NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

The story of the blues can’t be told without looking at black history, from musical traditions brought here by enslaved Africans, to the music shared by black laborers eking out a living on Delta cotton plantations in the early 20th century.

One place to put that history in context is the National Civil Rights Museum, located in the former Lorraine Motel where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The museum has extensive exhibits on slavery, segregation and the protests that powered the civil rights movement. Allow several hours to take in the engrossing displays, which include video footage of marches, riots and news reports from the era, along with engaging interactive exhibits that offer interviews with ordinary people reflecting on their personal experiences.

King was in Memphis to support striking garbage workers when he was shot while standing on a hotel balcony. On your way in, you see the balcony from outside, but at the tour’s end, you’ll see the spot where he was murdered from inside the hotel. It’s a stunning, heart-stopping vantage point that brings you face to face with that watershed moment. April 4, 2018, will mark 50 years since that day.

No trip to Memphis is complete without visiting Graceland, the mansion Elvis Presley bought in 1957 and lived in until his death 20 years later. The house — which feels remarkably small by 21st century standards — is a time capsule, complete with green shag rugs and carved animals in the famous Jungle Room. Guests are shuttled through by the hundreds in a remarkably efficient fashion, with each visitor issued an iPad and headphones so you can get information about what you’re seeing at your own pace. The King is buried in the onsite Meditation Garden, along with his parents and grandmother. There’s also a memorial gravestone for his stillborn twin brother.

But visiting the house is only half the fun. A $45 million complex opened at Graceland in March, adding displays that look at his career from his start at Sun Records, to his work in Hollywood, to his Vegas jumpsuit era. One area showcases his cars, another looks at his influence on other entertainers.

BETH J. HARPAZ — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS This photo shows the Meditation Garden at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., where Elvis Presley is buried along with his parents, grandmother and a memorial gravestone for his stillborn twin brother. A recently opened $45 million complex added displays to...

BETH J. HARPAZ — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS This photo shows a view of the former Lorraine Motel balcony where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in 1968 in Memphis, Tenn. The former motel is now part of the National Civil Rights Museum.