Overton Park Shell Guided Backstage History Experience Tour
- 1 hour
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
The Overton Park Shell is an historic bandshell and museum in the Midtown Memphis oasis known as Overton Park. Lovingly called “The Shell” by Elvis Presley and most others, the storied amphitheater is where Elvis Presley played his first professional gig in 1954 at just nineteen-years-old, bringing live Rock & Roll to the world’s stage in an explosive way during a country music show headlined by yodeler Slim Whitman. The Shell remained important to Elvis and his family, as they continued to regularly visit and perform there over the years. Surviving many ups and downs since opening during The Depression of the 1930s, The Shell is still a cutting-edge regional performing arts pavilion today, offering 50 free concerts yearly accommodating up to 3,000 music lovers in its gorgeous park setting. The Shell’s fascinating story is now told through its new immersive Backstage History Experience guided tour that ties together almost a century of colorful Memphis and Midtown music histories.
Inclusions
What's included
- This fun indoor guided museum tour is casual, interactive, and includes ADA-friendly restrooms.
Itinerary
The Shell's rich history includes many important “firsts” (it’s also the home of Johnny Cash’s first pro gig, for instance) and the artists who have graced its stage range from “A-Z,” or “Al Kapone to ZZ Top.” Elvis Presley fans from around the world have visited The Shell's exterior for many years, but now they can actually see its indoor Green Rooms where Elvis (and his family) have spent quality time in its more private spaces. The Shell's guided "Backstage History Experience" museum tour is now listed as one of Memphis Travel's "Best Museums in Memphis." Proudly, it's still a cutting-edge performing arts pavilion today, offering 50 multi-genre (free!) concerts, with sweet acoustics and cool lights, for up to 3,000 music lovers. Its adjacent Park neighbors include the Memphis Zoo, The Brooks Museum of Art, the National Ornamental Iron Museum, the Overton Park Golf Course, miles of beautiful walking trails, open space, a family playground, and a dog park - something for everyone!
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 52
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 2 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Overton Park Shell
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Memphis
- Its from-price is 71% below the median of the 78 experiences we list in Memphis.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 45 of 78.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Memphis
Memphis is a Mississippi River city in Tennessee, home of the blues and Elvis, with Beale Street, Sun Studio, Graceland and slow-smoked barbecue.
Memphis stands on a bluff above the Mississippi River in south-west Tennessee, and its streets are a birthplace of the blues, soul and rock and roll. Beale Street, lined with neon-lit blues clubs, is the best known of its music strips. Sun Studio, a small recording room, is where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis made early records, and Graceland, the mansion where Elvis lived, is south of the centre.
Top-ranked sights in Memphis: Beale Street, National Civil Rights Museum, Peabody Hotel Ducks.
Special offers in Memphis
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
