Need something to do, but don't want to break the bank? Enjoy this guide to free stuff to do in Memphis.
Some are available for everyone, some are for TN or Shelby County residents only, and some are once a year, but all of them are tee-totally free of charge.
Craig Thompson
How many have you done?
1. Walk throughCrystal Shrine Grottoat Memorial Park, daily dawn to dusk
2.Hike theOld Forest Trailat Overton Park
3.Volunteer for a local charity or non-profit (Check out Volunteer Odyssey's volunteer needs)
4.Walk and explore the newly renovatedTom Lee Parkdawn until dusk, year-round
5.Speaking of Tom Lee Park.. hit the free basketball courts along the riverfront
6.Walk or bike across the Mississippi River on theBig River Crossing
7.Find all of theI Love Memphis Murals
8.Ride or walk theShelby Farms Greenline
9.Watch the sunset (we suggestBeale Street Landing,the River Garden, or theChickasaw Mounds)
10.Explore theCrosstown Concourse’satriums and artworks
11.Attend a concert show at theOverton Park Shell, weekends in summer and fall—you can even bring in your own picnic and drinks!
12.Visit the(galleries and gardens are free through 2024)
13.TourElmwood Cemetery, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
14.Catch aMighty Lightsshow, nightly every hour on the hour
15.Hang out inShelby Farms Park, sunrise to sunset daily
Pumpkin House in the Fall at Dixon
16. Run with aBreakaway Running Group
17. In the summer, skip through asplash pad
18. Play, walk, or relax atOverton Park
19. Stop byall seven of the Civil Rights Trailsites in Memphis, starting with Beale Street:
20. Admire 19th century homes with a tour through Victorian Village
21. Hit an area farmers market
22.Follow the bronze plaques in downtown to learn all of Memphis' rich history
23. Catch a free movie or TV show marathon at Black Lodge, an old-school video rental store
24.Explore the shops ofSouth Mainor hittrolley night
25.Visit the historicCollierville Town Square
26.Hike the loop atHerb Parsons Lake Trail
27.Take photos on theself-guided Overton Square art tour
28.Find theWolf River beachin Germantown
29.Visit the Metal Museum’sSculpture Garden(donations are appreciated, though!)
30. Attend a Meet the Author event at Novel
Alex Shansky
Memphis Listening Lab
31. Findeven more murals, including thePaint Memphismural areas
32.Wave at the Bisonat Shelby Farms Park
33.Tune in to Memphis’s indie radio stations:WEVLandWYXR
34.Take your dog to meet some furry friends ata local dog park
35.Instagram yourself at aseasonal sunflower field
36.Visit sites from theMemphis Women’s Legacy Trail
37.Skate or skateboard atRaleigh Springs Skate Park
38.Walk the Riverblufffor river views and cool houses
39. See Memphisfrom the rooftop(Peabody rooftop is free to visit)
40.Catch a movie at Chimes Square inOverton Square
41.TheBrooks Museumis free to enter on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon
42.Take free dance lessons at theRumba Room
43. Listen to music at theMemphis Listening Lab
44.Attend a monthlyNerd Nite Memphis
45.Attend a free event atCrosstown Arts
Robert Jordan Finney
46. Hit a free workout class along the Tom Lee Park or Overton Park Shell
47. Visit theMeditation Gardenat Graceland, 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. daily.
48. Observe thePeabody Duck Marchat 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily
49.See the aquariums, boats, and moreinside the Bass Pro Pyramid
50. Browse theA. Schwab General Store
For TN Residents with state I.D.
46. Memphis Zoo, Tuesdays from 2 p.m. until close. Not valid in March. Rules apply;read here.
47. Metal Museum Building,Thursdays
48. National Civil Rights Museum, Mondays from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
For Shelby County Residents
49. Check out books, e-book, or audiobook at aMemphis Library(free for City of Memphis, Bartlett, and unincorporated Shelby Co. residents) + our libraries always have a ton of free programming
50.Stax Museum, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays (for Shelby Co. residents)
Even more Free events and things to do
- Visit the University of Memphis Art Museum, Mon. - Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. excluding school holidays. If you go on a Saturday then the Central Ave. parking lot is free!
