Memphis Museum of Science & History

They opened up a lot of the mansion. The 2nd floor has the miniture circus. It only operates 1 time a day at 11 and the ac is not working. The 1st gfloor has several interactive spots.

Unspectacular. There were a few interesting exhibits but not much new. I could see where the only interesting part for a child would be the Space area that's more, hands on. A few of the staff were pretty cool but there were a few that didn't even speak when directly asked a question. Which is beyond rude. I was approached and asked if my name was Shawn by a male personnel, which was weird and completely uncalled-for. The entire museum feels sticky and dirty. I don't think there was a single plate of glass in the entire building that wasn't smudged and a few of the dinosaurs were literally patched up or had skin "hanging" from them. The space area was very small but neat and the pass through ultimately was 2 hours of very unpredictable historical information. One minute it's natural history, then cotton, then Medical. It has no flow whatsoever. I remember some of these same exact set ups from second grade. Hopefully the classrooms and programs are much livelier.

We loved it. It was great seeing all the different animals skeletons, learning about the unique history of Piggly Wiggly and how the Pink Palace came to be. The dinosaur exhibit was excellent and seeing how massive a Mastodon is was incredible.

A great way to spend the day out of the heat. The exhibits are impressive, there is a planetarium and Imax, and there is something for everyone to learn and enjoy during every visit. Thank you for doing such a wonderful job and providing a great experience.

Several interesting exhibits for all ages. The staff is very friendly and great when they engage with kids.

Me and my husband went here with our 9month old on our vacation. Me and my husband had gone here a few years ago and were excited about visiting again with our baby. BUT when we arrived the AC was out but we were so excited so we paid the 43.00. Sadly the exhibits were not well attended or updated at all. Dust everywhere, the animatronics were out of order, the figures weren’t properly maintained, the kid section about saving the planet was full of literal trash and contradicted the very message it was sending about plastics, man made fabrics and littering, and the mansion portion was closed for an event (we were not told that before buying tickets). Very disappointed. Not worth admission at all. So disappointed. We won’t visit again. 😢

My membership expires in August and I have no plans on renewing. The crappy ink/printing on my membership cards rubbed off. I emailed a total of 5 times requesting new cards. I get tired of dealing with alternative ways to prove my membership at the museum and the Nature Center since my name and ID number are completely gone. It is impossible to reach anyone by phone. Email is no better. The only time MOSH membership department remembers you is when they start bugging you to renew. The quality of staffing has really deteriorated over the last few (6-7) years. My membership is not valuable here, so I'm good with letting it drop in August and redirecting my membership dollars to the Botanic Garden. They know how to treat members.

An excellent museum featuring science, history, technology, and architecture in one massive facility. Great interactive exhibits as well. The docents were excellent and the ones we spoke to provided extra context to the displays, particularly in the geology and history sections. What a wonderful place to spend a day learning and exploring!

Visit to the MOSH Display of Christmas Trees and the Enchanted Forest. They have a couple of spaces for Veterans parking. Senior discount for aged 60+. Had a wonderful time. It's been over 20 years since I have been here and I was amazed at the display and creativity of the trees. I took plenty of photos and videos are on my FB page (Jans ultimate Treasures) some are included here. I also enjoyed the scavenger hunt for Santa's Elves while walking through the Enchanted forest. If you haven't been in a while it is definitely worth the time. It was about an hour from the time we got tickets to tour both so it's a quick self paced tour. Also at the end you can they have photos with Santa which you pay for or the associate will take your photo for free behind the big snow globe. Y'all know which one I did. Lol!

Pink Palace Museum is much catchier sounding than MOSH. Seems like a no-brainer idea to stick with the original and unique name. Anyway, my wife and I had a nice time seeing the 3-D movie about sea turtles, then visiting the gift shop afterwards. We bought a painting and some other souvenirs. In the process, I ended up buying an annual membership.

