What It Is

Known as “The Birthplace of Rock ’N’ Roll,” Sun Studio is a still-functioning recording studio that made its mark in the 1950s by recording such legendary artists as B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Where It Is

Memphis, Tennessee

When We Went

July 2019

What We Did

Took a 45-minute guided tour of the studio.

How Much We Spent

$28 for four tour tickets, plus souvenirs.  However, prices have increased since then.  Tickets today (as of September 2025) are $15 for kids 5-11 (kids under 5 can’t join the tour), $18 for youth 12-18, and $20 for adults.

How Much Time We Spent There

We had to wait about an hour for our tour, so we were in and out in about two hours.  If you have to wait, there really isn’t anywhere to go or anything else to do except look at souvenirs in the small lobby.

What We Liked

Our tour guide was great, and he gave some really interesting insight into the history of this small (physically) but mighty studio.  We loved the studio’s memorabilia, including the very microphone that Elvis and many others used to record music.  You could even get a photo taken with it, as it sits prominently in one of the rooms, not hidden inside a glass display case.

What We Didn't Like

We like being able to plan our days.  Tours of Sun Studio are not reservable ahead of time.  You can only get tickets on-site the day of.  Spots are limited for each tour, and tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

We arrived on a Saturday at 2:05 p.m. with the hope of getting tickets for the 2:30 p.m. tour.  It was full, so we had to wait until the 3:00 tour.  That wasn’t too bad, but it could have been a problem if the line had been longer and if we had time-sensitive plans afterward.

If you plan to go and are able, the studio recommends you arrive at 10:00, when the day’s tickets go on sale, and purchase your tickets for your desired time.  Otherwise, plan on arriving at least 15 minutes prior to your preferred tour time and hope tickets are still available.  As of September 2025, tours are given daily at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, and 4:30.


Was it worth it? 

Absolutely.  My husband, in particular, enjoyed this experience and happily bought an original Sun Studio record as a souvenir before we left.

For more information, visit www.sunstudio.com.

Did You Know?  Women have supposedly licked the microphone in the recording studio because it’s the very one that Elvis sang into.  We didn’t, and we don’t recommend it.

Was It Worth It?
Sun Studio

​Posted December 29, 2025, by Janet Wolfe