Sun Studio

About

Sun Studio occupies a modest brick building at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, and what happened inside these walls fundamentally changed American music. Founded by Sam Phillips in 1950 as Memphis Recording Service, this is where rock and roll was born - not as a marketing slogan, but as historical fact.

Elvis Presley walked in as a nervous teenager in 1953 and paid $3.98 to record a personal acetate disc. By 1954, Phillips had him in the studio cutting "That's All Right" - a record that fused blues, country, and gospel into something the world had never heard. The rest is the most famous story in music history.

But Elvis was just the beginning. Johnny Cash recorded his early Sun Records hits here, including "Folsom Prison Blues" and "I Walk the Line." Jerry Lee Lewis laid down "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in this same room. Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes." Roy Orbison, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and Ike Turner all recorded at Sun. The famous "Million Dollar Quartet" session - an impromptu jam between Elvis, Cash, Perkins, and Lewis - happened here in December 1956.

Today the studio operates as both a museum and a working recording studio. Guided tours run every hour and a half, taking visitors through the ground-floor recording space where you can stand on the exact spot where Elvis stood at the microphone. The original equipment, acoustic tiles, and floor markings are preserved. Guides are knowledgeable and passionate, bringing the stories to life with audio clips and photographs.

The upstairs space has been used for recording by modern artists including U2, who recorded parts of their "Rattle and Hum" album here. The ground-floor gift shop and cafe sell vinyl records, memorabilia, and Memphis-roasted coffee.

Sun Studio is a designated National Historic Landmark, recognized in 2003 for its extraordinary contribution to American culture. It's a small space with an enormous legacy.

Accessibility

Sun Studio presents accessibility challenges due to its status as a National Historic Landmark. Because the building is historically designated, major renovations cannot be made to the original studio space, which limits accessibility modifications.

The ground-floor gift shop and cafe are wheelchair accessible and can be visited without taking the tour. This area includes Sun Records merchandise, music, and the cafe.

However, the studio tour itself has accessibility limitations. The recording studio space on the ground floor may be accessible depending on the specific entrance configuration at the time of your visit, but the tour also includes an upstairs area that is not wheelchair accessible. Visitors have reported mixed experiences with wheelchair access to the full tour.

There is no dedicated accessible parking lot at Sun Studio - street parking is used, and accessible spaces may be limited depending on availability. The studio is located on a commercial street with standard sidewalks.

Accessible restrooms are available in the gift shop and cafe area. Service animals are welcome.

Visitors with mobility concerns should call Sun Studio directly at (901) 521-0664 before their visit to discuss current accessibility options and determine what portions of the tour can be accommodated. The staff is generally helpful in working with guests who have specific needs, even if the historic building itself has limitations.

More accessible places in Tennessee

• National Civil Rights Museum (Memphis)
• Memphis Zoo (Memphis)
• Graceland (Memphis)
• Beale Street (Memphis)
• Adventure Science Center (Nashville)
• Ryman Auditorium (Nashville)