Cash strapped students can find local fun for free

Despite their pinched pockets, students can still enjoy themselves for little to no cost at local attractions.

Many culturally rich historical places in Memphis - from the Beale Street Walk of Fame to Elvis Presley's house - all have something in common. These attractions are free or discounted for students, some on a daily basis and some on set days.

Elmwood Cemetery hosts students from The University of Memphis all the time, said Jody Schmidt, assistant director of the cemetery. She said students often come to meet requirements for a history class or to paint the Victorian statues around the grounds.

Elmwood, which is open year-round, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., is always free. Opened in 1852, it is the oldest active cemetery in Memphis. The site hosts the graves of 75,000 people and has space for 15,000 more.

"Coming to Elmwood is like walking through Memphis history," Schmidt said. "If it happened [in Memphis], we probably have someone buried here that participated in or organized it."

For those who want history without the tombstone, the Pink Palace Museum is another attraction offering culture to students.

"There is stuff in this museum that affected the whole world," said Ronda Cloud, director of marketing and public relations for the Pink Palace.

The Pink Palace is free Tuesdays from 1-4 p.m. Cloud said all kinds of people show up on Tuesdays, and the free hours are the museum's way of giving back to the community.

"Free works well with any budget," she said.

Another way to grab free entertainment is to volunteer.

The Orpheum Theatre, for instance, has a program for people to volunteer as ushers, which allows them to see the plays.

Junior public relations major Matthew Antwine said he "would kill for some free time during the week," and if some of these free days were on weekends, he would definitely take advantage of them. Because free admission is only offered during the week, Antwine said he feels it does not benefit students.

Lindsey Kemme, senior anthropology major, said the only time she can take advantage of free days is during the summer.

"People would never go during the week if it wasn't for that (free days)," she said. "People always go on the weekends."

Josh Swee, manager for the Rock 'n' Soul Museum, said few people participate in their free admission hours, Tuesdays from 2-7 p.m.

The Rock 'n' Soul Museum has eight galleries of Memphis music history and a self-guided tour, assisted by MP3 players. Swee said it is the only Smithsonian affiliate museum outside of Washington, D.C.

During the museum's free times, Swee said it is rare for him to see locals involved. They receive an average of seven to 10 people from the community but no college students.

"Maybe they don't know about it," he said.