Free Things to Do in Memphis

Memphis is full of fun and informative things to do. Although, a lot of them require an entrance fee, there are still some free things to do in the city. Here are some ideas of free activities that the family can enjoy.

The Memphis Zoo has free admission on Tennessee Tuesdays starting at 2pm to 5pm. This is great activity if you have Tuesday afternoons off. I like to get a few friends and their children and carpool together for this at least once a month. You can see all the animals, except for the pandas, for free. However, Parking is not free, it is $3 per vehicle. That is why we carpool.

Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park has a lot to offer people who love the outdoors. There are picnic tables and grills, that can be used for free, throughout the park where families can enjoy a barbecue. The park is also great for bicyclers of all levels of interest. This park is very picturesque with it’s hills and landscape. You can enjoy the nature up close when you take a hike along one of many trails through the wooded forest area. They also offer camping, fishing, and boating on the lakes, but there are fees included in those events.

The Peabody Hotel has the famous ducks that are free to come see when they march from the rooftop to the fountain in the lobby. The hotel staff rolls out the red carpet for the ducks to make their entrance even more grand. They are well trained and they come in the lobby at 11am and out of the lobby at 5pm. Don’t worry, the staff are used to people coming in just to see the ducks, it has been a famous attraction of Memphis for years.

If you are an Elvis fan you don’t have to spend money to get a picture of Graceland. You can bring a camera and snap a picture in front of the famous gate of Graceland. The gate is was something that Elvis himself added to the mansion when he purchased it as a security measure. The gates are beautifully designed with musical notes adorning it. Visitors from everywhere have made a stop to get a quick picture of themselves in front of Graceland’s gate.

The Pink Palace Museum is free to the public after 1pm on Tuesdays till close. This is a great activity for families and friends to take advantage of. The children can learn about the history of the Mid South, see what the first self service grocery store looked like, check out some dinosaurs, and more. This is a guaranteed hit with your kids.

The National Civil Rights Museum is open free to the public on Mondays after 3pm for all Tennessee residents. It is located in the Lorraine Hotel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. This is a great learning tool to teach your children about the struggle of the African-American civil rights as far back as 1619.

The Wolf River Nature Center is free to explore. There are trails, picnic areas, aquatic plant and animal displays, butterfly gardens, and more. This is a great activity for the family. It is located on Wolf River Boulevard off of Germantown Road. So get your picnic ready and head to the nature center.

The Center For Southern Folklore has a Brown Bag Lunch Series that is on every Thursday or Friday between noon and 1pm that takes place in the store area. It is free to listen to the music and you can bring your own lunch and munch to the beat. They always have a great band that is playing. It is located on Main Street in the downtown area.

Shelby Farms Park is free and offers many outdoor activities. You can enjoy hiking, fishing, biking, or boating. You can also check out the bison and other wildlife that is part of the park. It is located off Walnut Grove Road and is over 4,500 acres of land. When I lived close to this park I spent a lot of my weekend there. It is a great place to go to relieve stress by enjoying nature. I loved walking around Patriot Lake and watching the birds fly around.

These are ways that your family can have fun and still not affect your budget. I hope that you find some of these interesting and try them out.