When looking for something interesting to do in Memphis, Tennessee, go to the Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium – it's a fascinating science and history museum. Originally built in 1923, it was the home of Clarence Saunders, who founded the Piggly Wiggly grocery stores. The house was later donated to Memphis in March 1930 and was called the Memphis Museum of Natural History and Industrial arts.
When visitors spend the day at this Museum and Planetarium, there are several sites to visit as well as activities to do, such as:
1. The Pink Palace Mansion has some of the original exhibits from the 1930s that include dolls, historical uniforms, Civil War memorabilia, birds, and stuffed animals.
2. The Sharpe Planetarium contains 165 seats and is built in a round auditorium offering spectacular laser lights and star fields on the huge domed ceiling.
3. There are several displays on the property including a model of the first Piggly Wiggly store; identified as the very first self-service grocery store.
4. In addition, other display includes 15th century Native American stoneware and weavings, a collection of pre-Columbian relics, and many dinosaurs and fossils.
5. Be sure to notice the Mural at the main entrance remembering the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and the local Native American tribes.
6. The Clyde Parke Miniature Circus is a must-see complete hand-carved circus containing acrobats, sideshows, clowns, animals, and concession stands.
The Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium is a great place to spend the day browsing through some interesting artifacts and learning something new.