Long Weekend in Memphis in Oct -best family activities? (Midtown: amusement park, hotel)

[DaisyDaisy]

Hi all,
We'll be in Memphis for a wedding in Oct. Staying on Beall St. Kids are aged 5,6 and 7. We'll have some free time between wedding stuff. I've heard about the zoo. Is there anything else near Beall St that you recommend for kids? Thanks!

[eastmemphisguy]

Downtown is mostly about nightlife. Not a lot geared toward kids. They may enjoy riding the trolley though. Also, catch the monorail over to Mud Island. The Peabody Ducks are fun too. The zoo is great, but it's a few miles away in Midtown, so you'll need to drive there. If you have a lot of time, Shelby Farms is across town (about 20 min drive), but they have everything. Lakes with paddleboat rental, great playground, dog area, horseback riding, fishing, etc. Have a nice trip!

[DubbleT]

Not super close, but the Botanic Garden has a nifty area for kids. May not be at it's peak in October but probably still green enough to be nice. Photo Tour
My kids always liked the children's museum too, it's not in the best part of town though. CMOM

[Blutbad]

A few things that come to mind:

-Ride the riverfront loop on the downtown trolley (fare is $1/person; look for the trolleys that say "Riverfront loop" on the front)
-Check out the Mud Island River Park (ride the monorail across the harbor, walk the riverwalk - an exact scale model of the Mississippi River including maps of cities, pedal boats, etc.)
-See the ducks at the Peabody Hotel
-There are a few new play areas at the Beale Street Landing (overlooking the river)
-Eat pizza at Aldo's (a friend recently told me they give kids balls of dough to play with)

[Blutbad]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

Not super close, but the Botanic Garden has a nifty area for kids. May not be at it's peak in October but probably still green enough to be nice. Photo Tour
My kids always liked the children's museum too, it's not in the best part of town though. CMOM

While the CMOM may not be in the "best" part of town, it certainly isn't in the worst part of town either. I don't think a family would need to worry much about parking in the museum lot and going in.

[jabogitlu]

My kids always liked the children's museum too, it's not in the best part of town though.

Ehh, I live a few blocks away. CMOM is fine. They certainly wouldn't be attacked or panhandled or anything like that. I mean, Christian Brothers University is nearby, and Beltine (the gross neighborhood) is just as close as Chickasaw Gardens (the nice neighborhood). CMOM has a newish splash park that'll surely still be operational in October, I would think anyway.

I would tell you to take a look at this page closer time for your arrival:

Events Calendar - Memphis, TN

[ViolentDisasters]

Originally Posted by DaisyDaisy

Hi all,
We'll be in Memphis for a wedding in Oct. Staying on Beall St. Kids are aged 5,6 and 7. We'll have some free time between wedding stuff. I've heard about the zoo. Is there anything else near Beall St that you recommend for kids? Thanks!

The Mud Island Riverwalk is usually pretty fun for the kids.






Also, the Memphis Fire Museum with its talking horse and simulated house fire is usually pretty popular, too.

[DaisyDaisy]

Wow! Thank you all so much for many great suggestions. I love that many are relatively inexpensive or free too. And Aldo's sounds like a great place for lunch.

I don't mind heading to CMOM even if the area isn't the finest. Our Children's Museum in Pittsburgh is also in an ok section of the city. Never any issues during the day when museum is open.

Thanks again. Looking forward to visiting your city in the fall.

[CristenS]

The CMOM is in a fine area of town! To the south they have torn down an old amusement park and the football stadium is there, so it looks pretty bland and concrete. But it's a safe area.

Kids LOVE Kooky Canuck downtown. Check out their website. Home of the 4lb Burger | Kooky Canuck Restaurant in Memphis, TN

Agree with riding the Riverfront trolley loop downtown.

If you go to the Zoo, the art museum is also on the same grounds (Overton Park). Also at Overton Park is a new huge kids playground area, a small lake, and an enclosed dog park. All free. Huge playground that has options for all ages. If you want to give your kids a chance to run around outside and play that might be a good choice. Often times they have food trucks and other events on weekends at the playground areas. (# 3 and 4 on the map are the playground areas.) Overton Park Map | Overton Park

[jaydarl]

If you are here in early October, like the first weekend, you may be able to catch a show at the Levitt Shell in Overton Park. It is kid-friendly. Bring a picnic and sit back and enjoy the show, whatever the musical genre, none of the acts are offensive, except maybe the occasional bluesman with a little innuendo that small kids wouldn't pick up on.