Peabody Hotel, Memphis (must see)

The Peabody Hotel stands on Union Avenue in the historic core of Memphis and is one of the city’s great landmarks, combining old Southern grandeur with one of the most unusual rituals in American hospitality. The hotel is housed in a magnificent structure constructed in 1925, which preserved the Peabody name as a symbol of elegance after the original 1869 building was closed.

Inside, the central highlight is the Grand Lobby Fountain, located on the ground floor of the hotel and often visible as the immediate focal point for everyone entering from Union Avenue. It reveals the craftsmanship of the early 20th century, having been carved from a single block of Italian travertine marble. To find this feature, walk into the heart of the lobby; look for the ornate carvings and flowing water where the mallards spend their day.

Each day at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., guests will be treated for the famous Duck March show at the fountain. Listen for John Philip Sousa’s “King Cotton March” as five mallards march across a red carpet, a tradition that began as a joke in 1933, when the general manager placed live English Call ducks here after a hunting trip.

The hotel also has strong links to the succession of musical cultures that shaped the city, most notably through Elvis Presley. Beyond the main lobby level, the Peabody Memorabilia Room serves as a relic of this rock ’n’ roll history. To find this highlight, take the stairs or elevator to the mezzanine level overlooking the fountain. Once you find yourself in this quiet gallery, look for the glass-protected displays. Pay attention to the 1955 contract Elvis signed in the lobby when he left Sun Records for RCA, along with items from Bernard Lansky, the “Clothier to the Stars,” who sold Elvis his first shirts.

This room also recounts how Elvis attended his Humes High School senior prom here; despite his future fame, he was so nervous that he famously told his date he “didn’t dance.”

Beneath the open sky of the Plantation Roof, a specially designed structure represents the crowning relic of the hotel’s hospitality. After the ducks finish their 5 p.m. march, they return to the Duck Palace. Visit the Plantation Roof to see the miniature mansion constructed of solid granite and marble. Look for the original brass nameplates and the small fountain once used for the ducks’ private leisure, which sits alongside the Peabody Skyway. This area recalls the hotel’s glamorous 1940s social life and still offers fine views over the Memphis skyline.