If ever there were an attraction in Memphis that could be called “potentially awesome”, the Mud Island Park and Museum would be it. Located as far downtown as you can get, visitors can pay for parking at the edge of the Mississippi River and take the monorail or take the rarely used footpath. Alternatively one can drive onto Mud Island and walk right over to the park and museum.
Mud Island Park: Is open and free to the public. This park offers beautiful views of the Mississippi River and massive scale model of the Mississippi River. The model itself is heavy on the concrete, accompanying the model are small fountains and placards with information about the river. Restrooms and over 15 different souvenir shops are provided. Kids love the model as it is filled with water and is a great place to play in during the hot summer months. Actually, this park and museum are open only in the summer.
Mud Island Museum: Completed in the 1980’s and not updated since. There are tons of artifacts displayed in a visually unappealing and drab fashion. Explanations are presented in a fat, loopy font reminiscent of the 1980’s. The museum itself is dimly, lit not for ambience, rather, no one has taken the time to replace burnt out light bulbs. My favorite part of the exhibit was a “cheerful” film called “Disasters on the River” that detailed tragedies brought on by the Mississippi River. Don’t get me wrong, with some updating; this museum has potential to be quite good. The museum layout is slightly convoluted with long passage ways and dark corridors for, one can only imagine, dramatic effect.
If one would compare the Mud Island Museum to the Tunica River Museum, I would have to vote for the newer, Tunica River Museum with its updated displays, large aquarium of native fishes, and a fantastic view of the river. On a final note, this museum poses challenges for those with mobility issues.
Recommendation: The AC works fine, so it has my vote on a hot summer day.
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