Sadly, we were disappointed by our visit to this museum. Like others have noted the website is extremely difficult to navigate. So we had to purchase tickets at the door, which wasn't a problem since there wasn't a line. My son loves dinosaurs and was interested to see some fossils and perhaps learn something new. Unfortunately, this did not occur. There is an animatronic T-Rex and a few fossils, but very little information. The museum content is all over the place and does not flow. Some sections are well built but lack any sort of engagement opportunities while others look like they've been there since the beginning of time. Museum guides (perhaps volunteers) were in some of the galleries. However, two guides were unable to share clear details about dinosaurs and another was telling an African-American guest a Confederate Flag was not a bad thing, just a flag used for battle. I did enjoy learning about the lady that used to run and live in the museum. She did not like lots of noise in the museum. I told my son her ghost still roamed the halls telling kids to "Shhhh" from the great beyond. This was the most fun we had during our whole visit. If you're visiting from out of town and your expectations are high, this should probably be a pass.

Why do we like this museum so much? I really can't pinpoint what it is that we like so much about it but it's a hit for the entire family: 2,6, and even 13 year old. So many rocks and minerals to see. Skeletons for different animals. A huge dinosaur exhibit with fossils and even a robotic full size T. rex that roars. There's something for everyone here. For our family it was $64. Three adults (13 is adult rate) & 1 child. (2 and under free). We spent an hour just in the exhibit area. We haven't been to the other areas.

Wall Street, GameStop, and The Pink Palace, OH MY! In 1922, Clarence Saunders, founder of Piggly Wiggly, began building a 36,500 square foot mansion faced with pink Georgia marble. In 1922, professional investors attempted a "Bear Raid" short selling Piggly Wiggly stocks. Saunders faught back by borrowing $10,000,000 to buy the stock and drive the price up. Almost 100 yrs later in Jan 2021, a large hedge fund company thought GameStops stock was gonna fall. Melvin Capital BORROWED large #'s of shares, betting the price would drop. But a group of online traders decided to fight the Wall Street giant with a "bear squeeze" buying stock in GameStop and raising the price from $20 per share to $140. Melvin Capital was forced to spend billions buying GameStop shares. However, in 1923, Saunders lost his battle with the New York Stock Exchange. They halted the trading of Piggly Wiggly stock, giving the short seller time to buy the few outstanding shares and settle their "Bear Raid" without buying from Saunders. This left Saunders with a majority of shares that were worthless because they couldn't be traded. He declared bankruptcy, and never finished his home. In the case of GameStop the online trading houses also stopped trading GameStop making it difficult for investors to trade in their stock. So what happened to Saunder's home? The land was sold to developers. The unfinished mansion was donated to the City of Memphis, which turned it into a museum. It opened in March 1930 as the Memphis Museum of Natural History and Industrial Arts. The public, though, still called it "the Pink Palace," and in 1967 the museum formally became the Memphis Pink Palace Museum.

Boring! We visited here while visiting from another state. Hardly any interactive exhibits. Half the IPads/Phones in the AI exhibit didn't work. Asked upon entry if the admission included the Pink Palace and was told yes. Then when we tried to tour the mansion the lower level was completed blocked. We were able to access the grand lobby from the 2nd level only to be told the mansion was closed for an event. Complete waste of money. I would give it no stars if possible.

I only heard about Pink Palace since my family friend told me about it and took me here back in November. We got the standard admission entry. There's the 1st floor where you can see the natural history exhibits (e.g. dinosaurs figures). There's the 2nd floor where you can learn about cultural history (e.g. Civil Wars, slavery, and history of medicine). Then, there's various exhibits in the mansion area. I enjoyed learning about the history of the Pink Palace and how the entrepreneur and founder of Piggly Wiggly, Clarence Saunders, originally designed his Pink Palace mansion home before losing his fortune. Visitors could take a walk around a replica of the Piggly Wiggly self-service grocery story. The 2nd floor of the mansion has other exhibits as well, but I enjoyed 'Clyde Parke Circus' the most in that area. You'll see a miniature display of a circus and I thought it was really cool. Overall, I learned a lot from visiting this museum.

Very nice experience. I went for a Memphis 101 event, and it specifically provided a "virtual" guided tour of Memphis history. It shared the best and worst of the history while highlighting important dates, events, neighborhoods, and attractions. Additionally, there was a museum with exhibits of dinosaurs and fossils which I really enjoyed. The staff was amazing and knowledgeable! I'll definitely go visit again!

