Last updated: October 24, 2026 · By Ronen, Stay Near The Venue
If your family is heading to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, the first thing to know is that most patient families never pay for lodging: St. Jude provides free housing when a child needs overnight treatment and the family lives more than 35 miles away. Hotels are mainly useful for extra relatives, visitors, and short day visits – and downtown Memphis has good options less than a mile from campus.
Quick answer: ask the St. Jude housing case manager (901-595-2426) what your family qualifies for before booking anything. For extra relatives, the Crowne Plaza Memphis Downtown (about 0.3 mi) and Big Cypress Lodge (about 0.6 mi) are closest; for longer visits, a downtown kitchen suite works well.
Top hotel picks at a glance
| Hotel | Location & highlights | |
|---|---|---|
| Crowne Plaza Memphis Downtown | 300 N 2nd St, about 0.3 mi; the closest major hotel to the campus. | Check price |
| Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel | 250 N Main St, about 0.4 mi; a large full-service hotel next to the… | Check price |
| Big Cypress Lodge | inside the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, about 0.6 mi; a memorable stay for siblings… | Check price |
| Residence Inn by Marriott Memphis Downtown | 110 Monroe Ave, about 0.9 mi; a kitchen in every suite. | Check price |
| SpringHill Suites by Marriott Memphis Downtown | 85 W Court Ave, about 0.8 mi; kitchenettes and free hot breakfast. | Check price |
| The Peabody Memphis | 149 Union Ave, about 0.9 mi; the historic downtown landmark. | Check price |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis-Beale Street | 175 Peabody Pl, about 1.1 mi; free hot breakfast and an indoor pool. | Check price |
| Holiday Inn Express Memphis Medical Center Midtown | 1180 Union Ave, about 1.8 mi; free parking and breakfast – handy if you’re… | Check price |
Prices change daily – tap “Check price” for live rates on your dates.
This article contains affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. St. Jude housing rules, hotel rates and parking details can change, so please confirm with St. Jude and the hotel before you book.
See hotels near St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Hotel map: live prices near St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
How St. Jude family housing works
- Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.
- Free housing is provided near campus for up to five family members when the child needs overnight treatment and the family lives more than 35 miles away.
- St. Jude housing includes Tri Delta Place (short-term), Target House (long-term), The Domino’s Village (short- and long-term, linked to campus by a sky bridge) and the Ronald McDonald House.
- A free shuttle runs between St. Jude housing and the hospital.
- An adult caregiver must stay with each pediatric patient in St. Jude housing.
So who needs a hotel? Grandparents, siblings or friends beyond the housing allowance, families within 35 miles who want to stay close for an early appointment, and visitors coming for a day or two. St. Jude’s campus is gated, so visitors must be invited and pre-registered by a host.
Best areas to stay
| Area | Distance to St. Jude | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pinch / Uptown (north downtown) | ~0.3–0.6 mi | Closest hotels for short visits |
| Downtown core / Beale St / Union Ave | ~0.7–1.3 mi | Most choice, restaurants, kitchen suites |
| Medical District / Midtown edge | ~1.7–1.8 mi | Free parking and lower prices |
Closest to St. Jude
- Crowne Plaza Memphis Downtown – 300 N 2nd St, about 0.3 mi; the closest major hotel to the campus.
- Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel – 250 N Main St, about 0.4 mi; a large full-service hotel next to the convention area.
- Big Cypress Lodge – inside the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, about 0.6 mi; a memorable stay for siblings and visiting family.
Suites with a kitchen for longer visits
- Residence Inn by Marriott Memphis Downtown – 110 Monroe Ave, about 0.9 mi; a kitchen in every suite.
- SpringHill Suites by Marriott Memphis Downtown – 85 W Court Ave, about 0.8 mi; kitchenettes and free hot breakfast.
Downtown classics and best value
- The Peabody Memphis – 149 Union Ave, about 0.9 mi; the historic downtown landmark.
- Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis-Beale Street – 175 Peabody Pl, about 1.1 mi; free hot breakfast and an indoor pool.
- Holiday Inn Express Memphis Medical Center Midtown – 1180 Union Ave, about 1.8 mi; free parking and breakfast – handy if you’re driving in.
Getting there & parking
- Memphis International Airport (MEM): about 12 miles from downtown, roughly 15 minutes by car.
- Patient entrance: Patient Care Center, Gate 1, 332 N. Lauderdale St – open 24/7.
- Patient parking: free valet Monday–Friday (5:30 a.m.–11 p.m.) via N. Lauderdale St, plus self-parking for patients with a security-issued parking tag.
- Around downtown: MATA buses and the vintage trolleys ($1 each way on the Main Street line).
- Hotel shuttles: we found no hotel that runs a shuttle to St. Jude, so plan on a short drive or rideshare.
