Mud Island Park

GOOD: 1. With five-year abandoned infrastructure as of this writing, this still-open-for-business park provides a legal way to visit a wasteland that is usually off limits. In shorts, it’s an abandoned, urban explorer’s dream. 2. An abandoned, large scale amphitheater is a highlight. 3. A well maintained “Memphis” sign is a highlight. 4. A in-the-ground, foot level, carved-in-concrete, mini replica of the Mississippi River is a highlight. Visitors can walk along length of the river, stepping across embedded street maps replicating each city along the river, complete with informational signs. 5. An abandoned monorail, with abandoned trains, is a highlight. 6. If walking or running, the concrete trails are clean and clear. It’s a great place to log some miles. 7. Huge lawns offer great places for outdoor games. ——- CAUTIONS: 1. Restrooms may not be available. 2. No playgrounds (that I could find). 3. The park is desolate. What makes the place great for apocalyptic vibes, could cause it to be unsafe. At no point did I feel unsafe, but, as always, do pay attention to your surroundings, and probably a good idea not to visit alone or at night. 4. My high rating based on urban exploration and not traditional park amenities.

Although it was cool to see the Memphis letters, this place was a bit creepy as everything was abandoned. Even so, tourists were still appearing to take pictures with the letters. I bet it was really nice in its prime! Look up their history and find pictures about what it looked like then.

Awesome place to visit if you want to know what somewhere will look like after the apocalypse! A sad abandoned park area with run down, crumbling facilities and long forgotten monorail. On the bright side, there were plenty of parking signs warning that you’ll be clamped, fined and/or towed away if you fail to pay for parking at this dreary wonderland! Very welcoming indeed! If you do come here with young kids, prepare to keep a close eye on them, as there are a multitude of hazards for them to discover…

This was a great spot for us to stretch our legs and take in views of the Mississippi River and Memphis skyline. With free admission, it's a nice place to take a walk. You have to park across the street, walk across a long bridge, then down to the actual park. It is wheelchair/stroller friendly, as well as pet friendly. My only complaint is it looked run down and almost eerie. I would not feel comfortable walking alone. There was a very large scale model of the entire Mississippi River winding through the park. I assume it was once filled with water and fountains, but it had been drained during our visit in late June.

It would be amazing if the city could repair this park. But sadly it is only a walking area with rundown building and a non functioning map and pool area with many homeless hanging around here and there. It is a bit uncomfortable to visit and I would suggest you go with someone else or a large dog. The walking bridge from claridge house area to the island is fun and business ppl walk this so it seemed safe. They charge for parking and we paid but I suspect other cars there did not. No one there to enforce anything. No restrooms so be prepared.