The survival rate for victims of childhood leukemia has risen dramatically over the past few decades, due largely to the research conducted at St. Jude Hospital. Entertainer Danny Thomas, the driving force behind St. Jude, is buried here in honor of his work. The star-shaped pavilion "symbolizes the far-reaching scope of the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities and the work of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital." Self-guided tours reveal the stunning architecture of the pavilion, memorabilia from Danny Thomas' career, and the lovely Danny Thomas Memorial Garden.
This museum is housed in the Georgian marble home built in the 1920s by Clarence Sanders, founder of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain. Sanders never got to live here, and the city transformed the site into a complex of attractions, including the Sharpe Planetarium and an IMAX theater. The Pink Palace's exhibits cover topics ranging from dinosaurs to the Civil War, and from the early Spanish explorers to the evolution of medical research in Memphis.
The C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa is a prehistoric American Indian archaeological site dating back to the 15th Century. The site was occupied, abandoned and reoccupied several times throughout its history, spanning from 1000 to 1550 A.D. The museum, named after its founding director, curates an extensive collection of artifacts recovered during a 40-year period of systematic excavations. The site features a Mississippian mound complex, a nature trail and arboretum, a hands-on archaeology lab, and exhibits that explore the history and life-ways of Native Americans of the historic and prehistoric southeastern United States.
