From studio tours to live music joints, here's where to find soul music's past and present.
By Eric Berry for TravelCoterie in partnership with Tripadvisor

Vintage car outside of Sun Studios in Memphis, TN Image: Alex Shansky/Courtesy of Memphis Travel

For African Americans, music has often served as a means of expression, connection, and empowerment, from the days of spirituals to the evolution of jazz, country, R&B, hip-hop, and soul. Music for Black folks has been about the moments—and the movements. 

Soul music during its peak was a political and socially conscious art form—think Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” or Syl Johnson’s “Is It Because I’m Black”—and reached popularity in the ‘60s and ‘70s, before retreating from popular culture. A new generation of music lovers was introduced to the genre after Jay-Z and Kanye West released Watch the Throne, a Grammy-winning album that samples soul icons Curtis Mayfield and Otis Redding. And today, next-gen soul singers—like London-based Michael Kiwanuka and Texas-born Leon Bridges, whose Coming Home album sounds like it was pressed in ‘60s Detroit—are evolving the genre. 

To engage all of the senses—sight, taste, smell, touch, and, yes, sound—music lovers and casual appreciators alike can take in the culture and history of soul music on pilgrimages to the genre's most iconic cities. From historic studio tours in Motor City to an immersive music museum in Nashville, here are the best places to take in soul music’s past and present. 

TENNESSEE

Memphis, TN, is often referred to as the birthplace of soul music, with iconic labels like Stax, Sun, and Hi Records producing some of the genre's most popular artists and songs. Today, some, like Stax, have been transformed into lauded museums, while others, like the late Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios, are still working recording studios. But Memphis is hardly the only city in the state with deep soul-music roots. Make it your central destination, and then take a day trip to explore Brownsville, Tina Turner’s nearby hometown, before heading to Nashville (about three hours east) to get a full sense of the state’s soul-music history. 

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Located at the original site of Stax Records—where Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and Sam & Dave, among others, recorded their music—Memphis’s Stax Museum of American Soul Music is filled with music history. The space showcases the impact of the genre on Memphis and the greater United States, including a reassembled Mississippi Delta church from the early 1900s and the Hammond M3 organ used in Booker T. & the M.G.'s “Green Onions." Snag tickets in advance for a self-guided tour through the museum and give yourself around two hours to explore all of the artifacts and history inside.

After your visit, grab a plate of fried catfish or country-fried steak at Four Way Restaurant, about a 10-minute walk away. It was a favorite of hungry Stax musicians and Civil Rights icons, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Sun Studio

Considered the birthplace of rock and roll, Sun Studio is where several soul artists, including Ike Turner and Howlin' Wolf, recorded their music. Today, you can tour the studio (located just outside of downtown Memphis), hear some of the original recordings, and even hold the Shure 55 microphone once used by Elvis. The first-come, first-served guided tours—held every hour on the half-hour—come highly recommended by music-loving travelers, who applaud the well-informed guides’ enthusiasm. 

Travelers say: “Best deal in town. Tickets were only $15.00 a piece and the tour lasted approximately 45 minutes. I was overcome walking in there. Man if those walls could talk!! BB King, Rufus Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Ike Turner, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Charley Rich, etc. etc. etc...all recorded in this hallowed building. Our tour guide Josh Hurley was a young guy, whose appreciation of the aforementioned artists and this place was truly remarkable.”—@glock247

Beale Street

This historic street in downtown Memphis is home to numerous blues and soul-music clubs, including the famous B.B. King's Blues Club. (The B.B. in the singer’s name is shortened from Beale Street Blues Boy, as he got his start as a young boy on this very street.) You can hear live music—be it soul, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, or otherwise—any time of day along Beale Street, but it becomes a nightlife hub and restricted to those 21 and up as the sun sets. 

The Levitt Shell

If you’re visiting Memphis in the summer, check the Levitt Shell’s calendar for free performances. This outdoor venue in Overton Park has hosted historic performers like Aretha Franklin and Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and today hosts modern soul acts like Black Joe Lewis and So-Cal–based Thee Sinseers. 

Tina Turner Museum

Well worth a day trip, the free Tina Turner Museum sits about an hour’s drive from Memphis, inside the singer’s former elementary school. Here, you’ll find some spectacular costumes, awards, and photos from the Soul Music Hall of Famer—there’s even a replica of the studio where she recorded some of her most famous songs. It’s all part of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, which has other small-but-mighty museums onsite that cover local history and culture. 

