Lichterman Nature Center
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Lichterman Nature Center offers a unique blend of indoor and outdoor nature experiences, serving as both a wildlife preserve and a 'family museum.' It stands out for its up-close live animal encounters, diverse educational exhibits (including lifelike statues and hands-on displays), and extensive trails for exploration. The center provides a calm and engaging environment, particularly enhanced by friendly and knowledgeable staff who facilitate interactive learning.
Key Highlights
- ✓Opportunity for up-close live animal encounters, such as petting a soft bunny and viewing snakes and birds.
- ✓Interactive educational exhibits featuring items like bird wings and different types of beaks, plus stuffed examples of local wildlife.
- ✓Expansive network of beautiful trails and outdoor areas perfect for strolling and exploration.
- ✓Features an outdoor imagination play area, appealing to younger children.
- ✓Generally described as a 'nice and calm' environment, even during special events.
- ✓Staff are consistently praised for being friendly, sweet, and knowledgeable, enhancing the visitor experience.
- ✓Hosts special events with fun activities, local group tables, and giveaways (e.g., bird and seed event).
Standout Features
- ⭐Interactive live animal experiences, specifically noted with a friendly and soft bunny.
- ⭐Diverse exhibits including live animals (fish in a lake, snakes, birds), lifelike wildlife statutes, and stuffed examples for educational purposes.
- ⭐Outdoor imagination play area.
- ⭐Numerous beautiful trails and areas for extensive walking and exploration.
- ⭐Availability of special themed events with local group participation, activities, and giveaways.
- ⭐Highly praised knowledgeable and friendly staff who enhance learning and interaction.
- ⭐An event hall (noted for hosting a wedding) indicating versatile facilities.
- ⭐Opportunity to purchase plants on-site.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Plan to spend ample time to fully explore all sections of the museum and walk the extensive trails.
- →Check the event calendar prior to your visit, as special events offer unique hands-on activities and giveaways.
- →Consider visiting during different seasons if you want to observe varying levels of outdoor animal activity.
- →Don't hesitate to engage with staff, as they are knowledgeable and facilitate enriching animal encounters.
- →This venue is highly recommended for repeat visits due to its diverse offerings and opportunities to explore more.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Reptile enclosures could benefit from improvements (e.g., addition of linear UVB lighting) according to one review.
- ⚠Outdoor animal activity may be reduced in cooler weather, leading to less active wildlife sightings.
Price & Value
No specific pricing information was mentioned in the reviews. However, the consistent high praise and recommendations ('must see', 'better than any other museum') suggest a strong perceived value for the experience offered.
⏰When to Avoid
- • If your primary goal is to see a high volume of active outdoor wildlife during colder months when activity is naturally lower.
- • If you are highly sensitive to animal enclosure conditions and prefer facilities with strictly modern, exemplary reptile habitats.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Individual Membership
$85Duration: Annual
Allows one free admission to the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes each day.
Includes:
- •Access to the exhibits at the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes
- •Best prices on all programs and ticketed special events at all locations
- •1/2 price tickets to the Giant Screen Theater
- •1/2 price tickets to the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium
- •10% off every day in the museum shop
- •Reciprocal Benefits with access to over 580 museums worldwide through ASTC and SERM
- •1 half-price ticket to both movie and planetarium shows daily
- •1 single-use guest pass
Dual Membership
$125Duration: Annual
Allows admission for 2 adults to the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes each day.
Includes:
- •Access to the exhibits at the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes
- •Best prices on all programs and ticketed special events at all locations
- •1/2 price tickets to the Giant Screen Theater
- •1/2 price tickets to the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium
- •10% off every day in the museum shop
- •Reciprocal Benefits with access to over 580 museums worldwide through ASTC and SERM
- •2 half-price adult tickets to both movie and planetarium shows with each visit
- •2 single-use guest passes
Family Membership
$175Duration: Annual
Allows 2 adults and household children admission to the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes each day.
Includes:
- •Access to the exhibits at the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes
- •Best prices on all programs and ticketed special events at all locations
- •1/2 price tickets to the Giant Screen Theater
- •1/2 price tickets to the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium
- •10% off every day in the museum shop
- •Reciprocal Benefits with access to over 580 museums worldwide through ASTC and SERM
- •2 half-price adult tickets to movie and planetarium shows
- •Member-priced tickets for children in household with every visit
- •2 single-use guest passes
Explorer Membership
$250Duration: Annual
Allows 3 adults and household children admission to the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes each day.
