Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Found at the original location of Stax Records studio, Stax Museum of American Soul Music tells the important story of soul music history within Memphis! In fact, it's the ONLY museum in the world dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of not only Stax Records as well as American soul music. 

Today, the museum pays a truly special tribute to the truly special artists who recorded at Stax Records studio, as well as other American soul legends. The museum is filled with interactive exhibits that tell their stories, plus you can see actual stage costumes worn, musical instruments these artists actually used, and even vintage recording equipment used at Stax!

In fact, the museum has an amazing collection of over 2,000 items of memorabilia and artifacts!

You'll start your museum tour in the true birthplace of soul music. Yes, you'll start your tour in a modest country church. This is just as Stax’s music discovered its roots in the sounds of Southern gospel music, so does the museum in this real, circa-1906 Mississippi Delta church, carefully reassembled inside of their museum building.

Then, get ready to express yourself! Whilst most museums don’t encourage dancing, Stax Museum of American Soul Music does on the Express Yourself dance floor! Don’t worry if you don’t have the moves – you can pick up inspiration from the dancers on vintage episodes of Soul Train playing right nearby! 

Also at the museum you can see actual period recording equipment in the control room, and stand in Studio A which is an exact replica of the legendary converted movie theater where the iconic Stax artists cut their own records, and another highlight is to see Isaac Hayes’ actual glittering custom Cadillac Eldorado! It's pretty impressive!

With so much more to see and do at Stax Museum of American Soul Music, you'll just have to visit for yourselves to experience it all!

Get ready to be inspired, and "shake what your mamma gave ya!"