MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Peabody opened its Union Avenue doors in 1925 — built for $5 million, nearly $90 million in today’s dollars.

Back then, rooms cost just a few bucks a night with meals included. Compare that to a deluxe suite today, and you see just how far this Memphis icon has come.

The hotel quickly became a stage for history and culture in Memphis. Its rooftop hosted a young Sam Phillips' radio broadcasts in the 1930s before he founded Sun Records. Elvis signing his first record contract here in the ’50s — and in the 60s, Neil Diamond penned "Sweet Caroline" while staying at the Peabody in Memphis.

Of course, the most iconic part of the “Peabody” is the ducks — synonymous with the hotel itself. They march down the red carpet every morning, float through the day in the Italian mar

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