Things to Do in New South Memphis

Range USA brings together the local community of shooting enthusiasts on its range and during special events while welcoming new marksmen with informative and confidence-bolstering classes. The 20,000-square-foot Memphis facility houses a shooting range divided into two climate-controlled areas—one with nine lanes at 50 feet deep, the other with 14 lanes at 82 feet deep—with one of the two areas always open to the public. Further afield, Range USA's team also operates a 10-lane shooting gallery in Jackson. Besides overseeing the ranges, the staff also teaches classes, from basic handgun and advanced tactical training to women-only and youth programs. A FAQ page anticipates visitors' questions, such as "What calibers are allowed on the shooting range?" and "Do you have ear muffs to match my belt buckle?" When spending a day at Range USA, the facility's own 1776 Deli & Eatery keeps hunger from interfering with focus.

Located in a refurbished school, patrons have flocked for years to Singleton Community Center’s facility to take over 100 different classes in everything from fitness, to arts and crafts, to dancing, music, tutoring, drivers ed., cooking, and more. Guests can work up a solo sweat or gather in the group-exercise studio for fitness classes, which include yoga, Zumba, and bench aerobics.

The facility also offers a preschool for children ages 2 to 5. Singleton Community Center also offers arts and crafts classes, such as pottery. Click here for a full list of activities available.

During spring at Jones Orchard, families gather to bound through the territory’s rows of fruit, peeling back leaves to get at the ripest morsels hidden deep within the thicket. Since growing their first peaches more than seven decades ago, the Jones family continues to ripen juicy varieties of peaches, strawberries, and other fruit on their 600-acre farm, eschewing long-distance produce shipping for local distribution, mostly available at farmer’s markets and during the orchard’s pick-your-own fruit season. Inviting families to pick fruit together is one of many ways the Jones family lures visitors to their orchard seasonally—come autumn, the farmers transform the fields into a vast corn maze. Visitors not content to wander the idyllic grounds can enjoy the orchard’s bounty at the Country Café, where matriarch Juanita Jones flavors her fresh pies and preserves with fresh-plucked fruits.

The staffers at Yarniverse understand that it often takes more than yarn and needles to see a knitting project through to the end. With this in mind, they man a round table inside the two-story shop where they help clients master tricky patterns, inspire them to try new techniques, and fuel knitting sprees with friendly conversation until each wooly endeavor is complete. Before starting new projects, clients stock up on yarns and knitting tools or refresh their skills in a class that covers how to make socks, dog sweaters, or vintage scarves.

Range USA brings together the local community of shooting enthusiasts on its range and during special events while welcoming new marksmen with informative and confidence-bolstering classes. The 20,000-square-foot Memphis facility houses a shooting range divided into two climate-controlled areas—one with nine lanes at 50 feet deep, the other with 14 lanes at 82 feet deep—with one of the two areas always open to the public. Further afield, Range USA's team also operates a 10-lane shooting gallery in Jackson. Besides overseeing the ranges, the staff also teaches classes, from basic handgun and advanced tactical training to women-only and youth programs. A FAQ page anticipates visitors' questions, such as "What calibers are allowed on the shooting range?" and "Do you have ear muffs to match my belt buckle?" When spending a day at Range USA, the facility's own 1776 Deli & Eatery keeps hunger from interfering with focus.

Mel Baddorf didn’t start out as a runner. He used to be content cheering on his sons, who both scored college running scholarships, until he opened his own fitness club, lost 70 pounds, and discovered a love for fitness that endures to this day. That love is equaled by his enjoyment of sharing Memphis history with others, and Rockin' Running Tours pairs those passions as he leads athletic guests around the city at a calorie-burning pace.

The informative tours range from 3–6 miles, with Mel adjusting the pace so everyone can keep up. Groups can set forth on their own tour of two to six people, or join up with other visitors for camaraderie as they discover Civil War history, explore Midtown Memphis, or see the downtown sights. Mel also maps out custom pub runs where groups sample microbrews and get in touch with the city’s livelier side. Each guest receives a post-run bottle of water and a snack, as well as a souvenir T-shirt ideal for throwing on in lieu of a shower.