Under the leadership of musical director Michael Ching, Opera Memphis has developed a reputation for its excellent productions of the classics while also promoting new and innovative American operas. Performances, staged in the restored Orpheum Theater at the end of Beale Street, have featured guest artists such as Kallen Esperian as well as stars from the Met. Musicians from the Memphis Symphony Orchestra accompany the opera. The Orpheum Theatre, located 203 South Main Street, is the site of excellent performances by notable theatre personalities.

Rod & Hank's , the vintage guitar shop is located in the same building as the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, and is practically a museum itself. Check out the vintage guitars, speakers, and other equipment in the windows. You can also watch craftsmen repair beautiful old instruments. If you are in the market for a used Fender, Gibson, or Gretsch guitar, this is the place, but it's also worth a look for the non-musician, as well. Many national recording artists visit this shop when playing or recording in Memphis.

At Mud Island,trace the twists and turns of the Mississippi River following the River Walk. Learn about the shipping of cotton on the river and the musical history made in cities along the river, from New Orleans Jazz to Memphis Blues and Elvis. See the Memphis Belle, a historic WWII airplane. The Mud Island Amphitheatre on the island hosts concerts in the summer. To get there, ride the monorail, featured in the Tom Cruise movie "The Firm."

This building was the Memphis home of William Christopher Handy, who is often referred to as the "Father of the Blues." He wrote the song "Memphis Blues" in 1912 at the request of E.H. Crump, then running for mayor, and it became something of an anthem for the city. A major award for blues musicians, the W.C. Handy Award, is given every year at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis. The W.C. Handy Home features exhibits on Handy's career that trace the history of the blues in Memphis.

Blues City Tours offers several options from which to choose, depending on your interests. You can take a three-hour bus tour to see all the local landmarks, including Beale Street, the Victorian Village and Sun Studio, or see "Memphis After Dark" with a tour of the clubs on Beale. There is also a four-hour tour to the casinos along the river in Mississippi, which includes transportation to the casinos plus an all-you-can-eat buffet.

This lovely 144-year-old, 80-acre cemetery is a wonderful place to go on a warm afternoon. Huge shade trees protect the most interesting collection of graves and gravestones in the city. Elaborate Victorian monuments pay homage to city founders such as Robert Church, the first black millionaire in Memphis, as well as Mayor E.H. "Boss" Crump, 19 generals from the Confederate Army and yellow fever victims felled by the mosquitoes that used to thrive on the river banks.

Peabody Place is part of an ambitious downtown renewal effort that includes complexes of restaurants, shops and apartments. Developer Jack Belz and his wife Marilyn have put their private collection of Chinese art on display for the public in a 7,500 square-foot gallery. Some of the ivory and jade pieces date back to the Manchu Dynasty of the 17th century. Stroll around Peabody Place and see what is attracting new residents to the downtown area.

This 1870s house is part of Victorian Village, where the few homes in Memphis dating from the 1800s have been preserved and restored. In addition to the furniture and decorative arts displayed inside, the house also has an exhibit of clothing from the Victorian era. Look at the cinched waists and layers of velvet and wonder how the Victorian ladies survived the hot Memphis summers. Tours are held every half hour.

National Ornamental Metal Museum is the only one in the country dedicated to ornamental metalwork. Exhibits often include such diverse objects as silver tea services, swords, jewelry and weathervanes. See a blacksmith at work forging works of art. An annual exhibit in May features the fantastic devices people use to barbecue, timed to coincide with the Memphis in May Barbecue Contest. The museum is set in a lovely spot on the banks of the Mississippi, and the lawns are sometimes used for weddings and other private parties.

While speaking on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. You can relive history here by visiting the balcony and Dr. King's room, restored as it was when he was here to support the Sanitation Worker's strike. Through interactive multimedia exhibits you participate in the civil rights movement and learn its history from the 1600s through Rosa Parks and the freedom riders until today.