Went to the Enchanted Forest on Dec 22, 2023. Let me preference what I am about to say with we have be doing this for 15 years. We had a bad experience. From the moment we arrived, the first person I meet asked if we had tickets, I told her I had 8 digital tickets for 11:15 and 4 tickets that were given to us by a friend that works there. She told me we might not be able to use them with our 11:15 tickets (we had 10 people) so only needed to use 2 of them. She sent me to the ticket window and said that person would let me know. I go to the window and try to explain and show my tickets, she said her supervisor would have to approve it so she goes to get the First Lady I spoke with. None of this made sense and when I tried to show the email with my transaction (tickets purchased) and time slot. We finally got approved and were ready to go in. Customer Service Training should be given to these 2 ladies. Next, due to the time slots, people were funneled in and basically created severe overcrowding. In all of our years we have never seen a need like this. When we go upstairs, the escalators (up and down) were not operating. No paper towels in men's bathroom and my niece said the majority of toilets in the ladies bathroom were not working. Not sure if it's under new management with MOSH but a very disappointing visit with several first timers from out of town. This experience embarrassed me. Someone needs to address this.

So glad we checked this amazing place. The history here is so interesting & added to our stay in Memphis! The pink marble is beautiful & I enjoyed learning more about the city

4 stars? 3 stars? Eh, I'm having a really hard time deciding, but my son loves it so much I'm gonna go with 4. When I first came to the Pink Palace Museum, I was very confused. I didn't really understand the organization of the exhibits, and I feel like the plaques/descriptions aren't designed in a captivating way, so I get bored pretty easily with the exhibits. However, having that said... they have a permanent, animatronic T-Rex. And a triceratops and dilophosaurus. And periodically, they have a pretty sweet dinosaur exhibit upstairs that showcases lots of different types, and they're all animatronic! Honestly, as a kid I would've gone nuts (and still think it's pretty cool now). My 2yo son loses his mind every time we go, even when the exhibit upstairs is gone. The dinos really make the experience, and the tons of other little kids there today who came JUST to see the T-Rex prove my point. So, is it a great museum overall... I'd say no. But do we still love it, ohh yes. And those Tuesday free days keep us coming back.

We have reciprocal passes from another science center, so I was looking forward to taking my toddler to see all of the museum as well as the Pink Palace. 1. The website is very difficult to navigate. I wasn't able to look up most of the information I needed, so relied on other sources of information for hours, tickets, etc. 2. When we showed up, not only would they not accept our reciprocal passes because of a special event, but the prices were higher because of this special event--did not see info about that on the website. 3. None of the exhibits are interactive. The kids can't shop in the Piggly Wiggly store (also, seriously on the Aunt Jemima pancakes and Squaw foods? It's 2021, find a less offensive item), they can't touch, climb on or play with anything in the museum. This is not a good learning place for kids. 4. The pink palace was closed. The whole thing for a private event. So the whole reason I was interested in coming was not even available. And they don't tell you that at the beginning. The special event was actually pretty nice, each science station we went to had activities for kids. Thank goodness that was going on, because otherwise the museum would have been a complete waste of money for a toddler.

Have been wanting to go here for months, finally decided to go and I gotta say, it was a little underwhelming. I was expecting more for what we paid for. It's cool don't get me wrong but I feel like there should be more.

We absolutely loved our visit here! There was such a great variety of exhibits to look at. We mainly came for the dinosaurs but my 4yr old enjoyed the other exhibits as well. Every where we went there was a staff member cleaning and sanitizing close behind so if you're worried about covid you can rest easy that they're taking precautions. Food court was closed due to covid but they had some popcorn, candy and sodas for purchase if your watching the movie which we did and it was great as well.

This is the largest museum we've ever visited. This will take at least a couple of days for us to see everything and visit the 3D theatre. We all had a great time and learned quite a bit. Upon entry there was a covid check. Employees wore gloves and masks. Everyone was really friendly. The gift shop was huge. Bathrooms were clean.

This was a great experience for my little guy! It's a sunny yet breezy day out so I decided to make the Pink Palace apart of our day out. I had a voucher to use for the museum entry- my little one was free and the 3D Big Dream was $10 We made the 1 o'clock showing as it turned out we had no clue we'd have the theater all to ourselves which is totally fine by me : Big Dream is a very encouraging film and especially love the enthusiasm from all the kids in the film An hour later the movie ended so we headed out to tour the museum with we got done an hour later - so in all we were at the Pink Palace from 1P-3P time well spent. With no crowds we were able to take our time and view each exhibit throughly and it was nice not to have to wait in line for the ladies room as well :))

I visited the Pink Palace Museum with my family this past weekend. It was everyone's first visit. The museum has mostly natural history relating to the Mid-South, as well as some historical exhibits. The museum definitely felt dated and like it needed some updating, but I did enjoy some of the exhibits. In particular, I liked their very small, but very interesting temporary exhibit "City of Hope: Resurrection City and the 1968 Poor People's Campaign poster exhibit," the history of the building itself, and a few other areas of the museum (the circus). But I wouldn't say it's a great museum. It's also pretty pricey in my opinion ($15 admission for adults for the exhibits only; the price goes up to $21 for adults if you want to go to the planetarium), especially given how dated the museum feels. I've been to Memphis enough times now that I've hit most of the major tourist attractions, and the Pink Palace Museum wouldn't make my top ten list for tourists visiting the city for the first time. But still worth a visit if you have kids (or adults) in your party that are very interested in traditional natural history exhibits.

Omg! My time here at the Pink Palace. It's a beautiful museum and I can't believe I never visited this amazing place. I had an amazing time here for the new hit show Oval + Sistas on BET produced by the one and only Tyler Perry. The event was fully payed with unlimited drinks, food, and free gifts. Chef Dwayne did his thing with the delicious unlimited horderves I got a chance to meet the entire cast. Everyone was absolutely amazing and friendly. I enjoyed myself here at the Pink Palace. I can't wait until the next event here.

By far the coolest museum in Memphis! What a fun experience for the whole family. I also love that they are keeping people distanced during COVID, and I saw employees cleaning repeatedly the whole time I was there. Great experience for the whole family.

We went here for our very first time (June 2017) to see the Jurassic Dinosaurs & Fossil Exhibit. Not only was all the staff VERY friendly, they was more than happy to answer all of my six year olds questions throughout the entire exhibit (he had plenty of questions, as he loves anything about Dinosaurs). They have so much to offer inside the museum : exhibits (that change throughout the year), 3D Theater, Planetarium, a Nature Center, two gift shops, a Cafe and more. This is one place that we will be frequently checking the website for events to attend. ** Tennessee resident get in FREE on Tuesday's after 1pm - must have drivers licensed **

Every time I come here it ain't nothing but a pure good time. The culture the life lessons science & history the gift shop and theater did I say anything about the cafe. It's an all day event or at least my friends and I make it one. My mother worked here when I was a child. So this is like a second home for me. I did not know how much I missed this place or the mid south in general. If your in Memphis please do stop by here you will be extra glad that you did. It's something for everyone kids teens & adults.

Let me start by saying the attendant at the ticket desk was short with us and acted as if we were bothering her when we asked questions. We went for the Laser Holidays light show in the planetarium. I didn't have much as far as expectations, but the show did not meet my expectations (if that makes sense). It was very much geared towards kids. It would have been nice to know that before we bought the tickets. Also, there were loud kids in there that took away from the experience. We learned that the museum is free after 4pm and took advantage of that after the laser show. The museum was interesting. I enjoyed seeing the replica of an old Piggly Wiggly store. Also, the medical exhibits were intriguing. Since we went in December, there were a bunch of Christmas trees beautifully decorated on the 2nd floor. The museum stays open later on Friday nights and have what's called Fab Fridays. It was slow on this particular Friday and not so fab. I definitely think the Pink Palace is worth visiting, but as a one time thing.

The hand carved circus is worth the trip. So interesting. The rest of the museum has i retesting things to look at here and there. It has a replicate of a piggly wiggly which I found very intriguing. The natural history part has a big dinosaur that makes a loud roar. It's pretty fun to get close to it. Such a hit for kids.

In reading up on the Pink Palace I was hesitant worried it was geared towards a much younger crowd but I was able to find a promotion for free admission on Tuesdays while I was in town. I decided I had nothing to lose & took a drive out to explore! Driving up to see the mansion was very impressive! I was also really surprised to see how large the establishment was! It has a museum & planetarium with so many exhibits! From historical exhibits with shrunken heads to weather exhibits with details of tornados! An exhibit was being build while I was there so it was cool to see the mini circus be created. I ventured to the mansion side & to see the first Piggly Wiggly. I read so much about both that it might have been too much hype & neither were out of this world impressive. The PW was tiny & a short walk through. Yes, it's the original which is cool but I'm not sure what I was expecting. As for the mansion I wish there were more things to see & that there were more rooms to explore. The building is massive! I did enjoy seeing the exhibit on the history of the role of women throughout history!

