Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Stax began in the late 1950s when a brother and sister, Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, converted an old movie theater in South Memphis into a recording studio. The label's name came from combining their surnames. The theater's sloping floor and unusual acoustics helped shape a distinctive, gritty sound, and a nearby record shop in the front of the building kept the owners in touch with what young listeners wanted to hear.

Through the 1960s Stax built a house band and a roster that produced hit after hit. Booker T. and the M.G.'s, an integrated group of studio musicians, laid down the grooves behind much of the label's output while scoring their own instrumental hits. Otis Redding became the label's great star, Sam and Dave brought explosive energy, and the Memphis Horns gave the records their punchy brass signature. The sound was rawer and more Southern than the polished pop coming out of Motown up north.

The label was also a beacon in a segregated South. Its studio was integrated at a time when much of Memphis was not, and Black and white musicians created together as equals. That collaboration, and the neighborhood that surrounded it, gave Stax a cultural weight beyond its music, though the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis in 1968 and business troubles would eventually take a heavy toll on the label and its community.

In its later years Stax reached new heights with Isaac Hayes, whose lush, orchestral soul, most famously the theme from the film Shaft, won him worldwide fame and an Academy Award. His success embodied the label's ambition and its reach beyond Memphis, and his gold-trimmed custom Cadillac, on display in the museum, is one of the most photographed objects in the building.

Financial and legal troubles eventually brought Stax down, and the label collapsed in the mid-1970s. The original studio building was later demolished, and for years the site sat empty, a painful loss for the neighborhood. But the memory of the music endured, and community leaders and music lovers came together to bring Stax back to life, not as a working label but as a museum, an academy, and a school on the same hallowed ground.

The museum is a careful re-creation of the original Stax studio complex, rebuilt on the site of the demolished theater. Inside, visitors find instruments, stage costumes, gold records, recording equipment, film, and listening stations that trace the full arc of the label and the wider story of Southern soul music. A restored rural church moved to the site anchors the story in gospel, the wellspring from which soul flowed.

Highlights include Isaac Hayes's flamboyant Cadillac, artifacts from Otis Redding and other stars, and a recreation of the studio itself. Beyond the exhibits, the museum is part of a living campus that includes a music academy and a charter school serving the neighborhood, so the institution carries the Stax legacy forward by training a new generation of musicians in the very place the sound was born.

As an indoor museum, Stax is a comfortable destination in any weather and a natural anchor for a music-focused Memphis trip year round.

Spring and fall bring the mildest weather to Memphis and the easiest sightseeing, ideal for pairing the museum with the city's other music landmarks on foot and by car.

Summer is hot and humid in Memphis, and the air-conditioned galleries and listening rooms make a welcome escape from the heat while the music plays on.

Winter is quieter in the city, a good time to take an unhurried visit and dig deep into the exhibits and listening stations without the peak-season crowds.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, in Memphis, Tennessee, celebrates the legendary Stax Records and the glorious history of American soul music, on the site of the famous recording studio. Stax Records was one of the most important soul labels in history, home to legends like Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and many others, and the museum tells the story of the label, its music, and the artists through exhibits, artifacts, memorabilia, and interactive displays, celebrating the soul, funk, and gospel that came out of Memphis. It also reflects the era's connections to the civil rights movement. A joyous and moving music museum, it delights visitors. With its soul heritage, the Stax Museum offers a compelling destination in Tennessee.

You can explore exhibits on the legendary Stax Records and the artists who recorded there, see artifacts and memorabilia including costumes and instruments, learn about the history of soul music and its cultural significance, and enjoy interactive displays and recordings. The story of Stax Records, the soul music legends, the artifacts, and the celebration of soul and its era are the draws, offering a joyous and meaningful experience. The music and its history are highlights. With its exhibits, the Stax Museum offers a rewarding visit in Memphis, Tennessee.

Stax Records is significant as one of the most important soul music labels in history, producing legendary recordings by artists like Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and many others, and helping define the sound of soul and funk. Beyond its music, Stax was notable for bringing together artists across racial lines during the civil rights era, giving it cultural as well as musical importance. The museum honors this rich legacy. Understanding this significance enriches a visit to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Tennessee.

As an indoor museum, the Stax Museum is enjoyable year-round in any weather, making it a great stop in any season, with weekdays generally less crowded than busy weekends. Because hours can vary, checking the current schedule before you go is wise. Because it is indoors, the Stax Museum makes a rewarding stop any time of year in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is in Memphis, Tennessee, within reach of the National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studio, Beale Street, and the other attractions of Memphis. That makes the Stax Museum a compelling stop to combine with the National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studio, and the other attractions of Memphis on a visit to Tennessee.