The Memphis Pyramid is an unusual landmark on the city's skyline, but its history is even more interesting

© Davel5957 Getty Images/iStockphoto

Memphis Pyramid

Memphis

LoginSave

Don't laugh, but the most striking building in Memphis, a 32-story pyramid completed in 1991, is now home to an enormous Bass Pro Shop. Even if you don't need fishing gear or hiking boots, pop in to see the artificial swamp and the aquariums, or test your skill at the shooting range. Most fun is the Sky High, a central clear-walled elevator rising 28 stories to a glass observation deck with big views of downtown and the river.

The Pyramid is also home to two restaurants and an outdoor-themed hotel, the Big Cypress Lodge (www.big-cypress.com).

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • (GERMANY OUT) Presley, Elvis *08.01.1935-16.08.1977+Saenger, Schauspieler, USA - seine Villa 'Graceland' in Memphis, Tennessee (Innenansicht): goldene Schallplatten umkraenzen ein Elvis-Portrait- Januar 1997 (Photo by Sabine Wolf/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Graceland

    7.76 MILES

    If you only make one stop in Memphis, it should be here: the sublimely kitschy, gloriously bizarre home of the King of Rock and Roll. Though born in…

  • USA, Tennessee, Sun Studio

    Sun Studio

    1.41 MILES

    This dusty storefront is ground zero for American rock and roll. Starting in the early 1950s, Sun's Sam Phillips recorded blues artists such as Howlin'…

  • MEMPHIS, TN - JANUARY 19: Aja Robertson, 7, looks out the window of the Rosa Parks bus exhibit at the National Civil Rights Museum January 19, 2004 in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum's attendance swelled to about 9,500 visitors on Martin Luther King Day. (Photo by Mike Brown/Getty Images)

    National Civil Rights Museum

    1.52 MILES

    Housed partly inside the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, is the gut-wrenching National Civil Rights Museum…

  • MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, May 12, 2015 : The Stax Museum is a replica of Stax recording studio. It celebrates the legacy of Stax Records and its artists as Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, and many others.; Shutterstock ID 283890692; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Stax Museum of American Soul Music

    3.01 MILES

    Wanna get funky? Head directly to Soulsville, USA, where this 17,000-sq-ft museum sits on the site of the old Stax recording studio. This venerable spot…

  • Memphis, TN, USA - August 5, 2015: The redbrick and blue trim Memphis Music Hall of Fame museum building

    Memphis Music Hall of Fame

    1.1 MILES

    It was a long time coming, but Memphis finally has a shrine to its own. This small but well-done museum, the sister gallery to the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul…

  • MEMPHIS - OCTOBER 03: Blues Hall Of Fame in Memphis, Tennessee on October 3, 2016. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images) 615197808

    Blues Hall of Fame

    1.49 MILES

    Dedicated to Blues Hall of Fame inductees, this intimate and well-done space features a rotating art gallery on the lobby level and a small but well…

  • NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 10: Al Green sits for a portrait in his office in Memphis, TN on November 10th, 2014. The legendary singer is a recipient of the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors. (Photo by Jesse Dittmar for The Washington Post via Getty Images.)

    Full Gospel Tabernacle Church

    8.98 MILES

    On Sunday, put on your 'smell goods' and head to services in South Memphis, where soul-music legend turned reverend Al Green presides over a powerful…

  • Entrance to the Memphis Rock n Soul Museum. The museum is located next to the FedEx forum near Beale Street - Memphis, Tennessee, USA - October 13, 2019; Shutterstock ID 1535939477; full: 65050; gl: Online editorial; netsuite: POI updates; your: Ann Douglas Lott 1535939477

    Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum

    1.21 MILES

    This Smithsonian museum, next to FedEx Forum, examines how African American and white music mingled in the Mississippi Delta to create the modern rock and…

View more attractions

Nearby Memphis attractions

1. Mud Island

0.39 MILES

A small peninsula jutting into the Mississippi, Mud Island is downtown Memphis' best-loved green space. Walk across the bridge to the park, where you can…

2. Mississippi River Museum

0.6 MILES

Pop in here to learn a little bit more about the cultural and natural history of the Big Muddy. Be sure to check out the scale model of the lower…

4. Memphis Music Hall of Fame

1.1 MILES

It was a long time coming, but Memphis finally has a shrine to its own. This small but well-done museum, the sister gallery to the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul…

5. Elvis Statue

1.11 MILES

The world's first bronze Elvis statue was erected in this small plaza in 1980.

6. WC Handy House Museum

1.15 MILES

On the corner of 4th St, this shotgun shack once belonged to the composer called the 'father of the blues.' He was the first to transpose the 12 bars and…

7. Withers Collection Museum

1.16 MILES

Featuring content culled from a 1.8-million-strong photo archive, this museum and gallery pays tribute to the work of famed African American…

8. Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum

1.21 MILES

This Smithsonian museum, next to FedEx Forum, examines how African American and white music mingled in the Mississippi Delta to create the modern rock and…