Undergoing an unkind rebranding to "Museum of Science and History (MoSH)," the Pink Palace is very large with a lot of interest for locals, but it's overpriced and outdated with an unfriendly staff. Apparently the museum is pivoting to attempt to compete with other national museums (and raising the prices to match), but they should be focusing on the local interest and unique history of the site because that is its strength. Pro tip: free admission after 4pm

I've been to this place a few times with my son and he loves it. The staff is friendly here and the museum has a lot of great exhibits to view. From dinosaurs, old medical devices, war history, black history, old cars, old stores, evolution and so much more. You can spend easily 2-3 hours here. The Christmas exhibit is really nice as well. Next time I'll have to checkout their IMAX theatre. It would be nice though if museums in Memphis offered discounts for students. I'd recommend this place to anyone who loves history, science and who enjoys the history of the medical field.

I don't know if I would say this is worth the money. I guess I just had higher hopes for something called the "Pink Palace Museum". A lot of blank wall space and the mansion portion of the museum was very random. There were some cool things, but more like seeing a side show that later you wish you would have just You Tubed the stuff.

It definitely needs some work done to it on the inside. For starters, I would take out every bit of carpet and replace it with something nicer. By the looks of it, the carpet probably has been the same since I first went when I was about 8 years old. I'm 24 now and it looks pretty bad. It was pretty embarrassing and I would hate for any out-of-town family members seeing that. Anyway, the exhibits are pretty nice. The way it's laid out needs some work, too. There's TONS of stuff to see but you can see it pretty quick. When we went, the mansion part was closed off. Looked like they were preparing for some sort of event there because there were some catering trucks there, so it was very disappointing to not be told by the ticket lady (who was rude, by the way) that the mansion section was closed. All in all, it's not exactly worth the price for two people. Maybe $10 a person, not $15. I would say veterans should get in for $5, kids for $3, 55+ $7, and adults $10. Just not really worth the money for the experience you get but I'll go back again on the free Tuesday. Be aware that it's only free on Tuesdays after 1pm.

Until mid- 2018, this should be a solid pass on your to-do list for Memphis. The Palace is closed for renovations, and two of the main exhibits (Piggly Wiggly & the Circus) are also closed. The ticket prices are still the same despite 1/3 of the attraction being gone. So, what is left? Exhibits. Dusty, tired, mostly boring exhibits that are displayed in a dimly lit, musty smelling building with carpet that needs to be ripped out and burned. If you have literally never been to any other museum in your life, you may find the exhibits to be interesting. A few of them that covered medicine and Tennessee history did entertain us somewhat. The "special exhibit" was a bunch of beat-up animatronic dinosaurs that were in serious need of some WD-40 and a nice dusting.

What can I say? This is just a cool Place. It is for all ages. As the old saying goes " something for everyone". Go, and enjoy!

I was here for an event. This is a nice venue for the type of event I attended. The lighting was a little weird for pictures but perhaps that is what the party planner chose for this event.

The Pink Palace Museum displays collections of historic, educational and technological significance. The experience inspires people to learn how history, science, technology, and nature shape the Mid-South. Its collections, exhibitions, and programs reflect on the past, understand the present, & influence the future. Over the next 4 years, exhibits will be updated and highly interactive. At this time, however, it is quite apparent that areas are undergoing transition.

I used to take my children here all the time when they were younger. But now that they are all grown up, I still enjoy going. And so do they. The Pink Palace is a wonderful museum, and a real treasure for our city. There all sorts of interesting exhibits, like the replica of the first Piggly Wiggly (the first self-service grocery store). Tons of historical displays and replicas, dinosaurs, fossils and my kids' favorite - a shrunken head. :) Other than exhibits, there's also a planetarium, a fabulous IMAX theater and a gift shop. And it's all housed in a beautiful old building that has become a landmark in our city. And here's a good tip. On Tuesdays, from 1 to 5, admission is free. It does not include the planetarium or IMAX however.

