It was a rainy cold day so we opted for the pink museum. I did not know it had a planetarium. We…read morebought tickets for "our night sky". It was incredibly immersive and very educational. It was a great experience for our family.

The first things I noticed after I sat down in the Sharpe Planetarium were the giant,…read morebarbell-shaped machine in the center of the room and the dozens of projectors circling the room. That, and the disco balls. Sadly, the disco balls weren't used during the presentation of "Bear Tales and Other Grizzly Stories". The lights dimmed, and I leaned back and watched as the star machine and projectors flashed the night sky onto the planetarium's domed ceiling. The current program at the planetarium is about a family looking at the night sky and telling the stories behind some of the most well-known constellations. The current show, "Bear Tales and Other Grizzly Stories", is about 30 minutes long and completely family friendly (it closes with a singalong, too). Following the regular program, Planetarium Supervisor David Maness projected some images of the night sky as seen from Memphis onto the ceiling and pointed out where common constellations are located. He also mentioned that currently (as in, tonight) Venus, Mars, and Saturn will all be visible, though, to the naked eye, they'll just look like extra bright stars. The Sharpe Planetarium has been open inside the Pink Palace Museum since 1979. Currently, there are 16 public and school group shows in the planetarium every week, and usually a few special private shows (the planetarium can be rented for the evening). The planetarium's shows change about every three months, which keeps them seasonally appropriate - the constellations that are in the spring are different from the ones that appear in the fall. The planetarium has shows every week, Tuesday - Saturday. Admission is separate from regular museum admission, but it's a bargain at $4.50 for adults and $4 for kids.

The adult admissions fee to this Memphis Museums of Science and History. The falsely advertise free…read moreadmissions apply to those with the museum membership.

I attended an event here and needed to use the elevator to access a classroom. I was able to use it…read moreonce. The second time I attempted to use it, the doors kept opening / closing and an alarm went off. The security and staff stared at me like I was insane for asking about the elevator. I have a cane and had to ask more than once to use the elevator, and was warned that it doesn't always work. This is not ADA compliant and seriously needs to be fixed. This center isn't friendly to those with physical disabilities or wheelchair users.

A visitors center located in the Land Between The Lakes Recreation Area…read more At the visitor center, a variety of brochures, recreational maps, trail maps, and state maps are available. You will also find restrooms, vending machines, and a gift shop. If you are looking to learn about the natural and cultural history of the area, including the legacy of the people who lived "between the rivers" and the construction of the Tennessee and Cumberland River dams that formed the Land Between the Lakes,you will enjoy the small museum. We did not stay for the Planetarium show as we arrived too early . Definitely a good place to stop since this area is huge!

The Planetarium shows on Monday we're stellar. We saw some new shows with Aesop the Owl and Coyote…read moreto introduce mythology and fables on the stars & constellations. Michael was a superlative guide and made our day fun & entertaining. He loved answering questions and was genuinely thoughtful & interested in astronomy. We plan to see every show the provide including the laser shows. Unfortunately, there will be no shows in December.

This is a kitschy little tourist trap in the unlikely spot of Jackson, Tennessee. It is centered…read morearound a restaurant and a museum for trains and the home of Casey Jones. First, I have to confess that I didn't even know that Casey Jones was a real human being, I just knew the name from the Grateful Dead song. But next to the museum, they have the actual home of the real-life Casey Jones. If you have an electric vehicle, there are plenty of chargers on the property to charge your vehicle. I would hazard a guess that there are not a lot of other options in Jackson, Tennessee. This tourist trap is conveniently located just off of the interstate and if you are in Jackson, Tennessee, it is worth stopping by and checking out. All in all, it is a pretty cool place to check out if you are in the area or just passing through. I would give it four stars as an overall rating.

My kiddo loves trains, and the Casey Jones story. So we made a trek to check it out and turned it…read moreinto a weekend. I thought the museum was cool, with a lot of Casey Jones' personal items. Had an engine similar to Casey's that you could check out and take pictures with. Afterwards went and saw Casey Jones house, that was moved from its original location. It wasn't quite as exciting because it had much of it glassed up. Then we went to Casey Jones' actual grave and paid our respects. The grave is not onsite, and it's problematic to get to. I thought the restaurant was nice, and the food was better than expected. Wifey loved the shopping in the village. We had a good time and will go back maybe as a weekend trip.

Pink Palace Museum is much catchier sounding than MOSH. Seems like a no-brainer idea to stick with…read morethe 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.

