Stax Museum of American Soul Music

The legacy of Stax Records is a unique one that spans more than half a century. Stax Records is critical in American music history as it's one of the most popular soul music record labels of all time. It's second only to Motown in sales and influence, but first in gritty, raw, stripped-down soul music.

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is a program of the Soulsville Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee, which also operates the Stax Music Academy and The Soulsvillle Charter School.

Located the original site of Stax Records, The Stax Museum is a 17,000 square foot museum offering a tremendous experience that includes state-of-the-art interactive exhibits, music videos, instruments, items of stage clothing, records, filmed interviews, vintage recording equipment, and other items of memorabilia that tell the story, from beginning to present, of American soul music, with particular focus on Stax Records.

From the award-winning introductory documentary film to an authentic circa-1906 Mississippi Delta church that reflects the gospel roots of soul music, the museum winds and twists through a labyrinth of exhibits that entertain, inform, and engage visitors of all ages from all walks of life from all over the world. Permanent exhibits include Otis Redding’s favorite brown suede jacket; Albert King’s purple Flying V guitar; Isaac Hayes’ restored, peacock-blue 1972 Cadillac Eldorado complete with television, refrigerator, and gold trim; a near-exact replica of the original recording studio; a dance floor wrapped with vintage dance videos from the television show Soul Train; and nearly 800 45 single records and 300 LPs in a special display.

The Stax and Snapping Fingers design are ® trademarks of Stax Records, a division of Concord.