Helpful tips for families
- Call the St. Jude housing case manager before booking a hotel – you may not need one.
- Don’t arrive at campus unannounced; visitors must be pre-registered by a host.
- For stays longer than a few nights, a kitchen suite keeps meals simple for siblings.
- If you’re driving, Medical District hotels with free parking can cost less overall than downtown garages.
- Keep the hospital main line handy: (866) 278-5833.
Staying Near St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital lists its campus address as 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105. For visiting families, the hospital’s own housing pages are the best starting point, because St. Jude runs several family housing options and explains who can use them. This guide summarizes what those official pages say so you can plan a trip with the right questions in hand.
According to St. Jude, the hospital provides housing at no charge for eligible families, and it names four options: Tri Delta Place for short-term stays, Target House for long-term stays, The Domino’s Village for short and long-term stays, and Ronald McDonald House for short and long-term stays. St. Jude states that families qualify when the child’s treatment requires an overnight stay and the family lives more than 35 miles from the facility. The page also says every patient in sponsored housing must have an adult caregiver present, with limited exceptions for adult patients attending check-ups only, and that a waiver process exists for adult patients without an available caregiver.
On its Target House page, St. Jude describes two buildings: Target House I at 1811 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38104, and Target House II at 101 North McLean, Memphis, TN 38104. The page states there are 98 fully furnished two-bedroom apartments and that the location is approximately 3 miles, or about 10 minutes, from the St. Jude campus. Listed features include a full kitchen with cookware and dishware, bath and bed linens, free laundry on each floor, a playground, a walking track, playrooms for toddlers and teens, and a dining room with grab-and-go breakfast Monday through Friday and catered suppers twice weekly. St. Jude says assignment to this lodging depends on availability for long-term patients.
The Ronald McDonald House page gives the address as 535 Alabama Ave., Memphis, TN 38105, and says it is about 5 minutes from the St. Jude campus. According to St. Jude, rooms have two queen-sized beds, a TV, and linens, with free laundry facilities, two equipped kitchens on the first floor, an arts and crafts room, a children’s playroom, a teen room, and a meditation room. The page describes it as offered to patients staying at St. Jude short-term, subject to availability, and notes that a shuttle service is available, with details on the separate St. Jude shuttle schedule.
For reservations and questions, St. Jude directs families to Patient Services at 901-595-4501 or toll-free at 1-866-278-5833 ext. 4501, and lists reservationrequest@stjude.org for lodging requests. The Target House and Ronald McDonald House pages ask families to contact Patient Services at least 24 hours in advance for overnight lodging details. The housing page also lists a housing case manager at 901-595-2426. The pages reviewed for this guide did not state parking information or housing costs beyond the no-charge statement for eligible families, so those details are left out here.
Families who do not meet the eligibility rules, or who want a hotel instead, should ask Patient Services what is available, since the pages reviewed do not name partner hotels. Housing rules, eligibility, and contact hours can change, so confirm everything on the official St. Jude website before you book travel.
Official sources: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Housing · St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Target House · St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Ronald McDonald House
How we checked this guide
The “Last updated” date at the top of this page is when we last reviewed it end to end.
- Parking rates, shuttle fees and transport times are taken from the port’s, venue’s or operator’s own published pages and from each hotel’s own website — not from aggregator sites.
- Distances and journey times are the figures the venue or transit operator publishes, not our estimates. Where we give a distance, we say what it is measured to.
- Hotel amenities (breakfast, shuttle hours, pet and parking policies) come from each hotel’s own site. These change more often than anything else here, so confirm them when you book.
- Room rates are deliberately not listed anywhere on this site. They move daily, and a price written one month is wrong the next. Our links take you to live pricing instead.
- We have not stayed at every hotel we write about. Where we contacted a property directly, the guide says so and gives the date. Where a figure comes from a third-party report rather than an official source, we say that too.
Found something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
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FAQ
Does St. Jude pay for lodging?
Yes, when a child needs overnight treatment and the family lives more than 35 miles away; it covers up to five family members in St. Jude housing.
What is the closest hotel to St. Jude?
The Crowne Plaza Memphis Downtown, about 0.3 mi away, followed by the Sheraton Memphis Downtown and Big Cypress Lodge.
Can relatives visit St. Jude?
Visitors must be invited and pre-registered by a host – families should check with their care team.
How far is the Memphis airport from St. Jude?
About 12 miles, roughly 15 minutes by car.
Is there a shuttle from hotels to St. Jude?
We found no hotel shuttle to St. Jude. St. Jude runs a free shuttle between its own family housing and the hospital.
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We start at the venue and work outward: walking time, shuttle and transit options first, then guest review scores and value for money. Hotels can’t pay to be listed. Some links are affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability change daily, so always check live rates before you book.
