Martha Kelly
Levitt Shell
Note: This is a continuation of our list of 40 Memphis Quintessentials, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Memphis magazine. The whole list can be found here.
Overton Park Shell
From Elvis Presley to Amy LaVere, this small outdoor stage has heard — no, felt — Memphis music across generations and genres. Tucked nicely between the Memphis College of Art and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the Shell is the single greatest picnic venue in a city bountiful with them. Local stars at their brightest, under a sky full of others. — Frank Murtaugh
Crystal Shrine Grotto
Built by a wayfaring Mexican sculptor, Dionicio Rodriguez, from five tons of Arkansas crystals, the Crystal Shrine Grotto is one of the most unusual pieces of funerary art in the country. Rodriguez’s folk art creation has called East Memphis’ Memorial Park Cemetery home since the 1930s. — Eileen Townsend
Eileen Townsend
Shelby Forest General Store
Shelby Forest General Store
Any Memphis native who has ever hightailed it to Shelby Forest on a pretty day has probably stopped off at this Great Depression-era store, which serves as an unofficial marker of the entrance to the state park. The store was saved from destruction in the 1990s, and current owners note that it has been improved but not modernized. Hunting trophies, good roadside food, and country conversation recall earlier times at the store. — Eileen Townsend
Beale Street Flippers
A longtime fixture on Beale Street, these urban acrobats are some of the most impressive tumblers off the Olympic mat. The group of young men (including some kids) have gained a national reputation for their athleticism and style. See them flying through the air most busy nights on Beale, or, more recently, at NBA halftime shows. — Eileen Townsend
