capital and instead move to Helena. By August 1862, the authorities in Richmond decided to replace him (due to locals and political opponents complaints) with Theophilus H. Holmes. Hindman convinced Holmes to give him a field command in northern Arkansas. Hindman managed to intercept the Federal army while it was divided into 2 parts. Rather than attack the divided pieces, Hindman entrenched himself at Prairie Grove, Arkansas, allowing the Federal forces to recombine and assault him. After Prairie Grove, Hindman was transferred across the river and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga alongside his friend Pat Cleburne. After being wounded in the neck at Chickamauga, Hindman and his legion continued to fight along with the Army of Tennessee against General William Tecumseh Sherman, across north Georgia from the First Battle of Dalton to the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. On July 4, 1864, at Kennesaw Mountain he was struck in the eye by a tree limb and fell off his horse. Hindman suffered severe injuries that left him unfit for service and made him have to recouperate. Afterwards, he applied for a transfer to the Trans-Mississippi Department. His request was denied, but Jefferson Davis offered a leave of absence until he had fully recovered from his "physical disability". Hindman set out for Texas and arrived in San Antonio and settled there with his family for the time being. By May 1865, Confederate generals in New Orleans signed a document detailing terms of surrender. Hindman refused to surrender and, along with many other ex-Confederates, he crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico and sought asylum. He engaged in coffee planting and attempted to practice law. By April 1867, he was confident enough to return to Arkansas and apply to President Andrew Johnson for a pardon. Hindman's application was one of the few denied. At around 9:30 on the night of September 27, 1868, Hindman was assassinated by unknown assailants who fired through his parlor window while he was reading his newspaper with his children. The musket shots hit Hindman in the jaw, throat and hands, and he died 8 hours later due to significant blood loss, ending the life of Arkansas' highest ranking Confederate military officer. Before his death, Hindman gave a farewell speech from the porch of his house. He told listeners to "unite their courage and determination to bring peace to the people." "I do not know who killed me; but I can say, whoever it was, I forgive him." "I forgive everybody, and hope they will forgive me." Afterwards, he was too weak to continue speaking, and he sat down on a lounge. He remained there until he died early next morning. Hindman's assassins were never caught.

Wonderful local museum with an amazing collection!read more

Reading Kyle's five-star review months ago was the first time I knew about the Center For Southern…read moreFolklore and I was intrigued, but for some reason it was put on the back burner, until I realized the Mayan Apocalypse is approaching. From their website, I found out a girls Jookin' contest would be held at the center one Friday evening and decided to see it for myself, having heard about the style from a dance show (no, it's not Dancing With The Stars). I didn't realize Jookin' was Memphis-born and most dancers are males. Despite starting almost an hour later than scheduled and being slightly disorganized (understandably, as an amateur contest), it was a fun event with a great community feel. As far as my inexperienced eyes could tell, some girls have the potential to "make it" in the Jookin' world. As a first-timer, I found the layout of this place a little confusing. The Jookin' contest was held in the hall, which is at the end of the hallway if you enter from the Belz Museum (another gem!) entrance off Main Street and you will also find a refreshment concession there, but that's not where they sell the peach cobbler raved by a previous reviewer, at least not that evening. The peach cobbler (which unfortunately did not impress me), along with gifts, works of art, a limited selection of food and drinks (including beers), is sold at the store off Main Street two doors down from the Belz entrance. The store is also where they normally host live-music events. As soon as I stepped inside the colorful, funky store, I was sold, so I dragged the hubby there the very next evening for the Deering & Down performance, despite knowing very little about them (yes, we had been living under a rock). As a music venue the store holds about 40 seats -- including a few tables and a few rows of seats -- plus some standing room. It's casual and intimate, setting the stage for an enjoyable evening. But it turned out to be more than enjoyable. It was exhilarating thanks to the knockout performance by the duo (plus special guests) who rocked their hearts out for almost three hours non-stop. Live music doesn't get much better than this! The ticket prices are very very affordable ( a mere $5 for Deering & Down!). The crowd is a mix of locals and out-of-towners. In fact, a business woman from NYC at the table next to ours also went to see the Jookin' contest like I did the night before and was thoroughly impressed. In short, you owe yourself a visit! If the world still stands after tomorrow.

Today was not my first time at the Center for Southern Folklore. I love their music festival…read more It's free and features a ton of local talent. Actually, I saw John Paul Keith & the 145's for the first time there & feel in love with their music, instantly. In addition to the festival, the Center has some unique gifts. They sell everything from t-shirts, postors, local art, local food (Rendezvous spicy popcorn, ugly mug coffee & sometimes - when you're lucky - local honey), and random, quirky souvenirs. I ventured to here for their brown bag lunch & music today. It's a great opportunity to check out someone new (to me). The inside of the store has a funky design; plenty of bright colors. There's a stage with colorful screen doors as a backdrop. It gives the audience a feeling of watching someone strumming the guitar on their front porch. It's just missing the rocking chairs. They sell beer, so you can have a cold one while listening to some down home music. Also, they have cobbler & a couple of southern inspired sundaes, like pecan pie. Yum!

Whoever put this museum together did a fantastic job. The service was top notch and the security…read moreteam were efficient. Very much appreciated. This museum has great value and worth every cent to keep it up and running. Our time there walking around was informative and, of course, heart breaking. Seeing the site of the MLK, Jr assassination just made me cry. I could not stop. My heart was breaking from the walk through to his assassination. But worth every step. Thank you to everyone who make this museum possible.