- People and bike watch at Beale Street Bike Night, every 4th Wednesday night in the summer
- South Main Trolley Nights; last Friday of the month from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
- First Fridays on Broad; first Friday of the month from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
- Catch some live music in Handy Park on Beale Street i.e. KIX on Beale
- Go to theCollierville Concert Series(Summer)
- Beale Street St. Patrick's Day Parade (March)
- Overton Square Crawfish Fest (April - free to enter; crawfish are extra)
- Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest (April - free to enter; crawfish are extra)
- Beale Street Wine Race (April)
- Happy Hours with live music at GPAC (Summer)
- Fourth of July Fireworks (yearly guide posted in June)
- Holiday Parades (yearly guide posted in November)
- Cheer on the runners at the St. Jude Marathon (December)
Got any suggestions for additions? Let us know and we'll add them to the list!
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About the Author
Hello! I'm Jalyn Souchek, the Director of Content for I Love Memphis Blog! I love calling the 901 home. When I'm not running the blog you can find me cheering on the Grizzlies, at a concert, exploring a new restaurant or kicking back at one of our breweries. I hope you'll love experiencing Memphis with me.
Build your perfect Memphis meal:
I love to eat so if I were to have only one meal left.. I’m going all out. I’d start with an app of Gumbo Fries from Blue City Cafe or Bayou Fries from Chef Tam, wings from Good Fortune or Central’s (honey gold and Jamaican Jerk), potato salad from Fat Larry’s, side of bbq spaghetti from Bar-B-Q Shop, and fried okra from Soul Fish. All paired with a Beale Street Brewing Space Age Sippin’.
Your most memorable Memphis moment:
College GameDay on Beale Street. That was an electric and perfect morning. I was still working in news then and was able to take it in up close and on the stage at some points. The fun and joy of everyone down there that morning is unbeatable.
Comments Make Us Happy
21
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Allison Delugach
- Reply
The Memphis Public Library has too many free events for me to name them all and most of them are free to non-Memphis residents as well.Senior programs concerning financial literacy and health are happening this fall and there are free jazz concerts in the spring at the main library.Tenant rights, legal clinics, how to purchase a used car, how to start a small business etc. are other types of programs we offer.Free movies, lectures, etc. happen all year round at different locations and we are proud of having the best used book store in the city (all the money goes to fund library services)When tax season rolls around just call 2-1-1 and find out about where to have your taxes done for free.the full list of events can be found at memphislibrary.org.
August 18, 2017 2:11pm
Jeannie Priddy-Hayes
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Hi Holly, please share that Priddy Farms Bartlett TN opens forPumpkin Patch Season Sept 29.Thanks!
September 11, 2017 10:34am
Eric Winfrey
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Love Memphis activities
September 30, 2017 12:39pm
Torrey Clark
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F3 Memphis – Free bootcamp workouts open to all men, multiple locations daily Mon-Sat - https://f3memphis.com/
February 28, 2018 4:56pm
Kay
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This was very helpful thank you.
April 15, 2018 11:06am
Lin
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What about and Civil Rights Museums? Are there any child-friendly attractions?
May 8, 2018 9:21pm
Holly Whitfield
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Hi Lin! I'm assuming you mean free attractions with regards to Civil Rights and child-friendly...Under the "For TN residents" section you'll find that the National Civil Rights Museum is free for Tennessee residents with state-issued ID on Mondays from 3 p.m. until closing, or for active military with I.D. The Slave Haven Underground Museum Ernest Withers Collection do not have any free days. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music focuses on Stax Records, but does incorporate civil rights issues into the museum's artifacts and texts. As for child-friendly attractions, check out numbers 2,6,9,10,11,12,13,16,21,23,27,28,29,and 33. Plus the Zoo and most of the free annual events.
