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    Mid South Military Museum

    5.0 (1 review)

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    10 years ago

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    Sultana Disaster Museum

    Sultana Disaster Museum

    5.0
    (3 reviews)
    30.0 mi

    The Sultana: The Greatest Maritime Disaster in US History. Yes,... even worse than The Titanic…read more This disaster received little public attention, as it took place at the end of the Civil War, after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and the day after John Wilkes Booth was killed. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. Under the terms of the surrender agreement, POWs were to be freed and sent home as soon as possible. Union prisoners from Andersonville, GA and Cahaba, AL were sent to Vicksburg, MS to ship home up the MS River. The government offered to pay boat owners $5 per enlisted man and $10 per officer transported. The Sultana left Vicksburg on April 24th with more than 2,300 prisoners of war (plus an additional number of crew and passengers and a large shipment of sugar bound for Memphis). It's legal carrying capacity was only 376 passengers. The Sultana had pulled into Vicksburg at about the same time as two other boats (the Pauline Caroll and the Lady Gay); however, those 2 boats left with 0 soldiers. To make matters worse, a boiler had to be patched while in port at Vicksburg. The mechanic warned it would need to be properly fixed once up north. At about 2am on April 27th 1865, the steamboat's boilers exploded. Over 1,800 of the Sultana's +2,300 passengers were killed just north of Marion, Arkansas. The 1,800 people were burned to death, drowned or died of hypothermia. After the disaster, people wanted to determine the cause of the Sultana explosion as well as why it was so overcrowded. Many concluded that Mason, the captain and part owner of the Sultana, bribed Union officers into letting him transport as many freed prisoners as possible so that he would make lots of money; however, Mason was killed in the accident. Captain Frederick Speed, a Union army officer, was found guilty of overcrowding the Sultana. But his verdict was overturned by the army. So in the end, the U.S. Army never punished anyone for the disaster.

    This is a terrific museum dedicated to a disaster that has largely been forgotten, lost in the…read moreaftermath of the Civil War. There is a great introductory film, and then several rooms of artifacts and interpretive material about this event, the largest maritime loss of life in American history. The passionate and deeply knowledgeable guide made our visit very special. Highly recommended.

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    Sultana Disaster Museum
    Sultana Disaster Museum
    Sultana Disaster Museum

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    Sharpe Planetarium

    Sharpe Planetarium

    3.8
    (6 reviews)
    23.9 mi

    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.

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    Sharpe Planetarium
    Sharpe Planetarium
    Sharpe Planetarium

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    Discovery Park of America

    Discovery Park of America

    4.6
    (62 reviews)
    79.8 mi

    This place is a must see for ALL ages, I had 8, 10, & 13 year old and they all were enthralled…read more Toddlers & younger kids would enjoy as well. We did the 3-d movies, earthquake room and observatory. Imo the observatory wasn't worth an extra charge, but that's just my opinion. The movies & earthquake were worth every penny. Every single staff member were so helpful and friendly, the building is very clean, considering all the kids running through it. It's a great place for families, highly recommend taking yours there when nearby.

    Drove all the way out her for a fun summer day trip. We spent about 4 hours here after our long 2…read morehour drive up there. It was fun but more than half of the park is outside and it was a quite hot. I recommend visiting in the Spring or Fall when the weather is nice. Because we came on a weekday, the crowds were very manageable. Sadly, in my opinion, too many of the outdoor exhibits were closed or under renovation. My 20 month old enjoyed looking at the cars and tractors and rode in the stroller almost the whole time. I would say this museum is good for ages 3 and up (probably why under 3 has free admission!) We started inside and then explored the outdoor grounds, which were very spacious and clean. We also ate at the cafe, which was ok but in my opinion had low food quality as the corn dogs were undercooked and was a bit expensive for its quality of food. There are many add ons to your experience that we didn't do this time because we didn't think they would be great for our toddler (earthquake simulator, movie, 3D show, observation deck). We enjoyed the park overall but we were expecting more of the exhibits indoors.

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    Inside the old train station
    Inside the old train station
    Playground
    Playground
    Pioneer village

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    Pioneer village

    Mid South Military Museum - museums - Updated August 2026

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