Metal Museum

Front of the museum Jeremy A (Creative Commons)

Memphis’s Metal Museum showcases a huge variety of metal objects from sculpture and jewelry to architectural pieces and home furnishings. This unique collection, originally known as the National Ornamental Metal Museum,

There is an operational foundry and smithy on-site, where you can observe craftspeople at work and speak with employees about projects currently underway. Demonstrations of aluminum casting and blacksmithing are held every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Studios at the museum also offer repair and restoration services for anything (except vehicles) made of metal, from gold bracelets to lawn furniture to lead statues.

Exhibitions of contemporary and historic metal artwork and jewelry rotate throughout the year, and portions of the Museum’s permanent collection are on display as well. Since 1979, the museum has been located on the site of an old hospital, including the nurses’ quarters (now art galleries and a store), officers’ quarters, and an old administrative building that houses the permanent collection.

There is an outdoor sculpture garden with a self-guided audio tour, and a view of the Mississippi river from a gazebo on the bluff. Workshops on welding, casting, blacksmithing, and enameling are offered on the weekends between September and May, and the museum often hosts events that often involve hands-on activities.

The Metal Museum is planning to relocate to a larger space at the former Memphis College of Art in 2026.

Know Before You Go

Admission is $8, they have a variety of discounts and an annual membership. The museum is free for Tennessee residents every Thursday.

The building that hosts the museum's permanent collection has been updated with an elevator and accessibility ramp.

There is plenty of free street parking. Construction can make the museum a little tricky to find but it is worth it! Across the street is Chickasaw Park, which is home to two ceremonial mounds. Ghost hunters may be interested in the Marine Residence next door, which is now an apartment building but was once the main hospital building for the marine hospital.