Memphis' Metal Museum Opens Its New Overton Park Home With a Free Grand Opening Celebration

Hundreds of visitors poured into Memphis' newest cultural destination on Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Metal Museum held its grand opening at Rust Hall in Overton Park. Museum officials struck an anvil three times to mark the start of the free public celebration, which ran from noon to 4 p.m.

The museum has moved from its riverfront bluff into the former Memphis College of Art building at 1930 Poplar Ave. The new space is about 75,000 square feet, nearly three times the size of the old site, and the museum's collections, exhibitions and programming made the move with it. After the opening weekend, the museum opens full time on Friday, Sept. 11, with hours Wednesday through Sunday.

What visitors will find

The expanded campus includes gallery space, outdoor sculptures, classrooms, a library, a gift shop, a restaurant and cafe, and a major foundry complex with a blacksmith shop, fabrication yard and demonstration area. At the opening, workshops and demonstrations for all ages ran in the education area and foundry, and visitors could hear live music, eat from food trucks and tour the sculpture garden. The Memphis Flyer reported long lines at the gift shop for much of the day.

The renovation is backed by a $35 million capital and endowment campaign. Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture led the design effort alongside Memphis-based LRK as architect of record. The building was originally designed as an art school by modernist architect Roy Harrover.

The original site lives on

The museum's riverfront home on the Mississippi bluff is not closing. It will continue as the Metal Museum on the Bluff, a place for artist residencies. Travelers planning a visit should check metalmuseum.org for current hours and admission before heading out.

Sources: The Daily Memphian, Memphis Flyer, Tennessee Tourism's fall roundup.