Pink Palace Museum
Welcome to one of the largest museums of its kind in the Southeast, the Pink Palace Museum. Technically a family of museums, the whole complex features wide-ranging historic, educational, and technological attractions and encompasses the neighboring CTI 3D Theater, Sharpe Planetarium, Lichterman Nature Center, and Mallory-Neely House. The Pink Palace Museum itself explores the cultural and natural history of the Mid South. The story behind the name comes from the first part of the museum, the country's very first self-service grocery store, Clarence Saunders’ Piggly Wiggly. The Saunders’ family owned a pink Georgian marble 36,500 square foot home during this time on this location that they converted into a museum, becoming quickly one of the most successful around Tennessee.
After walking through the Piggly Wiggly replica get ready for some exciting exhibits, dioramas, and audio-visual presentations that trace Memphis’ development in history from the Spanish Explorers to the Civil War, to the yellow fever epidemics. Check out their award-winning medical exhibit that covers the history of the healthcare industry in Memphis, one of its largest and most impactful overall industries. You can also go back to the basics and visit the dinosaur and fossil exhibit inside, specifically pointing out the impact of these prehistoric creatures on the land here, in Tennessee. See why hundreds of thousands of guests have annually visited this unique grouping of museums, and learn a bit about Memphis and it’s history along the way!
