This museum is housed in the Georgian marble home built in the 1920s by Clarence Sanders, founder of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain. Sanders never got to live here, and the city transformed the site into a complex of attractions, including the Sharpe Planetarium and an IMAX theater. The Pink Palace's exhibits cover topics ranging from dinosaurs to the Civil War, and from the early Spanish explorers to the evolution of medical research in Memphis.
Having been slowly restored over the past several years, the Orpheum is now an astonishing architectural treasure from the 1920s, with its statues, carved woodwork, velvet curtains, and an opulent lobby. It hosts shows of touring Broadway companies and is a must visit for the culturally inclined. It is also the venue for traveling Broadway musicals. In the summer, the Orpheum shows classic movies like Casablanca and hosts trivia contests and sing-alongs - fun for the whole family.
Memphis' main museum is housed in a marble building completed in 1916. The architecturally beautiful rooms house an outstanding collection of medieval art and a small but worthwhile collection of Impressionist works. One room is dedicated to a "touch" exhibit for vision-impaired visitors. Temporary exhibits include a patriotic show held during the Memphis in May Festival. The restaurant, the Brushmark, is a fine place to lunch, especially when the outside patio is open, which looks out on Overton Park.
The National Ornamental Metal Museum is the only one in the country dedicated to ornamental metalwork. Exhibits often include such diverse objects as silver tea services, swords, jewelry and weathervanes. See a blacksmith at work forging works of art. An annual exhibit in May features the fantastic devices people use to barbecue, timed to coincide with the Memphis in May Barbecue Contest. The museum is set in a lovely spot on the banks of the Mississippi, and the lawns are sometimes used for weddings and other private parties.
The 2800 animals from over 400 species here have cared for in environments as close to their native habitats as possible. From African veldt to Asian temple ruins, Peruvian rain forests or Jamaican caverns, the animals roam free. Young children will enjoy the "Once Upon a Farm" exhibit and the amusement rides. The whole family will love watching the apes and monkeys in Primate Canyon. Do not miss the lions and tigers in Cat Country. Trams make getting around the park easy; wheelchairs and strollers can be rented.
This district was one of the loveliest residential areas during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The houses, with their Victorian gingerbread trim, languished in disrepair during the earlier 20th Century, but in the 1970s the area staged a comeback. The restored houses are worth a drive through the neighborhood on their own, but the area has also become a hip entertainment spot, with restaurants, nightclubs, and antique stores. One weekend each fall, the Cooper-Young neighborhood holds the Cooper-Young Festival with crafts, music, and food.