Nearly everyone has heard of Motown, but Stax may have been a better label in its best years. Otis Redding was the label’s biggest star until his untimely death in a plane crash that effectively saw the beginning of the end for this American soul institution.
While that death and other financial concerns saw the label languish, the museum is still there and a must see in Memphis, if not all of Tennessee, if you happen to be passing through.
The museum is open year-round from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., though do check the website if thinking about visiting on a holiday.
The museum is located on McLemore Avenue in the heart of Soulsville, a Memphis neighborhood that was home to greats like Booker T. Jones (leader of the Stax house band), Aretha Franklin, Memphis Minnie and Memphis Slim, among others.
Soul music was born out of Southern gospel music that got its birth in small churches throughout the region, so it’s fitting your tour of Stax begins with a real 1906 Mississippi reconstructed inside of the museum.
Soul Train episodes are shown on a variety of screens throughout Stax to get you wanting to move your feet to the sounds of the South.
Tour the recording studio and control room that made Stax what it was and still remains and make sure to admire the slanted floor of Studio A that gave the label its unique sound.
Every Stax album from 1957–1975 is on display and there is a delightful listening station for you to stop and listen to on your visit.
The Stax Museum
926 E. McLemore Ave.
Memphis, Tenn. 38126
901 261 6338
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