May 8, 2018 10:46pm
Gussie Richmond
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There is a charge for African n April.it is not free.
June 4, 2018 9:44am
Tyler Miller
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Kix 106 hosts 4 Free Summer Country Concert Series at Handy Park.Here is who all is coming to Kix 106 On Beale. :Dylan Scott and Jillian Jacqueline - June 14Joe Nichols and Jimmie Allen - June 21stCraig Campbell and Danielle Bradbery(The Voice winner) - June 28Ashley Mcbryde and Mitchell Tenpenny - July 12The shows are absolutely FREE and all ages are welcome. More details can be found at http://www.kix106.com.
June 5, 2018 6:19pm
Edna Houston
- Reply
Things to do in Memphis The weekend of 06/30-07/04
June 22, 2018 9:42pm
Holly Whitfield
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Hi Edna!Check out the 4th of July events guide for 2018: https://ilovememphisblog.com/2018/06/4th-of-july-in-memphis-fireworks-picnics-and-parades-2018/Also, the blog's calendar: https://ilovememphisblog.com/events/category/all-events/2018-06-30/I'll put out a weekend guide for the July 29, 30 and July 1 on Wednesday morning, and you'll find that here once it goes live: https://ilovememphisblog.com/category/do/this-weekend-do/
June 25, 2018 4:15pm
Marcia W.
- Reply
BB Kings on Beale Street has free admission and live music daily from Noon-5pm
June 27, 2018 9:58am
kelvin broadnax
- Reply
Friend here from out of town didn't have a clue what to do with them your list was great .thank you!
December 26, 2018 9:30pm
Holly Whitfield
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You're welcome!
December 28, 2018 2:27pm
Julieanna Walker
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On the 50 Free Things To Do In Memphis dated 6-26-2017, I do not know if there is an updated list; however, biking and hiking in Meeman-Shelby Forrest was not on the list. Link: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/activities/meeman-shelbyI was sharing the list with a colleague. Re-visiting it made me wonder if the Gibson Guitar still drops on New Years Eve. :(Feel free to hit delete if an updated list is out there. When I googled free things to do in Memphis, this was one of the first to pop.Thank you for your time, Julieanna
April 10, 2019 2:53pm
Senior Citizen…
- Reply
Hi HollyI recently founded a Women’s group and looking for interesting things for our group to do .I am disappointed to learn that not much posted here is geared toward seniors .... or perhaps the activities that are appropriate for seniors are not designated as such. I see multiple outings that say kid friendly.I see nothing that says senior citizen friendly... once again we’ve been left out and forgotten.You could be the trailblazer and start a new trend. !!!! How about posting a list of things to do in Memphis for senior citizens . of course a seperaye list might be asking a bit much but a simple symbol would be great.I do ❤️Memphis and now that I’m back in the city I would like to enjoy what it has to offer now that I’m 60plis (just as I enjoyed the city when I was 16)Problem is I don’t know which outings are appropriate for oir age group. Help us please.Thanks
April 14, 2019 3:11am
Debra Sample
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Always loved concerts and ,just driving in Memphis is awesome when your from the Bootheel of Missouri so the night lights are breath taking ,exspecially for kids we are here this week ,visit the zoo in Memphis
May 26, 2019 10:41am
Holly Whitfield
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So glad you and your family enjoyed Memphis, Debra!
May 28, 2019 4:40pm
Sadelle Jackson
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Thx for listing things to do in Memphis. Many activities I haven’t done yet, but planning to.
February 16, 2020 12:46pm
Holly Whitfield
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You're welcome, Sadelle! keep us posted on your progress. :)
February 16, 2020 4:54pm
Anonymous
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I’m going to use this all thanks giving break
November 18, 2022 8:34pm
