History
The museum was founded to preserve the history of this worldwide market place and to tell the epic story of the famed cash crop and its profound influence on the city of Memphis and, in fact, America's history and culture at large. Since opening its doors, the Cotton Museum has attracted nearly 100,000 visitors - mostly tourists - from across the country and around the world. Our mission is to share the story of the cotton and the influences of the people that were gathered here around the industry not only with a growing international audience, but with Memphis area residents- especially our city's youth.
Specialties
Our Museum tells the story of how Memphis came to be. Engaging exhibits help visitors understand our city's place in time and explain how the art, history and music that is so important to our culture evolved from the confluence of people that were originally gathered here around the cotton industry. The main exhibit is located on the Historic trade floor of the Memphis Cotton Exchange- where cotton traders once stood at the center of the global cotton economy. This grand space is now filled with striking artifacts and exhibits that tell the story of