This Statue of Elvis —nine-and-a-half-feet tall and made of bronze—replicates the original that stood here from 1980 to 1994. That statue was removed and restored because of damage done by souvenir hunters. The original can be found at the Tennessee Welcome Center, which is open 24 hours daily. Have your photo made with Elvis here as many of his fans have done over two decades on historic Beale Street.
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Memphis once had two grand railway stations, back when trains crisscrossed the country. But the Union Station was torn down in 1967 and the Central Station, built in 1914, languished for years afterward. Now renovated, the station is a stop for Amtrak's "City of New Orleans" train on its way up and down the Mississippi, and also a site for shops, restaurants, apartments and offices. The complex is intended to become the center of an artists' colony and is of interest for historic value.
St. Peter's Church, was designed by architect Patrick C. Keely. One of his more famous Gothic Revival churches is the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in New York. His other churches can be seen in cities such as Philadelphia and Charleston, South Carolina. His designs are inspired by 13th-century Gothic design using such elements as martello towers, crenelations and pinnacles. Be careful if you park on busy Third Street, the traffic moves fast and the drivers are known for not watching for car doors opening. Ring the church office doorbell for admittance.
The historic First Baptist Beale Street Church, located at the end of the entertainment district, merits the "historic" tag for a number of reasons. For one thing, it was the first and largest Negro Missionary Church, built just after the Civil War. In the 1890s, Ida B. Wells used the basement of the church to publish the Free Speech and Headlights newspaper, one of the first newspapers written specifically for an African-American audience. The church is included in the Heritage Tour of Historic Churches.
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