Got an email from the museum stating they offer free general admission on every third Thursday of…read moreeach month. Took advantage of that and visited with my mom, son and niece. I hadn't been since I was a kid, so I was excited to visit again. For the most part, a lot was the same as I remember and I was excited to show the kids. There were a few new things too, which was cool. We didn't get a chance to do the planetarium ($5 on the free third Thursdays) nor the giant screen theater (also $5). Next time, I for sure want to take my son inside the planetarium because it was my most favorite thing as a kid. Hopefully, he'll love it too. As an adult, the museum definitely seems a bit random and there's not a whole lot that's interesting (unless you're a huge science/history fan). Overall, the kids enjoyed themselves and that's all that matters.

Discovery Park of America in Everett Boulevard, Union City, Tennessee is a big 50 acre heritage…read morepark and 100,000 square foot museum full of history and culture. It showcases galleries for science, military, technology, space, art, history and a lot more. The museum features a 4D earthquake simulation, displays of military aircraft, vehicles, equipment and uniforms, dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric artifacts, a theater and an observation tower. The heritage park have beautifully extensive landscaped area that have a man made river, waferfall, bridges, and water features. It also built an early 20th century town with a working gristmill and windmill, beautiful gardens, 19th century frontier settlement, 120 year old church, and old train station and depot. A lot of learning experience and knowledge will be gained from the really cool and fascinating exhibits displayed all over the property. There is a fastfood store inside in case you get hungry or thirsty with lots of dining tables and chairs in the airconditioned room. Check it out!

This place was so much fun to visit! It's just far enough away from Memphis to be considered a…read more"trip" but definitely a quick day trip! And definitely worth the trek!!! We went with three different generations of our family and all three had a great time. (And all three generations went down the massive multi-story indoor slide!!!) The grounds are LOVELY and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to explore all the outdoor exhibits. Our favorite indoor exhibit was the torture chamber! How fascinating!!! And the kids absolutely loved the water play on the highest level! I feel like this is a place you can visit over and over again and not see it all or have a new experience each time. If you're in the area: do give it a try! I bet you'll find something to enjoy.

Mud Island Park in Memphis--sounds like a place where you'd expect to get your shoes stuck and your…read moreclothes ruined. Spoiler alert: no mud, just a whole lot of chill vibes and some seriously underrated views of the Mississippi River. You hop on the monorail, which feels like a low-key retro space mission, and zoom over the water with the Memphis skyline photobombing every shot. The Riverwalk--this giant scale model of the Mississippi--is like geography class got cool and decided to throw a party. Walking the entire river in flip-flops while dodging kids launching into the splash fountains? Perfect way to get your steps in and your funny stories ready. Bonus points for the picnic spots, perfect for pretending you're fancy while eating a sandwich you packed in your car. If you're in Memphis and want a little riverfront chill without the mud, Mud Island's your spot. Five stars and zero mud in sight!

Quality/Quantity - Memphis TN's welcome center suggested we walk over here and check it out…read more I bet in its heyday, this place was a great retreat from the "city." This place can use some love, but we still had a good time and enjoyed it. The tram was also out of order, but it was fun walking across the bridge. Atmosphere - An island off of Memphis. Most of this island needs love. Looked abandoned for a long time. Open 7 days a week from 7am to 5pm. Easy walk from the welcome center. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - If the city, county, and state were to invest a little $$ here, I can see how this could easily be 5 stars.

The most iconic building in Clarksville, TN, has over 125 years of documented history. The…read morewell-designed architecture even withstood an F3 tornado in January 1999. It transformed from a Federal Post Office to the Department of Electricity, and now a beautiful museum to showcase Clarksville's rich culture and history for all ages to enjoy. We enjoyed a group of self-guided and museum-guided tours that included story time, a craft activity, a scavenger hunt, and a plethora of hands-on educational fun. The kids enjoyed the interactive model trains exhibit, Explorer's Landing, and Art Studio. Check out their website membership, group rates, special events, and ways to donate to this beautiful museum. It's truly worth a visit. Highly Recommend!!!