I chose this over a tour of Graceland and did not regret it. This museum has affordable admission, is located in a scenic neighborhood, and has a wonderful, vibrant collection so diverse it will keep just about everyone interested. I would say that if you are in a group with people who don't exactly love museums, if you can convince them to go to just one while in Memphis, make it the Pink Palace. The name and eclectic collection nearly scared me off at first (sounded like an old man's junk collection monetized) as I thought it would be one of those places (e.g., "Fast Food Toy Museum") where the owner/operator/collector either lords over you or stands disinterested while you explore a 200 square foot room with no historical context given. Definitely NOT what the Pink Palace is! Great for all ages and normally with some sort of special exhibit going on. This was one of my Top 5 attractions during a wonderful couple of days in Memphis - I would suggest you give it a chance. The highlight that got me here in the first place was the recreation of an early grocery store (I have a weird thing with grocery stores - always go out of my way to visit other grocery store chains when in other parts of the country) alone was worth it for me.

The Pink Palace is not nearly as Pink as you'd expect, but it offers some decent exhibits. The most interesting being the Clyde Parke Circus upstairs. I also found the Piggly Wiggly replica to be fascinating. I was disappointed with the Mansion exhibits, it seems to be a just a few exhibits and a hall for parties. Its likely that a few dollars should be spent sprucing up some of the exhibits, especially on the main floor, but I had a good time so I can't judge them too harshly. We didn't visit the Planetarium and I'm sad to report the Triceratops just stands there mocking you in its "No Longer Anamatronic" death kneel.

I love the planetarium! It is pretty awesome. The exhibits are pretty cool. little over priced

The museum is always a must see when we come to town. The staff is great! The remodel is wonderful. But why are there no Pink Palace souvenirs? We have tried unsuccessfully for years to get mementos of our visits to no avail-shirts, keychains, magnets, postcards, etc.

Sorry to be the Negative Nancy here... but this museum is terrible. Maaaaaaybe it's because I was born and raised in Chicago and am spoiled by the awesome museums we have there. But I dunno... I Yelped this place and saw the 5 star reviews and thought it would be fun for kids. Wrong. My 8 year old stepdaughter was bored. She thought the Chocolate exhibit was interesting... but I has seen it previously and what seemed like a larger version, at the Field Museum (it's on loan from there). Most of the things in the museum weren't very hands on. She spent most of her time just following us around and having us try to hype up the lackluster exhibits to pique her interest. The one highlight was in the history area where we had to guess what the tools were once used for. We thought the history area was better than the natural history area. The natural history struck me as a random collection of boring things. The only things I was interested in were the geology collection (I like looking at rocks for cleavage... tee-hee), the vein thingie and the real time seismological readings in the world. But otherwise... a couple of fake dinosaurs? Really? That's all you got? Some skeletons? Boooooooring.

Take your kids to the Clyde Parke Circus- they'll love it. A miniature replica of the Big Top, complete with a cute little wooden train that travels around the huge exhibit. You'll see everything that you would normally see at a circus- tightrope walkers, clowns, lion tamers. You'll also see the tiny grub tent, and behind the scenes housing for circus performers. The display is very intricate and detailed and I had almost as much fun watching the show come to life as my girls did. The permanent exhibits are interesting- I love the old-timey grocery store and apothecary shoppe. There are also fashions from Memphis Cotton Carnivals past, and replicas of historical riverboats. The downstairs dinosaur exhibit was a big hit with the kids, and there are fun interactive displays in the fossil and butterfly exhibits. We love going to IMAX movies in the theater, and I take my kids to the Enchanted Forest every year. For fun indoors, you should check it out, but try to keep the kids away from the gift store. I can never get out of there without buying some little trinket that they'll play with for a few hours and then forget about forever.

We used to drive hours to Memphis several times a year to bring our son to the PP museum, now that we live here we have become members. There is such a variety of exhibits available that it appeals to all ages. The membership is the way to go if you live anywhere within driving distance as the member only events are excellent. Our favorite is the Coon Creek Dig each spring.

Every time I travel somewhere I always make a point of visiting the local museum. I may be bias but I have yet to find another museum which measures up to the Pink Palace here in my hometown. This museum beautifully covers the story of the Midsouth from prehistoric times to the modern day.

