Mississippi River Museum/Mud Island, Memphis TN

The Mississippi River Museum is part of the Mud Island River Park in Memphis.  Visitors purchase tickets to the complex, then take the monorail to the Park.  The walk to the Museum covers one of the most informative displays I've come across:  the Mississippi River Walk, a scale model of the lower Mississippi River.  It's quite a walk; signs along the way highlight important historical and geographic features of the great river.  My 12-year old aspiring engineer was fascinated with following the course of the river--and trying to figure out how to stop it, and what would happen when the water was dammed then released.  For me, the park's layout made the phenomenon of the Mississippi River, and its role in history, more clear than any book or paper map ever did. 

The Museum thoroughly covers, as one would expect, the Riverboat era, highlighting the culture that grew around the river in the 19th century. Artifacts, models, and films complete the experience.  Visitors can examine engines and weaponry, then  learn about the personalities of the time.  One exhibit recreates a riverboat experience, with cabins,deck, and a night sky.  The flip side of the exhibit brings visitors to a similar recreation of the warships that briefly clashed in the Mississippi.
Mark Twain makes an appearance in a mural outside the Riverboat exhibit. 



The museum also introduces visitors to the music of the Mississippi Delta, with instruments, sheet music, and information about the music originating from the area. Biographies of musicians from the Delta provide a history of the Delta Blues.

View from the monorail on the way back from the park

An exhibit and film on the dangers associated with living and working on a major river provided a dramatic (and perhaps a little frightening to young children?) look at the flip side of the economic and trade benefits that bring populations to the river: floods, shipboard fires, and epidemics enabled by travel and climate conditions.

Visitors also learn about pre-19th century culture, as exhibits about trappers and explorers--and before them, Native American inhabitants of the era--show how the river served as a population center for centuries before the grand showboats made an entrance.

 The museum is only open from April-October; we went in July of 2010, and it was quite hot.  Be sure to bring sunscreen for the River Walk--and perhaps water pistols.  Note that there are cafeterias and restaurants at the Musem area, but they were quite crowded, so you might bring snacks to keep everybody happy.  Give the family several hours for the whole experience.  I'm not sure how much preschool or primary-age children would get out of the visit, but older school aged children who have studied some U.S. history will have a great time and have the chance to enhance their understanding of what they learned in school.

On edit:  Julia Keller recently posted a review of Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild, which sounds like a great follow-up for anyone who enjoyed the River Museum.  I think I'm going to put it on my summer reading list.

From the museum website:

Open April - October 31
Will open for 2011 season on April 9, 2011

April 9 – May 27 10:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m
May 28 – September 4  10:00 a.m - 6:00 p.m
September 6 - October 31 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Last Admission is one (1) hour prior to closing.
Closed Mondays throughout the season.
General admission and Skybridge access is free
Roundtrip Monorail Ride Only - $4.00 per person, all ages
   (free with a Museum Package purchase!)
Museum Package includes:
*Mississippi River Museum Admission
*Grounds/Riverwalk access
*Roundtrip Monorail Ride
*Optional Guided River Walk Tour

Adults (13-59) - $10.00
Seniors (60 Plus) - $9.00
 Youths (5 – 11) - $7.00
Children (4 and under) - FREE  

Call for group rates, school discounts or education programs !

901-576-7241 or 800-507-6507