• Remembering Reverend Martin Luther King from the Balcony of the Lorraine Motel: Mournful gospel hymns play softly in the background as visitors approach the place where the civil rights leader was assassinated in 1968. This is the conclusion of a visit to the inspiring National Civil Rights Museum, 450 Mulberry St. (tel. 901/521-9699; www.civilrightsmuseum.org), built on the site of this once-segregated motel.
  • Standing at the Sun Studio Microphone that Elvis Used for His First Recordings: It's worth the tour admission price just to handle the microphone in this famed recording studio at 706 Union Ave. (tel. 800/441-6249; www.sunstudio.com). It launched the career of Elvis Presley and created a sound that would come to be called rock 'n' roll.
  • Getting Your First Glimpse of the "Jungle Room": Sure, you've probably heard about the hideously gaudy decor inside Graceland mansion, 3734 Elvis Presley Blvd. (tel. 800/238-2000; www.elvis.com), but nothing prepares you for that first face-to-faux-fur encounter in the green-and-gold den Elvis created to remind him of Hawaii.

    • Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.