Mississippi River Museum facts for kids
The museum's entrance, featuring a scale model of the Mississippi River.
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| Established | 1982 |
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| Location | Mud Island, Memphis, Tennessee |
| Type | History, naval, music |
The Mississippi River Museum is an exciting museum located on Mud Island in Memphis, Tennessee. It's a great place to learn all about the amazing history and nature of the mighty Mississippi River.
The Museum's Story: How It Began
The Mississippi River Museum first opened its doors in 1982. Its main goal was to protect and share the natural and cultural history of the Lower Mississippi River Valley. This means telling the stories of the river itself, its wildlife, and the people who lived and worked along its banks.
In 1990, a businessman named Sidney Shlenker had plans that would have closed the museum. He wanted to build new restaurants and bars on Mud Island. However, many people were upset about this idea. The West Tennessee Historical Society, along with the Mud Island Foundation and the mayor of Memphis, Richard Hackett, worked together. They stepped in to save the museum, making sure its important history would not be lost.
The museum temporarily closed in July 2018 for some updates. It needed to refresh its exhibits and attract more visitors. After these improvements, the museum happily reopened in May 2019.
In August 2019, some people broke into the museum. They damaged display cases, but luckily, none of the valuable historical items inside were stolen or harmed.
Exploring the River: Displays and Exhibits
The Mississippi River Museum has 18 different rooms, called galleries. Inside these galleries, you can find over 5,000 cool historical items. All of these items are connected to the Mississippi River and its long history.
Right outside the museum, there's a giant model of the Mississippi River. It's so big you can walk along it and see how the river flows!
Many exhibits show the river's important role in the American Civil War. One of the most impressive displays is a life-size copy of a Union Navy warship. These ships were called "City-class ironclad gunboats" and were used during the war.
As you explore the museum, you'll see realistic wax sculptures of famous people linked to the Mississippi River. These include well-known figures like Mark Twain, who wrote many stories about the river, and Mike Fink, a legendary riverboatman.
There's also a special movie theater called the "Theatre of Horrors." Here, you can watch a documentary about the dangers of traveling and living on the river long ago. These dangers included things like boiler explosions on steamboats and outbreaks of diseases like yellow fever. One of the museum's galleries is also dedicated to the rich history of music that came from the river.
See also
