USA Guide
The South
Sun Studio
Second only to Graceland, Memphis's principal shrine to the memory of Elvis is Sun Studio, where, in 1953, the shy eighteen-year-old trucker from Tupelo turned up with his guitar, claiming, "I don't sound like nobody." The studio, which went on to introduce rock'n'roll to the world, is located a short way east of Beale Street at 706 Union Ave. Sun Records moved out in 1959, but even when the building briefly became a scuba-diving store its soundproofing remained in place, making possible its restoration as a functioning studio in 1987. Every hour on the half-hour, forty-minute tours lead past the display cases upstairs, one of which holds Elvis's high school diploma, and down into the single-room studio itself. Measuring just eighteen by thirty feet, the shabby room focuses around Elvis's original mic stand, where you can pose for photos.
Opening time: Daily 10am–6pm
Price: $12