One of the coolest carousels I have seen was at the Children’s Museum of Memphis. I had met some friends at the museum and was pleasantly surprised with this gem!
Check out some of these other Memphis Treasures
Peabody Ducks – Watch the Peabody Ducks for free, check out this post for information you need to know before you visit.
Bass Pro Shop, Memphis – Don’t miss the hidden gems inside the famous pyramid!
The FedEx plane at the Children’s Museum of Memphis is available for kids to climb around in to get a glimpse of how things work at the Memphis airport.
The Children’s Museum of Memphis is located at 2525 Central Avenue in Memphis and is next door to the University of Memphis football field.
While the museum does close on Mondays there are still plenty of other chances to explore all they have to offer. They are open Tuesday-Sunday 9-5. They do close for major holidays. You can call them at 901-458-2678 if you are unsure which ones.
Children under 1 are free. Everyone else is $18 (as of March 9, 2025). If you have a membership with another children’s museum, you may be able to get a discount. The parking at the museum is also paid for when you pay for admission and is $4.00.
Carousel
The carousel is one of the oldest in the United States. If you are going to the museum, you can add a ride for only $3. If you want to ride the carousel without going to the museum or without any children; my understanding is that you will need to call ahead. It is one of the most beautiful carousels, so it makes the museum worth the trip itself.
I saw the carousel pavilion is available to host private events. It would be a great venue for many types of gatherings.
Museum
The museum is great for many ages, but geared toward 2-10!
There are so many sections of the museum, but our family favorites is the FedEx plane and ATC tower. We are an aviation family, so no surprises there!
There are so many ways to entertain your littles! You can enjoy water play, or an art corner with different types of art to practice. There is a climbing wall, an automotive maintenance area, a theater for your future actors, a Kroger store with registers that even print receipts.
Seasonally there is a splash play area in the outside play area.
There is no restaurant on-site, but there are plenty of tables and chairs if you bring your snacks.
You have to have a kid to enter the museum, which gives this mama a little more peace.
I was looking at their website when I was writing this post and was able to see that they will post on days they have field trips scheduled. Great idea on their part! So check before you make plans!!
Now, I don’t want to stop anyone from going. But you are trusting me to give you the best “local info”. Memphis is pretty well known for car break-ins. I don’t worry about my car in this lot. Every time I have been there was a guard in the shack at the entrance to the lot. But to be on the safe side, don’t leave anything of value visible in your car.
