Hidden in Plain Sight: Explore the Stories of Crosstown Concourse

Looking for a fun, free family activity before the kids head back to school? Come explore Crosstown Concourse, where art, history, and community come together in one unforgettable Memphis destination.

Originally built as the Sears Crosstown Distribution Center, Crosstown has been transformed into a vibrant hub of creativity and collaboration. But if you slow down and look closely, you’ll discover it’s also full of clever details—little surprises that tell the story of the building’s past, the neighborhood’s legacy, and Memphis’s inventive spirit.

Here are just a few of the hidden gems waiting for you and your crew to uncover:

Yours/Ours Sign

As you drive down Concourse Avenue toward the parking garage, don’t miss the large white letters on the building’s northeast corner. At first glance, it reads “Yours”—but take a moment, and you’ll notice the blinking “Y.” It’s not a glitch. That subtle flicker turns “Yours” into “Ours,” reminding every visitor that Crosstown belongs to all of us. It’s a welcome sign with a message far deeper than most, and it sets the tone for everything inside.

 

West Hall Fence Mural

Back when the Crosstown Theater was under construction, a sturdy metal fence wrapped around the site to keep the dust and debris in—and the pedestrians out. But this is Crosstown, where even a construction fence can become a work of art. Instead of tossing it once the job was done, the team saw potential in its worn panels and decided to turn it into something lasting. Today, you can find pieces of that fence repurposed into a striking mural along the west retail hallway, a testament to creativity, sustainability, and a refusal to waste good texture.

 

Survival Planters

During the renovation of Crosstown, crews uncovered something straight out of a Cold War time capsule: rows of green metal survival canisters tucked away in the basement. Left over from the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, these cans once held emergency rations—mostly rice—stocked in case of nuclear disaster. Rather than tossing them aside or displaying them behind glass, the design team decided to breathe new life into these relics. Today, you’ll find them throughout the Concourse, transformed into cheerful planters bursting with greenery. In a poetic twist, containers once filled with fear now cradle life, growing just outside organizations dedicated to healing and hope—like Church Health and the Church Health YMCA.

 

The Parcels Sign

Step into the soaring West Atrium, and look up. Embedded into the concrete wall, white blocks spell out “P A R C E L S.” It’s a subtle but meaningful nod to the millions of packages that once flowed through the Sears warehouse during its heyday. Today, the name belongs to the apartment complex that occupies the top four floors of the building. But that sign does more than mark a residence—it celebrates the heartbeat of the building’s past, a constant flow of parcels that connected Memphis to homes across the region.

 

The Concourse “C”

At the visitor desk in the Central Atrium, you’ll probably be greeted by a friendly face and helpful info. But don’t forget to look at the desk itself—specifically, the bold letter “C” mounted on the front. It’s not just branding. During the renovation, the team collected old radiators from throughout the building, melted them down, and cast them into this single letter. It’s heavy, handmade, and full of character—just like the Concourse itself. What better way to welcome visitors than with a symbol literally forged from the building’s past?

 

L&N Rail Lines

The original Sears building wasn’t placed in Midtown by accident. Its location was chosen in part because of its access to the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad—a lifeline for shipping and commerce. If you visit the North Plaza in front of the Crosstown Theater and glance down at the pavement, you’ll notice metal lines embedded in the concrete. They trace the exact route of the old train tracks that once led up to the loading docks. It’s a quiet tribute to the infrastructure that helped Sears thrive—and a subtle link to the Greenline, which now runs along the same L&N corridor.

 

Spiral Stairs at Crosstown Arts

You’ve probably seen the iconic red spiral staircase near Crosstown Arts. It’s dramatic, bright, and sculptural—but did you know it was actually inspired by the old chute system that once carried Sears packages down to the loading docks? It’s one of the most photographed features of the building, but there’s a deeper story behind the twist: it’s an artistic nod to the motion, energy, and ingenuity that once kept this place humming.

 

A Place Worth Wandering

These are just a handful of the details hiding in plain sight at Crosstown Concourse. From industrial relics turned into art to thoughtful tributes to Memphis’s history, every corner has something to discover.

So bring the kids, your curiosity, and maybe a notebook for the stories you’ll find along the way. Whether you’re grabbing lunch, exploring a gallery, or just enjoying the air conditioning, Crosstown is more than a destination—it’s an adventure. What’s Ours is Yours.