Memphis has done well with this museum. There are exhibits for any age and interest and the place keeps growing. When I was young it was all in the old mansion. They have grown huge since then.

This was my first visit to the Pink Palace.....it was very disappointing to find out AFTER paying the entry fee that the whole mansion was closed for renovations. There were some interesting exhibits in the attached building and the imax theater was okay. I think there should be some sort of sign on the "front door or they should at least tell you at the welcome desk or the ticket booth that the Mansion is not open for public viewing due to renovations.

I used to love going on field trips to the pink palace as a kid. Since then I have enjoyed taking my son. There is so much to see and do. When my son was little he enjoyed the dinosaurs. I have enjoyed showing him the antiquities on the mansion side. It is interesting to see how much things have changed over the years. I know I will enjoy taking my daughter to see the many exhibits when she is old enough to enjoy it. One of my favorites has always been the piggly wiggly. I think it will be one of her favorites as well.

I haven't researched much before going to this museum and thought it has pink exhibits. However it is just a natural history and American history museum. The museum itself is good but I feel it overpriced especially the mansion was under construction and not open.

The Pink Palace in Memphis is a family of museums that includes the Pink Palace Museum (fixed and rotating exhibits), Planetarium (astronomy), Coon Creek Science Center, Lichterman Nature Center (museum of native wildlife) and historic homes (Mallory-Neely House, Magevney House Victorian Houses). Good educational enclave for nature, history and science. Enjoyed the 3D movie as well.

This is a really entertaining place to visit. I came for the IMAX, but stayed for the museum and planetarium. Admission to the museum is free Tuesdays from 1-5pm. When I did visit it was still IMAX, but has since changed format to CTI 3D Giant screen. This was my first IMAX experience and I was totally blown away. The first film was a safari. Scenes of flying over the Serengeti, with that immense screen, gives you the sensation of flying. The sound was incredible. One scene with flies buzzing, was so clear some sitting near us were swatting and swishing their hands around their ears. I've only seen a couple other IMAX movies. Deep Sea, narrated by Johnny Depp and NASCAR: The Experience. It is really cool to see the film projection room through the large picture window when they pull back the curtain. I would love to go see a movie on the new format soon. The Pink Palace Museum is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the Southeast. You can walk through a replica of the first self-service grocery store in the country, Clarence Saunders' Piggly Wiggly. I admit, the spiders are creepy, but I stayed long enough to look at their collection. Plan on spending most of your day here. With all the options, it could wear you out.

As a former Pink Palace paleontologist, keep in mind my review is highly biased: It's freakin' awesome. The Pink Palace is separated into three main parts: the museum, the planetarium, and the IMAX. It's a museum of history and science, NOT an art museum; the majority of the exhibits are hands-on and encourage learning. The museum's permanent collection includes sections on local history (from native americana to slavery to Yellow Fever to a completely restored Piggly Wiggly store) and natural history (geology, biology, paleontology, and- of course!- dinosaurs). There is usually at least one temporary exhibit of local interest and at least one national traveling exhibit. The IMAX shows the newest IMAX movies going around the country; the planetarium shows change regularly, and are always entertainingly narrated. The Children's Museum is great, but can cause the adult mind to turn to mush. The Brooks and Dixon Museums are wonderful repositories of art in Memphis, but will encourage your children to have a complete hysterical nervous breakdown of boredom. If you have kids and can only keep them calm for one museum trip (and prefer to learn something yourself), put the Pink Palace on your list.

This is a really excellent museum. It covers three topics including physical sciences and geology, life sciences, and cultural history. It also had a very interesting recreation of a Piggly Wiggly on site with a discussion of it's history. Not surprising since the original owner of the building that houses the museum was built by Clarence Saunders although never used by him, since he lost his business to Wall Street manipulations. While we were there, one of the three wings was undergoing renovation. Although we were sorry we couldn't visit that wing, the remainder of the museum was still worth the effort. It also has a pretty good on-site cafe with good food and reasonable prices. Ditto for the gift shop. We visited early during the post Christmas vacation period and they were not too busy. We understand that it can get very busy during the school years with children's groups. They have a couple of theaters. We enjoyed the one we visited. It was about the planets and sky and used the domed ceiling to project the images. There is at least one other regular theater there too. This museum is worth your time and money.