Memphis sits at the crossroads of American music, the Mississippi River and the Deep South — and its abandoned landscape reflects all three. A 1964 sports arena where Elvis performed, Muhammad Ali fought and the Rolling Stones played, closed since 2006 and still standing. A 1913 hotel where Elvis first heard his voice on radio. Civil War fortifications along the river bluffs. Cotton warehouses from the era when Memphis moved more cotton than any city on Earth. Here are 5 of the best abandoned places in Memphis, selected from our Abandoned Places Map USA — 5,000+ GPS locations across the United States.
Why Memphis Is a Hidden Gem for Abandoned Buildings & Urban Exploration
Memphis's urbex landscape is defined by its position as a crossroads city — a Mississippi River port that was the center of the cotton economy, the birthplace of the blues and the city where rock and roll was first recorded. The economic decline of the mid-20th century left extraordinary music venues, civic buildings and industrial infrastructure in various states of abandonment across a city that was once among the most culturally significant in America.
1. Mid-South Coliseum – 1964 Arena Where Elvis Performed and Muhammad Ali Fought, Closed 2006, Still Standing on the Fairgrounds (Known Location)
Built in 1964 as the premier entertainment venue for the Mid-South, the Mid-South Coliseum hosted Elvis Presley's concert performances, Muhammad Ali's fights (including his 1966 rematch with Brian London), the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and the Memphis Blues. After nearly four decades of major events it closed in 2006 when the FedExForum arena opened downtown. The Coliseum has stood empty on the Memphis Fairgrounds ever since — its distinctive roofline, original seating and the layers of history from two generations of American entertainment still present inside. Repeated demolition plans have been blocked by preservationists. One of the most culturally significant abandoned places in Memphis.
🔗 Learn more: Wikipedia – Mid-South Coliseum
2. Chisca Hotel – 1913 Hotel Where Elvis First Heard His Voice on WHBQ Radio, Abandoned for Decades, Downtown Memphis (Known Location)
Opened in 1913 as one of Memphis's premier downtown hotels, the Chisca Hotel carries a defining moment in American cultural history — on July 10, 1954, radio station WHBQ played Elvis Presley's first Sun Records recording "That's All Right" live on air from the hotel's broadcast studio, and Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips called Elvis in for an interview the same night. The hotel declined through the mid-20th century and stood abandoned for decades, its original facade and lobby structure still intact on South Main Street. Restoration work has begun but significant sections of the original building remain in abandonment. One of the most historically charged abandoned places in Memphis.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Best Abandoned Places in the USA →
3. Memphis Cotton Row Warehouse District – 1880s-1920s Cotton Exchange and Warehouse Buildings, Front Street Facades Still Intact (Exclusively on Our Map)
At the height of Memphis's cotton era, Front Street was the most economically important block in the American South — the Cotton Exchange and cotton factor warehouses lining the Mississippi River bluff handled more cotton than any other city on Earth. The 1880s-1920s brick warehouse buildings that defined this trade still line sections of Front Street, their cast-iron facades and loading dock infrastructure visible alongside the active renovation that has consumed much of the district. The most significant surviving unrenovated sections retain original cotton storage interior features. One of the best abandoned places in Memphis for cotton era commercial architecture photography. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
4. Abandoned Memphis South Main Arts District Industrial Buildings – 1900s-1920s Warehouse and Factory Complex, Loading Docks and Original Floors Intact (Exclusively on Our Map)
South Main Street's late 19th and early 20th-century industrial warehouse district — built to service the cotton economy and the railroad infrastructure that connected Memphis to the rest of America — retains sections of 1900s-1920s brick warehouse and factory construction between the renovated arts district buildings. Original hardwood freight floors, loading dock infrastructure and the scale of early 20th-century commercial Memphis are visible in the unrenovated sections. One of the best abandoned places in Memphis for urban industrial photography in a district transitioning between abandonment and revival. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
5. Abandoned North Memphis Railroad Roundhouse – 1890s-1920s Locomotive Repair Facility, Turntable Pit Still Visible, Shelby County (Exclusively on Our Map)
A 1890s-1920s railroad roundhouse from the era when Memphis was one of the most important rail junctions in the American South — the original locomotive turntable pit still cut into the concrete floor, the fan-shaped roundhouse stall foundations visible and the machine shop building with period ironwork still standing. Memphis's railroad heritage shaped every aspect of its economic and cultural history — the city's position as a rail junction made it the distribution center for the Mississippi Delta's cotton, the arrival point for African American migrants from the Deep South and the city where blues musicians converged on Beale Street. One of the best abandoned places in Memphis for railroad heritage industrial photography. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
Safety Tips for Urban Exploration in Memphis
- Memphis heat & humidity: Memphis summers are extreme — always carry water and avoid enclosed structures between 10am and 5pm June through September
- South Memphis awareness: always research current neighborhood conditions before exploring South Memphis industrial sites — go in daylight and in groups
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and let someone know your location
The urbex code applies everywhere: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."
❓ FAQ – Abandoned Places in Memphis
What is the most famous abandoned place in Memphis?
The Mid-South Coliseum on the Memphis Fairgrounds — a 1964 arena where Elvis Presley performed, Muhammad Ali fought and the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin played, closed since 2006 when FedExForum opened. Repeated demolition plans have been blocked by preservationists and the arena still stands two decades after its last event.
What is the Chisca Hotel's connection to Elvis?
On July 10, 1954, Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips played Elvis Presley's first Sun Records recording "That's All Right" on WHBQ radio broadcasting from the Chisca Hotel — the first time Elvis's voice was heard on commercial radio. Phillips called Elvis in that same night for a live interview that became a defining moment in American music history. The hotel declined and stood abandoned for decades on South Main Street.
Why was Memphis so important to American music history?
Memphis's position at the crossroads of the Mississippi Delta and the railroad network made it the convergence point for blues musicians migrating from the Deep South in the early 20th century. Beale Street became the center of African American music culture; Sam Phillips at Sun Records recorded Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and B.B. King in the 1950s. The city's music heritage is inseparable from its urban geography.
🎯 Summary
Memphis's abandoned buildings carry the full weight of American music history — a coliseum where Elvis and Ali performed, a hotel where rock and roll was first broadcast on radio and cotton warehouses lining the Mississippi River bluff where the economic engine of the antebellum South was weighed and traded. Each of these 5 abandoned places in Memphis captures a different layer of a city shaped by the river, the railroad, the blues and the cotton that brought them all together.
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