Entry No. 11 — the Memphis file — filed under: basement gallery
Tops Gallery
You get to the actual gallery by descending wooden steps through a dark, underground art-storage-and-studio space in the basement of a repurposed warehouse — Burnaway described arriving at the lit gallery room as "the light at the end of the tunnel." A second, satellite Tops space is a street-facing vitrine in Madison Avenue Park that stays lit and viewable 24 hours a day, gallery hours or not.
The story
The main entrance isn't where the street address says it is. You walk down Huling Avenue alongside a converted industrial warehouse on South Front Street, look for an unpretentious doorway, and descend a set of wooden steps into the dark. Down below, you navigate through an underground maze of raw art storage and artist studio spaces before emerging into a bright, impeccably white gallery room hidden beneath the pavement.
Tops Gallery operates as an artist-run contemporary hub in downtown Memphis, staging concise, uncompromising solo shows. The programming doesn't play to easy crowd-pleasers; recent exhibitions have run the gamut from graphite cave dioramas to raw portrait series of 1990s Memphis nurses.
If the basement feels tucked away, its second location is completely exposed. Tops maintains a satellite space in Madison Avenue Park: a single, street-facing glass vitrine box embedded outdoors. While the subterranean gallery requires navigating the basement stairwell during tight weekend hours, the park vitrine remains illuminated and viewable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
What it's like
Finding the door on Huling Avenue feels like stepping somewhere you aren't supposed to be. You'll descend the dim wooden stairs and walk past shadowy studio materials until the lit square of the gallery pulls you in. The big catch is timing: the underground gallery only opens to the public during a narrow four-hour window on Saturday afternoons (noon to 4 PM), though you can contact them for appointments. Pair your weekend visit with a night walk past the glass vitrine in Madison Avenue Park to catch the outdoor companion show illuminated after dark.
The move: Go Saturday between noon and 4pm (its one regular open window) for whatever solo show is up — recent ones have run from graphite cave dioramas to portraits of 1990s Memphis nurses — then walk over after dark to see the glowing, always-on vitrine show in Madison Avenue Park as a free second stop.
- 📍 South Main / industrial south downtown, entrance on Huling Ave
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 400 South Front Street, Memphis, TN 38103
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Earnestine & Hazel's — Walk two blocks down South Main after your Saturday gallery visit for a Soul Burger and a cold beer at this former brothel-turned-dive-bar.
- The Broom Closet — Swap minimalist contemporary art for esoteric herbalism at this nearby metaphysical shop run by local Pagan clergy.
- Rooftop Stargazing at Beale Street Landing — Follow up your late-night walk past the lit Madison Avenue vitrine with a trip up the grass ramp at Beale Street Landing to look through amateur telescopes.
Good to know
Where is the entrance to the main gallery?
Although the address is 400 South Front Street, the doorway to the basement gallery is located around the corner on Huling Avenue.
What are the gallery hours?
The main basement space is regularly open on Saturdays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The outdoor satellite vitrine in Madison Avenue Park is open 24/7.
Is there an admission fee?
No, visiting both the main basement gallery and the outdoor Madison Avenue Park vitrine is free.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · burnaway.org
last checked: 2026-07-20