Beale Street

Beale Street is an entertainment district in Memphis with live music, bars and restaurants stretching across three city blocks in the downtown area. Neon signs glow above club entrances, and many red brick buildings have narrow storefronts with windows on the upper floor.

A landowner laid out this avenue in 1841, and it grew into a commercial center for the Black community in Memphis by the end of that century. Music became the defining activity in the clubs and gathering spots along the blocks during the early decades of the 20th century.

Clubs along the avenue display names of musicians on their facades and show photographs with guitars and posters from earlier decades inside their entrances. Bands perform on small stages just beyond the doorways, allowing people on the sidewalk to hear the sound before deciding to step in.

Visitors can move between venues with drinks in hand, as open containers are allowed on the sidewalks. Clubs often charge cover fees after evening hours, and the avenue becomes noticeably busier after dark.

An old cinema from 1937 at the eastern end of the avenue was converted into a concert hall during the 1980s and now hosts regular performances. The building kept its original facade with a large vertical sign that lights up at night.