Relive River History: (re)Opening the Mississippi River Museum
Mud Island Park’s Mississippi River Museum opened in 1982 to preserve and promote the natural and cultural history of the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Since then, the museum’s been kept in good condition, but little has been done to update the exhibits. This summer, we closed the museum for a month to prototype some creative updates that could help to inform larger changes in the future.
Each gallery was introduced by large, clunky lightboxes. These have been removed and replaced with simple circle signs.
Light panels throughout the museum featured exhibit information and explainers with colored gel behind illuminated lettering. The screenprinted images below remain in perfect condition. We removed the colored gel (and 35 years of baked-on photography chemicals) to allow images to stand out on their own.
The 18 galleries make sense as a set of 5 sections that tie back to a central theme: The Mighty Mississippi. We used the Memphis River Parks brand colors to orient visitors and guide them through. We also illuminated the space by re-painting dark walls in lighter shades.
The artifacts in the galleries have been freed from Plexiglas safety boxes. Bringing the objects out into the open has helped them feel more accessible while still preserving their safety.
A new rotating gallery space features exhibits about Memphis today. Our inaugural activity asks visitors to share a headline about Memphis in the next 5, 10, or 20 years.
Finally, instead of exiting through the gift shop the conclusion of the museum leads visitors directly outside to a spectacular river vista.
Soon we will be walking people through the museum to for their feedback and ideas on next steps. We’re excited to find out how Memphians react to the changes and what they want to see in Mud Island Park.
For now, the museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $10 for adults 12 years and older, $8 for kids 4–11, and free for children under the age of 4. Click here for directions.
