Plan Your Fall Break

Year-round, Memphis Zoo is full of thrills: You can see two of the rare giant pandas living in the U.S., watch acrobatic gibbons swing and flip as otters play nearby, and seek out species from meerkats to hippos. After-hours on Oct. 18-20, 25-27 and 31, the attraction also hosts its annual Zoo Boo celebration. While the animals sleep, you and your entire family can enjoy candy stations, hayrides, straw mazes, magic shows and more. 

The world knows Memphis as the home of blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll, but did you know it’s also the nation’s waterfowl capital? That makes Memphis THE place to celebrate Flocktoberfest, Bass Pro’s official kick-off to fall. Oct. 3-13, 2019, enjoy seminars, demos and appearances by celebrities and the top names in hunting and waterfowling; live music; a cornhole tournament; and sales on related gear at one of the largest freestanding retail locations in the world: Bass Pro Shops at the Memphis Pyramid, right on the Mississippi River. 

Learning about fire safety is fun at this interactive museum in downtown Memphis. Kids can crawl through a smoke alarm maze, step into a rescue bucket and raise it high, climb into real fire engines (and check out antique ones) and “meet” an animatronic horse named Billy, who helps tell the story of Memphis’ original firefighters. 

In addition to museum favorites including the Grand Carousel, FedEx plane, skyscraper maze and kid-size grocery store, the Children’s Museum of Memphis (CMOM) promises seasonal fun, like fall-themed crafts in the Doodlebug Studio. Note that, through Feb. 2, 2020, general museum admission includes access to a new traveling exhibit, PAW Patrol: Adventure Play. Anticipate 3,000 square feet for exploring and role-playing—just like the beloved Nick Jr. show. 

This regional museum for Memphis and the Mid-South is full of classic exhibits from animal skeletons to an extravagant miniature circus to a replica of the first Piggly Wiggly (founded in Memphis by Clarence Saunders, who commissioned the Pink Palace as his home). In fall, the museum hosts seasonal shows: Ghostbusters, Poltergeist and every Harry Potter film in the 3D giant theater; seasonal stargazing and Fright Light laser light shows set to hits like “Thriller” in the digital planetarium. 

Memphis’ largest park is also one of the country’s largest urban green spaces. In other words, you could spend your entire fall break just experiencing all that this park has to offer: the award-winning Woodland Discovery Playground. Fields for kite-flying. Off-road and paved trails—including the 10.5-mile Shelby Farms Greenline—for walking, running and biking (bike rentals, too). Guided horseback riding. A treetop adventure and zipline course, called Go Ape. Kayaking and stand-up paddleboard rentals. Fishing. Paintball, laser tag and a BMX track. Oh—and a resident herd of bison.