Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium
The Museum of Science & History - Pink Palace in Memphis, Tennessee, serves as the Mid-South's major science and historical museum and features exhibits ranging from archeology to chemistry. Over 240,000 people visit the museum each year.[1]
The museum is part of the Museum of Science & History - Memphis, a collection of historic, educational, and technological attractions maintained by the City of Memphis and Memphis Museums, Inc. The Lichterman Nature Center, the first accredited nature center in the United States, is part of the museum, as well as the Coon Creek Science Center, an education center which is open to organized groups and features a fossil site.[1]
The
The AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium, housed at the museum, features an 165-seat theater-in-the-round auditorium and offers public shows that project star fields, visual images, and laser lights on a domed ceiling. The Crew Training International 3D Giant Theater opened on January 21, 1995, and features a four-story high movable screen.[1] The Museum of Science & History - Pink Palace, the Sharpe Planetarium, and the Crew Training International 3D Giant Theater are accredited members of the American Alliance of Museums.
Pink Palace Mansion
The headquarters for the museum is covered in pink Georgian marble. The city of Memphis acquired the mansion when Clarence Saunders, the founder of Piggly Wiggly, became bankrupt. He had been building the residence in 1923, but lost a fortune, and the home, due to financial reversals on Wall Street.[2][3]
In March 1930, after the
Exhibits
The museum contains a variety of exhibits relating to Memphis history. One exhibit features a replica of the original Piggly Wiggly store, the first self-service grocery store, commemorating the invention of the supermarket by Memphian Clarence Saunders in 1916.[1] Other permanent exhibits include 15th century Native American pottery, pre-Columbian artifacts, Clyde Parke's Miniature Circus, fossils and dinosaurs, and mounted animals. History exhibits focus on the roles of music and cotton on Memphis, the Civil War, the changing roles of women, and historic Black Memphians. The museum features several special exhibits each year.
Murals
The original main entrance lobby of the Museum Mansion features a three-panel mural by Memphis artist
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e The Pink Palace Family of Museums Archived 2009-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, official site.
- ISBN 9781497644892.
- ISBN 9781609492854.
- ^ The Pink Palace Family of Museums: Burton Callicot Murals.
- ^ Elizabeth H. Moore, "Burton Callicott," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture.