Stay & Play

The Peabody: A Memphis Landmark

History, pageantry and architectural splendor accent one of the American South’s truly grand hotels

by Randy Mink

F or generations, The Peabody Memphis has been the top place to stay for anyone who wants to tap into the vibe of this musically inclined Tennessee city on the Mississippi River. Located in the heart of downtown Memphis, the venerable hotel is just blocks from the riverfront and the clubs of legendary Beale Street.

A National Historic Landmark famed for its elegance, pedigree and lobby fountain inhabited by live ducks, The Peabody is a destination in itself. While many important events have transpired there over the decades, it’s those ducks that have put the hotel on the tourist map.

Ducks on Parade

For a spectacle that has been staged daily for 90 years, people throng the hotel’s two-story Grand Lobby and lean over the mezzanine’s railings to watch five resident mallard ducks—one male and four females—march out of the brass-trimmed, wood-paneled elevator at 11 a.m. and walk single file down the regal red carpet to the Italian travertine marble fountain.

The famous Peabody Duck March is led by professional actor Kenon Walker, who goes by the title of Duckmaster. Wearing a red, ringmaster-style coat adorned with gold-braided epaulets, he officiates at the presentation, regaling onlookers with the story behind the quirky tradition. Come 5 p.m., the ceremony is repeated, again with great fanfare, and the feathered friends march back to the elevator and their penthouse home, a rooftop brick abode called the Duck Palace.

Spectators can preserve their memories of the hotel’s celebrity mascots by picking up a duck-related souvenir in the lobby gift shop. Merchandise ranges from duck socks and plush toys to the Blue Suede Duck, a rubber ducky with the head of Memphis boy Elvis Presley. The Lobby Bar serves a Rubber Ducky Cocktail (rum, crème de banana, pineapple juice and orange juice) that comes with a mini rubber ducky.

Just as opulent as the lobby is adjacent Chez Philippe, a palatial French restaurant with murals, crystal sconces and soaring Corinthian columns. It’s the perfect place for The Peabody’s traditional English afternoon tea.

The Peabody Story: A Look Back

An impressive 12-story structure designed in Italian Renaissance Revival style, The Peabody opened in 1925 and soon became a social, business and nightlife hub. In the early 1970s, however, downtowns across the nation started experiencing economic declines, and Memphis was no exception. After multiple ownership changes, the hotel closed its doors in 1975. But Memphis-based Belz Enterprises, the current owner, saved the landmark from the wrecking ball and began a multi-year renovation, reopening it in 1981.

The hotel’s colorful history comes to life in the mezzanine’s Memorabilia Room. One learns that Elvis Presley received the $4,500 signing bonus of his first national recording contract at The Peabody and had attended his high school’s junior-senior prom there two years earlier.

Exploration of the hotel also should include the open-air rooftop, which offers panoramic views of downtown Memphis and close-up looks at the Duck Palace.

www.peabodymemphis.com