The Guide
Free Things to Do in Memphis
TL;DR
Free things to do in Memphis include free-admission days at the Brooks (Saturdays), Stax and the Civil Rights Museum (with a resident ID), and the Memphis Zoo (Tuesdays); the always-free Dixon Gallery; the riverfront and Overton Park; and traditions like the Peabody ducks and the Mississippi bridge light shows. Here's the complete local list — with the exact days and times, double-checked.
Broke till Friday? Memphis doesn't mind. Between free museum days, the riverfront, and a stack of only-in-Memphis traditions, you can fill a whole month here without spending a dollar — you just have to know which day to show up.
So here's the list we'd hand a friend who just moved to town: the genuinely free stuff, organized so you can find it, with the exact days and hours where it matters. Free days shift around holidays and some ask for a resident ID, so we've noted that too — and if a specific one is the whole reason for your trip, it's always worth a quick call first. Free is only part of it: our parks guide covers the green space in detail, and the whole things-to-do guide covers paid and free alike.
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Free museum days in Memphis (and the exact hours)
Some of the best museums in the city cost nothing if you time it right. A couple are always free; the rest open the doors free on a set day.
- Dixon Gallery & GardensEast Memphis
Always free. A gorgeous little art museum wrapped in 17 acres of gardens — bring a picnic; there are often food trucks.
- Memphis Brooks Museum of ArtOverton Park
Free every Saturday, 10am–noon. The oldest, biggest art museum in Tennessee. (Heads up: they're building a new home downtown, so double-check the location before you go.)
- Stax Museum of American Soul MusicSoulsville
Free Tuesdays after 1pm for Shelby County residents (bring ID). The birthplace of Memphis soul — Otis, Isaac Hayes, the whole story.
- Memphis Rock 'n' Soul MuseumDowntown
Free Tuesdays for Shelby County residents. The Smithsonian-created story of how Memphis music changed the world.
- The Metal Museum groundsFrench Fort
The grounds and sculpture garden are always free, sitting on a bluff with one of the best river views in the city. (The galleries are ticketed.)
- Art Museum of the University of Memphis (AMUM)University District
Always free. Egyptian antiquities and rotating exhibits on campus.
Free with your ID: resident free days
A few of the big-ticket attractions are free on set days if you live here — bring a valid ID, and check the fine print (a couple need a reservation).
- Memphis ZooOverton Park
Free every Tuesday from 9am, year-round, for Tennessee residents (ID required for ages 17+). A free reservation is required — tickets release at 9am the Wednesday before.
- National Civil Rights MuseumDowntown
Free for Tennessee residents on Mondays, 3pm to close (state ID; one adult + up to five kids). Not offered on major holidays like MLK Day — one of the most important places in the country, at the Lorraine Motel.
- MoSH (the Pink Palace)Midtown
Free Third Thursdays — general admission to the museum of science and history is free the third Thursday of the month.
Free parks, trails & the riverfront
All free, all the time — this is where locals actually spend their weekends.
- Tom Lee ParkDowntown riverfront
The redesigned riverfront park — playgrounds, courts, big lawns, and the best sunset over the Mississippi in the city. Dawn to dusk.
- Overton Park & the Old ForestMidtown
A real old-growth forest trail inside the city, plus lawns and the golf course. The Overton Park Shell hosts free concert seasons — bring a picnic. Our full Overton Park guide has trails, history, and the current Shell dates.
- Big River CrossingDowntown / West Memphis
Walk or bike the old Harahan Bridge across the Mississippi — the longest pedestrian bridge over the river, lit up at night by the Mighty Lights show.
- Shelby Farms Park & the GreenlineCordova / East
One of the largest urban parks in the country — trails, lakes, and the buffalo herd. The paved Shelby Farms Greenline now runs nearly 13 car-free miles back toward Midtown. Our full park guide covers it all.
- Elmwood CemeterySouth Memphis
A 150-year-old arboretum and historic cemetery you can walk for free — genuinely one of the prettiest, quietest spots in town.