Usually I like to tie up my reviews with a nice ending of how my visit to a place was. For this…read morereview, I am cutting the foreplay to tell you how this review ends, so you will be compelled to read more or to skip this review entirely. Keep reading: In a nutshell, this is the place to go to learn everything you need to know about Clarksville, Tennessee. The museum is very clean. The staff is courteous and very professional. The art from the temporary exhibits was profound, sensational, and brought me to another time and world beyond Clarksville. If you are looking for this, please read the rest of my review. ******************** The Customs House Museum has been on my to go list since I moved here. The Museum is open to the public with free admission all day from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. as part of their monthly Second Saturday Free Admission Day. It was the perfect rainy Saturday, and it was easy finding the museum.I found an empty parking space and headed off to the wrong direction. Turned around and found the place instantly. Megan at the front desk gave me a map to the museum. She even showed me a photograph of the music store Jimi Hendrix went to when he was a soldier in Fort Campbell. I wandered slowly to each room in the museum. The most fascinating exhibits were: 15 Over 50: A Women's History Month Exhibition March 7, 2019 - June 9, 2019 March 7 - June 9 Kimbrough Gallery This exhibition features 15 contemporary women artists from across the country all over age 50. Works include photography, painting, and sculpture done in a variety of styles. Johan Hagaman was my favorite artist. I found her statement very profound. It stood out more than the art she created to represent it. JOHAN HAGAMAN | SCULPTOR ARTIST STATEMENT: Passing clouds. Poetry. Climbing vines. Current events. I am a collector of often unrelated and ambiguous images and ideas - not looking for anything in particular, but noticing patterns; and I try to process what it means -- how we have been shaped, and what is seeking to emerge--by making something formal. Being covered in vines, leaves, birds - a metaphor that has become a dominant theme in my work for some time - is both about paying attention and also about how what we are paying attention to determines how we shape our world, and are shaped by and tied to it in a circle of reciprocity. - Johan Hagaman This statement was the most mind provoking Item in the museum to me. It still reverberates in my head. She put into words and art the idea of how we create our REALITY and design our world. She shows this by having vines, leaves, and birds emerging from her sculptures of people. ********* MIKE ANDREWS: A NEW VISION: Crouch Gallery - A local teacher & sculptor working in wood and limestone brings his new pieces to the Crouch Gallery. Included in the show are Andrew's figurative pieces, abstract benches, and wall-mounted forms. His work is simple, elegant, and compelled me. It reminded me of the time I touched gigantic expensive vases made of stone or clay that held skeletal remains of the dead. It was a burial reserved for the very wealthy. Absolutely mesmerizing how a sculpture or vase can evoke zen, calm, and a magical zing. ******* My third and final favorite: BECOMING CLARKSVILLE: HONORING LEGACIES OF LEADERSHIP Explore Clarksville's history in Becoming Clarksville: Honoring Legacies of Leadership. Find out how local agriculture, industry, education, culture, government, medicine, military, and transportation have all contributed to the city of today, and learn about the leaders who have shaped our history. The exhibit also includes engaging computer interactives and a film area. Very impressed with this historical exhibit and the film area. I watched all the films and read everything displayed about Fort Campbell. I plan to go back to the Custom Museum again and revisit this area again. I wanted to read everything about Clarksville, yet my time was limited. ************ In a nutshell, this is the place to go to learn everything you need to know about Clarksville. The museum is very clean. The staff is courteous and very professional. The art from the temporary exhibits was profound, sensational, and brought me to another time and world beyond Clarksville. Thank you for reading this review. 7:07 AM time to have a brand new day.

Fort Defiance (formerly also known as Fort Sevier & Fort Bruce)…read more We loved the little walking path that was here. It shows some of the original earthworks. Museum was very informative. Clarksville, TN in the 1860's was a vital communication/transportation center for the Confederacy. It was a major producer of tobacco and agricultural goods but became an important source of iron (its local foundries producing cannon, artillery shells and musket balls for the Confederate army early in the war). Clarksville's location at the confluence of the Cumberland and Red Rivers made it a strategic point. The Confederates in preparing for the city's defense constructed Fort Sevier on a hill that commands the two rivers. On February 19, 1862, Union gunboats came up the river from Fort Donelson and reported the fort displayed a white flag and was left deserted. The Union took over the fort and enlarged it so that it would control traffic on the Hopkinsville (Kentucky) Pike. After the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, Clarksville became a Federal recruitment center for the induction of free blacks and former slaves into the Union service.

We stopped by since we were killing some time in town for a wedding later in the day. The small…read moremuseum was pretty interesting as was the video. If so inclined they have a long walking path down to the river ( beware the path back is uphill). The fort itself is not much to see given it is just earthen walls. Nice views to downtown c-ville. Ok especially if you are a civil war history buff but for all others... meh.