Before you head back to Memphis, be sure to drive down State Route 19, specifically the section between Brownsville and Nutbush, which has been renamed the Tina Turner Highway. 

National Museum of African American Music

From gospel to hip-hop and soul, downtown Nashville's state-of-the-art National Museum of African American Music covers the evolution of music in some incredibly interactive exhibits. Visitors can mix their own tracks and experience life as a deejay in the Rhythm and Technology gallery, and in the Blues gallery, you can play virtual instruments. A favorite among adults and kids alike, the museum is full of things to do—so many that a number of previous travelers say one visit is simply not enough.

If you’re crunched for time and want to focus purely on soul music, don’t skip “One Nation Under a Groove,” an exhibit that covers funk, soul, and R&B, from the Motown sound to the rise of artists like Aretha Franklin and James Brown. 

Travelers say: “I spent close to 4 hours in the museum and probably could've spent another hour. There was so much to see and do, from singing with a gospel choir, following along with choreography to popular songs, mixing your own beats, singing/rapping along to tracks, and just exploring the roots of different types of music. I'm already planning another trip to Nashville with friends so that I can experience the museum again.”—@justdanak

CHICAGO

During the 1960s and 1970s, soul music flourished in the Windy City, making it an important hub in the genre's history. Today, you can visit many of the studios and concert venues graced by Chicago-born soul-music icons like Curtis Mayfield, Chaka Khan, and Minnie Riperton. And if you want to hear how the music has evolved, plan a trip around the free, two-day Chi Soul Fest, held on the Navy Pier each June—past headliners have included Madison McFerrin and Bumpus.

Chess Records

This historic recording studio was the birthplace of many iconic soul musicians, including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Etta James, whose albums you can find at Black-owned record stores across the city, like Out of the Past Records and House of Music. To see the recording studio for yourself, you’ll need to book a one-hour tour ahead of time with the Blues Heaven Foundation (reach out to info@BluesHeaven.com to make a res). While not as memorabilia-focused as other studio tours on this list, the tour guides’ storytelling makes it an experience not to be missed. 

The DuSable Museum of African American History

This museum in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood covers Black history in America more broadly and is a history-buff favorite. But music lovers can find lots to explore in the exhibits celebrating the contributions of African Americans to American music, including soul and R&B. Come summer, there’s an annual music fest in front of the museum if you’re in search of live performances.

Travelers say: “Whilst the [DuSable] museum does not deal explicitly with music, the social history presented here is invaluable to an understanding of Chicago as a major music capital. …The museum is not in the downtown area but it is SO worth going a little bit out of your way to visit.”—@adamscottgoulding

DETROIT

Detroit has a deep connection to soul music. The city was home to Motown Records, which produced hits by acts like The Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. The city also nurtured its own massively popular style of soul music, dubbed “the Motown sound.” The best part? You can still hear Motown Records alumni and modern soul acts performing all over the city.

Motown Museum

Also known as Hitsville, U.S.A., the birthplace of Motown Records is now home to the Motown Museum—the centerpiece of the Motor City’s soul-music history. Book a ticket for a guided, one-hour tour to explore the original recording studio, which saw the likes of the Temptations and The Supremes, as well as rooms filled with memorabilia. Don’t be surprised if your tour guide teaches you a few dance moves along the way. Note: If you want to guarantee a tour spot, book tickets online in advance, but procrastinators can try their luck with day-of, walk-up tickets. Street parking is also known to be tricky in the area, so download the museum-recommended Park Detroit app to make it a more seamless experience.

Baker's Keyboard Lounge

Founded in 1934 by Clarence Baker, this historic jazz club has hosted legendary jazz and soul musicians, such as Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. Today, you’re still able to catch some incredible musicians seven days a week—or try your hand at singing your soul favorites at Wednesday karaoke—while snacking on soul food classics, like fried pork chops. 

Travelers say: “Don't miss it if you're in Detroit for even one night—wanted to go for years due to a love of soul and jazz from Detroit. Had built it up in my mind and was not disappointed. Call first to see what's happening that night and reserve a booth.”—@A7869OYbenw