Your Mud Island ticket includes the display of the Memphis Belle,
which is one of the few (or perhaps the only) surviving WWII B-17 bomber.
The Mud Island attraction also includes an indoor museum which houses
an extensive exhibit of Mississippi River historical memorabalia. The
exhibit includes replicas of the paddle-wheel steam boats used for passengers
and freight, and one used during the civil war.
Because we had so recently visited the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga,
it was impossible not to compare the two facilities:
Unfortunately, Mud Island seemed to us in May 1998 to have seen better days.
As we crossed to the island on the monorail, workers were in the process of
removing the seats from the cars! It didn't appear as if they were to be replaced.
And the property seemed to lack the maintenance that was so evident at the aquarium.
There were no employees stationed around the facility to answer questions or to
enforce considerate behavior among the patrons as there were at the Chattanooga
facility. The only benches for patrons to rest were located in a back hall out of
sight of any displays. The trek through the museum is lengthy as their
collection is quite large. An occasional resting spot would have been
appreciated. We had the misfortune to be joined by a group of junior
high schoolers who's sole purpose was to see who could make the most
obnoxious noises and yell the loudest. No adult interfered with their
exuberance. Groups of the same age in the aquarium offered no such antics.
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