Mud Island is a small peninsula in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. It is bordered by the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

to the west and the Wolf River and Harbor Town to the east. Mud Island River Park is within the Memphis city limits, from the coast of downtown. Mud Island includes a museum, restaurants, an

amphitheater An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...

, and a residential area. It is accessible by foot (via a footbridge), kayak, paddle board, or automobile. Activities on Mud Island include concerts/performances, kayaking, paddle boarding, and biking. The park is managed and operated by the

Memphis River Parks Partnership The Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP), known as the Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC) until being renamed in April 2018, is a nonprofit organization that manages and develops the various riverfront parks and amenities located along t ...

. Admission to the park is free.

Parts of Mud Island

Mud Island River Park, opened in 1982, is on the south end of the peninsula. It includes bike trails, paddleboats, and kayaks, and a

hydraulic Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...

scale model of the lower Mississippi River from

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( , sometimes ) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinoi ...

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. The model is called the Riverwalk. The replica is carved out of cement to provide a scale model of the Mississippi River. The model is long and includes plaques with details about the river's history throughout. The Mississippi River Museum was on Mud Island from 1982 to 2019. It included 18 galleries and exhibits and presented the history of the lower Mississippi River Valley over the span of the last 10,000 years. The museum also displayed over 5,000 artifacts. The

Mud Island Amphitheater Mud Island Amphitheater is a 5,000-seat concrete outdoor amphitheater located on Mud Island, a peninsula in Memphis, Tennessee. The structure has been used for concerts and shows since it was built in 1982. A few artists that have performed at Mud I ...

is a concrete outdoor amphitheater that seats up to 5,000 people. The structure has been used for concerts and shows since it was built in 1982. The northern portion of Mud Island (" Harbor Town") includes mansions, single-family homes, and apartment complexes. The total population of Harbor Town is 14,648. Harbor Town offers various trails and ponds, as well as a shopping district and a private school. Harbor town also offers an off-leash dog park. File:Harbortown Houses.jpg, Harbortown and Downtown (background) from the Mississippi River Park (2014) File:Wolf-River-Harbor-Memphis.jpg, Wolf River Harbor (2006)

Activities

Kayaks and paddle boards are available to rent on Mud Island at Fourth Cup coffee kiosk in the River Garden. They are available every day of the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is also a portion of the Wolf River Greenway on Mud Island that provides a trail for walking, running, or biking. Mud Island Amphitheater has been used to host concerts and shows since it was built in 1982 but has gone unused since 2018. The city of Memphis is putting $4 million towards renovations on the amphitheater so it can be used as a concert venue again. Artists that have performed there include Bob Dylan, Journey, Eric Clapton, and Peter Frampton. The River Inn of Harbor Town also offers three restaurants – Paulette's Restaurant, Tug's Casual Grill, and Terrace at the River Inn. Café Eclectic also has one location in Harbor Town. The main grocery store on Mud Island, located in Harbor Town, is Cordelia's Market.

History

Mud Island had been formed by a buildup of silt, gravel, and sand by 1899. It was originally referred to as City Island until the 1950s. Mud Island became the location of the Memphis Downtown Airport in 1959 and was used primarily by wealthy businessmen to access Downtown Memphis. In 1960, the Wolf River Levee was used to divert the flow of the Wolf River. The airport was shut down in 1970 due to the construction of the Interstate 40 bridge. In 1976, the architect responsible for the Memphis International Airport and

Memphis College of Art Memphis College of Art (MCA) was a private art college in Memphis, Tennessee. It was in Overton Park, adjacent to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. It offered Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts in Art Education and M ...

came up with a project to turn of property owned by the city into a destination designed to attract locals and tourists alike. The proposed name for the park was Volunteer Park, but it was later named Mud Island Park when it was opened on July 4, 1982.

Governance

The park has been run by several different groups including the Park Commission, The Parks Division, Sidney Shlenkner, and the RDC (Riverfront Development Corporation). The RDC is being in charge of running the park since 2000. Memphis Sign

Notable events

In August of 2019,

vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...

broke into the museum and damaged several display cases, forcing it to close for a weekend. Memphis police dusted for fingerprints but were unable to make any arrests. On October 1, 2020, a second break-in at the Mississippi River Museum was reported to police. Over $50,000 worth of historical artifacts were stolen shortly after the museum shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The burglar(s) have yet to be found as of February 2021. On Sunday, January 23, 2021, human bones were found scattered in an area of tall grass near the large Memphis sign, located on the southern end of the peninsula, by a landscaping crew. The remains were found in an area that tends to be covered with water at different points in the year, and the police stated the remains may have washed up from the Mississippi River, but it is still unknown at this point. The police have yet to release any further information on the case as of February 21, 2021. On December 8, 2024, a third break-in occurred at the museum, resulting in two arrests.

References

External links

Official site
{{coord, 35.146, -90.058, type:city_region:US, display=title Landforms of Shelby County, Tennessee Neighborhoods in Memphis, Tennessee Parks in Tennessee Peninsulas of Tennessee River islands of Tennessee Tourist attractions in Memphis, Tennessee