Welcome to the new year, Memphis! While 2025 showed a lot of love, growth, and excitement for the Lockhart family, I can’t wait to dig into 2026. I’m a mom of four wonderful teenagers: a 17-year-old boy, twin soon-to-be 14-year-old boys, and a 12-year-old girl. As native Memphians, they have honestly grown weary of the typical sights. They have been to the Pink Palace Museum & Mansion often enough to start giving tours themselves. They still find excitement in the variety of art displays at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art but wish they had some “tunage” to listen to as they view the exhibits. Unless the Memphis Zoo is going to start offering behind-the-scenes/hands-on experiences, my teens have had their fill. Nevertheless, there are still places that bring huge smiles to their faces.
So Memphis, I ask, what do you have ready for your teenagers in 2026?
My 12-year-old daughter is the typical teenage girl. She’s into rock climbing, hair and makeup, chemistry, ballet, and all things fashion. And lately, she’s also been curious about the Navy. I know, I know, an eclectic mixture of interests. But Memphis, perhaps you can host a hair and skin care event for teens? (Trust me, you’d make a killing! I have seen these teenage influencers!) Or maybe the University of Memphis can lend their chemistry lab to teen girls for a day of fun and safety. (Because her bedroom can’t take much more.) Until then, she’ll continue reaching for the sky while rock climbing at Memphis Rox. She adores the place. She loves the mix of fear and strength she feels when climbing really, really high.
One of the 14-year-old twins is very laid back. He enjoys the familiar things in life: games, good food, and active stuff. Not “active stuff” like organized sports, but more like recess — running around, laughing, and playing outside like a teen should. He loves kickball and random outdoor games. So it should be no surprise he loves Grind City Brewing Company. This is his favorite hang-out place in Memphis. He loves the open field and the perfect view. If y’all could fire up the grill with some hot dogs, you might not ever get him to leave. And he can’t wait for their Christmas Tree Bonfire! His favorite spot and a huge fire? Love!
The other 14-year-old twin is quite different. (They share a birthday, but not personalities.) While he enjoys video games too, he is really into coding and creating video games. Seriously, this boy creates video games, along with theme music, in his bedroom for fun! Honestly, he doesn’t just play games — he builds worlds. Is there a space where he can cultivate and grow his coding skills? Can anyone show him how to create a space to showcase his skills and talents? Seriously, do you know anyone?
While we wait for a response, let’s see if you can guess his favorite Memphis spot. Clue #1: It’s filled with games. Clue #2: You’re the main character. Clue #3: It’s like you’re in a video game, but you’re not. Got a guess? If you said AMUSE: The Adventure Museum, you are correct! He loves the different games and genres and the infusion of people to make the games more fun. His favorite game is the jail escape. He also loves that some games are competitive while others are individual.
And lastly, our 17-year-old will be leaving the nest and heading to college. With a near perfect ACT score, high GPA, and an interest in engineering, he can honestly attend any college. But which is willing to pay him the most money, including room and board? Nevertheless, how can Memphis make his last few months memorable? He’s into gaming and building stuff. I know “stuff” is a vague term, but when he’s explaining the robots he builds at school, it goes straight over my head. Anywho, is there a robot-building studio in Memphis? Whenever he’s not building things with his friends, he still enjoys a good game of chess. The Memphis Chess Club has been his favorite hangout for a while now. He walks in, orders a pizza, grabs a drink from the cooler, and selects a few games to play. Have you ever played three-person chess? Well, me neither. But it’s his favorite board game there!
Here’s a short Memphis Wish List for Teens:
• Teen-only nights at museums
• College-led workshops
• All-you-can-eat pizza and chess
• Coding and game design showcases
• Recess Day at Grind City
• Art + music mashups
And let’s be clear — teen programming should be accessible. Affordable. Curiosity shouldn’t be a luxury. Memphis, our teens are watching. They’re creating. They’re dreaming. They’re asking for spaces that reflect who they are becoming. Let’s meet them there in 2026.
Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. By day, she’s a librarian and writer, but by night … she’s asleep.