- River Garden & the cobblestonesDowntown riverfront
A small, free riverfront park with a playground, hammocks, and steps right down to the water — the best free seat for the nightly bridge light show.
- Crystal Shrine GrottoMemorial Park
A one-of-a-kind man-made cave of crystal and folk art, tucked in a cemetery. Free, dawn to dusk — our full grotto guide has the story and the visiting details.
- Splash pads (summer)Citywide + suburbs
The city runs seven free splash pads all summer — no pass, no fee. The full list (plus the suburbs' free ones) is in our things to do in Memphis with kids guide.
You just have to know where to look.
That's the whole idea behind Hey Memphis — we read the calendars, the venue pages, all of it, and send you the good stuff (free things included) every weekday at 6am. Free forever, no Facebook required.
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Free in the suburbs — the whole 901
The tourist lists stop at the county line. We don't — here's free stuff out where a lot of you actually live.
- Collierville Town SquareCollierville
One of the most charming historic squares in the South — a free stroll, a gazebo, shops, and summer concerts on the green.
- Wolf River Greenway & the Germantown beachGermantown
Miles of free boardwalk and trail along the Wolf River, plus a little sand 'beach' access point that most people don't know about.
- Herb Parsons LakeFayette County
A quiet TWRA lake with a free hiking loop just east of town — easy nature without the crowds.
Only-in-Memphis free classics
The stuff you take out-of-town friends to see. Still free, still worth it.
- The Peabody DucksDowntown
The world-famous ducks march to the lobby fountain around 11am and back up around 5pm, every day, to a Sousa march. Free to watch — get there early for a spot.
- Graceland — the gates & Meditation GardenWhitehaven
No ticket needed for a photo at the famous music-note gates, and the Meditation Garden is free to walk up, 7:30–8:30am daily.
- The Mighty Lights bridge showsDowntown riverfront
The Hernando de Soto and Harahan bridges light up in synchronized shows after dark — free from Tom Lee Park or the cobblestones.
- Crosstown ConcourseCrosstown
A 1.5-million-square-foot old Sears building turned vertical village — wander the atriums, art, and free events.
- A. Schwab on BealeDowntown
The last original store on Beale Street — free to wander three floors of Memphis oddities and history since 1876.
- Beale Street by day & Handy ParkDowntown
Beale is free to walk any time, and Handy Park hosts free live music — the blues, out in the open, no cover.
Free self-guided tours & history
Grab your phone and go — no ticket, no guide, all free.
- The Memphis Civil Rights TrailCitywide
Seven-plus significant sites across the city you can visit on your own — the history that happened here, for free.
- Downtown Sidewalk StoriesDowntown
Bronze plaques set into the sidewalks tell Memphis history block by block — a free self-guided walk.
- Victorian VillageMidtown
A row of preserved 19th-century mansions you can admire from the street — a free, pretty detour.
- Memphis muralsOverton Square, South Main & beyond
The city is covered in murals — Overton Square, South Main, and Cooper-Young are basically free outdoor galleries.
A few honest answers
Can you really do Memphis for free?
For a weekend, easily — between the free museum days, the parks, and the riverfront, you can fill days without paying for anything. The paid stuff (the Zoo any other day, Graceland tours, the Bass Pro Pyramid) is great too, but you don't need it to have a good time.
Do the free days ever change?
They can, especially around holidays — the Civil Rights Museum's free Monday, for example, isn't offered on MLK Day. We keep this page updated, but if a specific free day is the whole reason for your trip, check the venue's own site or give them a call first. That's the honest move.
Which ones need a resident ID or reservation?
The Memphis Zoo (Tuesdays, TN ID + a free reservation), the National Civil Rights Museum (Mondays, TN ID), and Stax and Rock 'n' Soul (Tuesdays, Shelby County ID). Bring a driver's license and you're set.
Any of these good with kids?
Most of them. The Peabody ducks are a hit at every age, Tom Lee Park and Shelby Farms have playgrounds and room to run, the summer splash pads are free, and the Zoo's free Tuesday is the move for families.
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