Of course this is a must visit in Memphis. So much history. You definitely need about 1.5 to 2…read morehours to full take it in. You can see some stuff from the outside but do not skip actually going in and visiting. Decent prices in the gift shop and friendly staff all throughout.

More than a century ago, music began pouring into Memphis. Musicians of all races & backgrounds…read morecame together for the love of music and created a sound that changed the cultural complexion of the world forever. America's music exploded out of Memphis. Today, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame honors many of the greatest musicians of all time, who created this city's musical legacy. Memphis Minnie, Willie Mitchell, Sam Phillips, Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, The Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Nat D. Williams, ZZ Top are just some of the inductees.

Decent ticket prices, informative displays and great music. Wonderful museum and a great break from…read morethe heat.

Beautiful and free! We went to take a walk around the tulip garden and also to see the "Black…read moreArtists in America" exhibit before it leaves. The tulips were soooo pretty and the art was great. Several pieces moved me deeply. Love the creativity. We got there just after opening. Easy to find parking and after we did our check-in, we were free to roam at our own pace. Visited the cafe and got a yummy iced matcha latte. Very peaceful, beautiful grounds. Well kept. We will definitely be back. Can't wait to see what other art exhibits come and go. All the staff were very friendly and helpful as well. Definitely worth the visit.

Simply love coming out to the Dixon Gardens and Museum!! The tulips are blooming a d they are…read morestunning. The hostess is always nice and kind. Entrance is free but memberships are available. I took a walk to see more than 40,000 tulips. Bring your family or friends. Have a picnic on the lawn. Great place to relax and chill. I will return for sure! I had a wonderful experience! Two or rather ten thumbs up!

Wonderful museum! Whether you're knowledgeable in cotton history or not, still a very cool place to…read morevisit!

" A Must See In Memphis "…read more The Cotton Museum is a must see wen you are in Memphis, TN. Most people only want to see and think of music when they come to Memphis. But the Cotton industry is a huge historical story on how the city of Memphis grew over the years. Seeing this Museum will answer most of your questions about the cotton Industry. The have videos, and many displays for you to see, walk around , touch, and wonder about.

Have been there for the Symphony, other concerts, and the Nutcracker. Have sat in the balcony and…read morethe main floor. Doesn't seem to be a bad seat anywhere for acoustics (obviously the balcony and rear seats on the main floor make visuals tougher). Seats are relatively comfortable for a tall (6'2") individual. Not familiar with local parking (I wouldn't recommend at night), but the underground parking lot is pretty convenient

I am sitting in the city that gave birth to the blues. Watching arguably the greatest active guitar…read moreplayer of the Blues genre. This place is only 1/4 full. It is a crying shame. Not many times in my life have I ever said that I am ashamed of Memphis. Tonight I am. If you are the promoter of this venue, please consider finding something else to do with your life. You suck at promoting.

My wife and I absolutely love the orpheum. We try to catch any show that might interest us. It was…read moreour anniversary. My wife got us tickets to see Gary Owen because she knows how much I love seeing him. The show was absolutely great and she picked some very good seats. I did feel like he cut the show just a little short. There's always that one drunk person that wants to yell out from the crowd. I think it was starting to irritating. What can you say about the orpheum? That hasn't already been said. It's a very nice historical place. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars. Is because like everyone else, they take advantage of people on concessions. I realized back in the day. This is the way places made their money. It's a little different these days. They make plenty of money on the shows. My other small complaint is the seating. Although its way better than Minglewood Hall, the seats are just too close together. I'm a big fella, and it's just very uncomfortable. Overall, they put on great shows and the place is very nice. I definitely wouldn't let the small things stop you from going.

Memphis does have a theater district & stars on the sidewalk in front acknowledging performers…read more The Orpheum Theatre, a 2,308-seat venue that opened in 1928 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Touring Broadway productions, Ballet Memphis, various concerts, comedians, a summer movie series, a family series of educational programs, and local cultural & community events such as Memphis in May, International Blues Challenge, and special Elvis Week events take place here. In 1890, the Grand Opera House opened on the corner of Main & Beale streets, and was billed as the most classy theater outside New York City. Vaudeville was the main source of entertainment at the time, featuring singers, musicians & magicians. The "STARZ" are actually names in the Orpheum Theatre's Sidewalk of Stars, a tradition honoring artists who have performed here. The names, found on brass stars embedded in the sidewalk at Main & Beale Streets, commemorate performers from the Orpheum's history, much like the Hollywood Walk of Fame,

Great location, great food, wonderful staff and amazing music!! Best Ribs ever! Found what we were…read morelooking for in New Orleans in Memphis! Great Music, great food and kind people!

We only purchased nachos…read more PROS: excellent nachos, no complaints! The staff was good, especially the busboy. The entertainment was wonderful too! I really appreciate the restaurant having entertainment all day instead of only having it in the evening. CONS: none... oh yes, one, I had to leave to soon.

My spouse and I came here while we were in Memphis. For anyone who is interested in American…read morehistory, especially in the south. This is one spot you will want to check out as this was a house that was used during the underground railroad that runway slaves would come as a safe spot to hide before running off to the northern states. If you are in the area I would highly recommend visited it. [Review #722] (20th Review of 2024)

0 stars as this place is NOT open, IS abandoned and IS scary…read more The surrounding neighborhood is a little uncomfortable for two white women walking through. Seems to be a low income area. Yelp said this museum was open but clearly has not been for quite some time: