Discover Memphis’ spirited past.
October is my favorite month. My birthday falls two days before Halloween, and when I travel, I collect ghost story books from the towns I visit. I’ve never met a black cat I didn’t feel connected to, and my favorite Shakespearean play is Macbeth, in which one iconic scene features a trio of witches concocting a spell around a cauldron. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to all things otherworldly, so when I received an invitation to experience Memphis, the haunted home of the blues, I couldn’t pass it up.
A curious thing about the word haunted: It doesn’t always mean apparitions and specters. To me, something that haunts stays with you. It’s persistently on your mind; it reaches your core. That’s what happened to me when I visited Memphis. Here’s how I spent my time in the Bluff City.
If there’s one thing that represents the spirit of Memphis, besides Elvis Presley, it’s the Peabody Hotel. As soon as I walked through its grand doors, I knew the circa-1925 dame of Memphis, dubbed the “South’s Grand Hotel,” would make luxurious yet inviting quarters for my stay. The Lobby Bar is the hotel’s hub where guests sit by the soothing fountain and sip cocktails. The hotel’s famous ducks may be seen splashing in the fountain daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Naturally, I saw sprawling Graceland, iconic Beale Street and the powerful National Civil Rights Museum, but my main objective was to wander those places less traveled. A tour of Elmwood Cemetery was my first glimpse into Memphis’ underworld. The cemetery dates to 1852 and is the final resting place of more than 75,000. Join a docent-led tour or listen to a digital audio tour on a self-guided stroll. Executive Director Kimberly Bearden says employees whisper about what has been dubbed the Elmwood effect: “People who are buried here find a way to get attention.”
Mystical encounters didn’t end there. The hair on my neck stood up a few times during my time with Backbeat Tours. The two-hour ghostly walking tour began on Beale Street and stopped at historically significant buildings such as the Orpheum Theater; the John Alexander Austin House, the only remaining single-family Victorian-era residence from the late 1800s; and the city’s oldest tavern, the Green Beetle. Our guide told of the resurrection men who, some say, paid their way through medical school training by digging up fresh graves and selling the cadavers.
We ended at Earnestine & Hazel’s, a fabled bar with mysterious allure. The building itself has eerie elements including an upstairs bar, formerly a brothel, where the bulk of the grim ghost stories take place (murder, stalkers, and possible hauntings!). Open only on Fridays and Saturdays, the second story lounge is manned by Nate Barnes, a local legend who has been a bartender since 1992. I couldn’t leave without trying one of the restaurant’s famous soul burgers. It was cheesy and greasy, and exactly what I needed to finish the night and my time in town.
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Soul Food
Work these Memphis restaurants into your trip.
The Beauty Shop Once frequented by Priscilla Presley, this trendy eatery is a stylish throwback to the ’50s, complete with hooded Belvedere hair dryers as dining chairs. thebeautyshoprestaurant.com
Catherine and Mary’s James Beard-nominated chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman whip up dishes inspired by their Italian grandmothers. catherineandmarys.com
Sunrise Memphis Legendary Central BBQ founders Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp joined forces with Ryan Trimm to dream up a breakfast joint. Don’t miss the housemade Bloody Marys such the Horsey Mary with horseradish- infused vodka. sunrise901.com
