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Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (http://nutbush.machnitzki.com), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
One of the United States largest urban parks, Shelby Farms is over five times the size of New York's Central Park. Visitors enjoy walking, fishing (with a valid Tennessee fishing license), mountain biking, horseback riding, sailing, canoeing, paddle-boating, disc-golf, and bird-watching. Its Woodland Discovery Playground includes a large treehouse, sand area, climbing nets and activities for children of all ages. The park is also home to a herd of American Bison.
Shelby Farms is a public park located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It is one of the largest urban parks in the U.S. at a size of 4,500 acres (1,800 ha). Shelby Farms is owned by the Shelby County government and managed by the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy since 2007 under a public–private partnership. The conservancy provides for the daily operation of the park and plans for its future use.
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Part of the Memphis Museums of Science and History (MoSH), its 65-acres of lakes, meadows, and forests feature lush gardens with native wildflowers and trees and provide a home to a wide variety of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.
With over 96 acres of natural woodlands and cultivated gardens, the Botanic Garden is home to the seasonal outdoor concert series 'Live at the Garden' and the renowned Japanese Garden of Tranquility. The gardens also feature "My Big Backyard", a 2½ acre children's garden with a larger-than-life birdhouse, a tunneling adventure, a teaching pond, "leaping lawn", "critter creek", and many other spaces that cater to children of all ages.
Memphis Museum of Science & History
Built as a private residence by Clarence Saunders, the man who introduced Piggly Wiggly, the world's first self-service grocery store, the Pink Palace Mansion was later taken by the tax man and subsequently turned into a museum. (Saunders never actually lived in the house.) It is a very eclectic place, with everything from shrunken heads to animatronic dinosaurs with a life-size copy of the first Piggly Wiggly in between. Also has an IMAX theater and a planetarium. Well worth a visit.
Encompasses the Memphis Zoo, the Metal Museum, the Brooks Art Museum, the Overton Park 9 Golf Course, and the largest stand of old growth forest in a US city.
Overton Square has undergone many changes over the years but is still the hottest place in midtown Memphis for locals and tourists who are looking for somewhere to eat, shop, or be entertained.
This neighborhood of restored homes is centered around the intersection of Cooper Street and Young Avenue, known by some as "the intersection of Memphis." This intersection has several cool bars and restaurants, as well as numerous shops. Be sure to come for the free annual Cooper-Young festival in September.