Mud Island, Memphis
Encyclopedia
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
but a small peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, surrounded by the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to the west and the Wolf River
Wolf River (Tennessee)
The Wolf River is a alluvial stream in western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, whose confluence with the Mississippi River was the site of various Chickasaw, French, Spanish and American communities and forts that eventually became Memphis, Tennessee....
Harbor to the east. In 1960, the Wolf River was diverted so that it went north of Mud Island, and Mud Island opened to the public in 1982. It is located within the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
city limits, 1.2 miles from the coast of downtown, and houses a museum, restaurants, and an amphitheater. It is accessible by monorail
Memphis Suspension Railway
The Memphis Suspension Railway or Mud Island Monorail is a suspended monorail that connects the city center of Memphis with the entertainment park on Mud Island...
, by foot (via a bridge located on top of the monorail), by ferry, or automobile.
Mississippi River Park
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
to New Orleans.
Major cities and small towns located on the river are marked in the scale model, and markers explain history and facts about the river.
The model empties into a "Gulf of Mexico" replica which was once a waterpark named Bud Boogie Beach
Bud Boogie Beach
Bud Boogie Beach was a small Water park located on Mud Island in Memphis, Tennessee. It opened in 1987 and closed in 1997.Bud Boogie Beach included a beach, concession stands, a New Orleans-style restaurant and several games including Water basketball and water volleyball...
, and on the other side is a small wooden boat named the Maymay which is no longer open to the public. Admission to the park is free.
Mississippi River Museum
The museum on Mud Island presents the history of the lower Mississippi river valley, with great emphasis on the steamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
, complete with a full-scale replica steamboat.
An admission fee is charged for the museum.
Amphitheater
Mud Island is home to a 5,000 seat outdoor amphitheater which has been used for a summer concert series for over two decades.The band Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock is a New Orleans based rock band built around the songs of singer-guitarist Bill Davis.The band is a legendary live powerhouse, often being credited with founding the musical genre known as "Country Punk." The New York Times said Dash Rip Rock is "the kind of band that provides a...
, which has played there several times, recorded a song named Mud Island that can be found on two of their albums.
James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, performing in the amphitheater during a light rainstorm in 1992, stuck his arm out into the falling water and remarked, "Mud Island... ominous name, eh?"
Harbor Town
The northern portion of Mud Island ("Harbor Town") features single-family homes and apartment complexes, and caters mostly to an affluent, younger crowd.
This section of the island includes the Mississippi River Trail, a grassy section of park land with running trails and benches overlooking the Mississippi River.
Wolf River Harbor was the lowermost channel of the Wolf River until 1960.
Harbor Island
There are considerations under way for a complete renovation to enhance the appearance and use of the current Mud Island. The plan would include renovations to the pyramid that would encompass the entire area and make way for a Resort and Theme Park.Developers and the city are considering a name change to Harbor Island, to rid the current name of negative connotations. Pyramid Resorts and Harbor Island would feature two unique areas that include an indoor theme park, headline entertainment, two unique hotels, distinctive shopping and educational opportunities that would include maritime and marine studies.
The project is said to broaden the economic scale of Memphis and the surrounding areas.