Includes:
- •Access to the exhibits at the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes
- •Best prices on all programs and ticketed special events at all locations
- •1/2 price tickets to the Giant Screen Theater
- •1/2 price tickets to the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium
- •10% off every day in the museum shop
- •Reciprocal Benefits with access to over 580 museums worldwide through ASTC and SERM
- •3 half-price adult tickets to movie and planetarium shows
- •Member-priced tickets for children in household with every visit
- •3 single-use guest passes
Influencer Membership
$500Duration: Annual
Allows 5 adults and household children access to the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes daily.
Includes:
- •Access to the exhibits at the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes
- •Best prices on all programs and ticketed special events at all locations
- •1/2 price tickets to the Giant Screen Theater
- •1/2 price tickets to the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium
- •10% off every day in the museum shop
- •Reciprocal Benefits with access to over 580 museums worldwide through ASTC and SERM
- •5 half-price adult tickets to movie and planetarium shows
- •Member-priced tickets for children in household with every visit
- •4 single-use guest passes
Historian Membership
$1,000Duration: Annual
Allows 6 adults and household children access to the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes daily.
Includes:
- •Access to the exhibits at the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes
- •Best prices on all programs and ticketed special events at all locations
- •1/2 price tickets to the Giant Screen Theater
- •1/2 price tickets to the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium
- •10% off every day in the museum shop
- •Reciprocal Benefits with access to over 580 museums worldwide through ASTC and SERM
- •7 half-price adult tickets to movie and planetarium shows
- •Member-priced tickets for children in household with every visit
- •5 single-use guest passes
Saunders Society Membership
$2,000Duration: Annual
Allows 7 adults and household children access to the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes daily.
Includes:
- •Access to the exhibits at the Pink Palace Museum and Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center, and Historic Homes
- •Best prices on all programs and ticketed special events at all locations
- •1/2 price tickets to the Giant Screen Theater
- •1/2 price tickets to the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium
- •10% off every day in the museum shop
- •Reciprocal Benefits with access to over 580 museums worldwide through ASTC and SERM
- •7 half-price adult tickets to movie and planetarium shows
- •Member-priced tickets for children in household with every visit
- •7 single-use guest passes
- •Private Saunder’s Society exclusive events
Events & Schedule
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Lichterman Nature Center does not maintain state or federal rehabilitation permits and cannot accept any live or injured wild animals.
- • Tennessee state law prohibits individuals from keeping or caring for wild animals without a permit.
- • For volunteer positions: criminal background checks are conducted on all adult applicants.
- • For volunteer positions: All volunteers must adhere to the City of Memphis Respectful Workplace Policy.
📅Booking Policy
- • Field trips are available to book Wednesday – Sunday. A form must be completed to book.
- • Event requests for venue rental can be made by filling out an online form.
Photos
What People Say
What's Great
- Great for birthday parties (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Rachel Maxann
5 months agoAbsolutely lovely day at this beautiful center! It was my first time coming because of the Trans Fest, and now I’ll be definitely be coming back to enjoy everything nature has to offer!
Nate H
2 months agoDecided on a whim to go here and they had a bird and seed event going on, a bunch of local groups had tables set up with fun and giveaways. We got a load of seeds and my kid had fun looking at all the stuff they had, things like bird wings and different types of beaks. The nature center itself was nice and calm, it was a little cool so not much was active but it had plenty of trails to stroll.
Samuel Robinson
8 months agoBeautiful spot to stop and take the kids. The outdoor imagination play area is nice as well. Of course the reptiles could do with some improvements to their enclosures (linear UVB, for example), but otherwise pretty neat.
Queen Lovely
3 years agoI enjoyed this museum probably better than any other museum in Memphis that I have visited! I loved the fact that they had both live animals and wildlife and life like statutes. There was many different sections of the museum that you could go to, but I didn’t have a chance today to visit them all. I liked that they had an event hall (in which a wedding was taking place at the time of my visit) and I thought that was really cool. I loved the lake part that allowed us to see catfish and many other small fish in the area. We also saw live snakes, birds, and my favorite, a bunny! The young lady who allowed to us to get up close and personal to the bunny was super sweet! She was knowledgeable about the breed and everything concerning him! The bunny was super soft and did not bite at all. We took walks around the outside nature area & I wish we had enough time to follow the whole trail. This is a great family museum and it is a must that I return with my children and nieces and nephews. I recommend this place to anyone who loves science, history and nature!
Sean Virgo
6 years agoBeautiful and will keep wildlife preserve. The staff was an freshly and knowledgeable. There were so many beautiful trails and areas to explore. There were also stuffed examples of most of the wildlife in the area to view and be taught about. They also actually sold plants. It's a must see for nature lovers!