Lichterman Nature Center

This is my first time here and venturing into the unknown was fun for me plants and animals the I see on nature shows on television I enjoyed seeing them first hand here the employees were very nice and very helpful she gave me all of the brochures I needed to give me information and knowledge on what I would be looking at I must say this place is amazing.

I have been working with Lichterman as my wedding ceremony and reception venue, and it has been a great experience. The grounds are BEAUTIFUL and the prices are very reasonable for such nice spaces.
Their events coordinator, Patty Walsh, has been fabulous. She is extremely responsive and has worked with to pick the perfect spaces in the center to accommodate our wishes and guests. You can tell that she takes a lot of pride in her work and making sure couples have a wedding day special to them.
Since Lichterman is both a nature preserve and on the national registry of historic places, they are very strict on some of the things you can do on the grounds (no sparklers, any flower petals– real or fake– must be cleaned up) and they ask for a flawless cleanup.
Lichterman has a variety of spaces to work for an even– they have an outdoor amphitheater, covered pavillion, an overlook balcony, and numerous other rooms that can accommodate a large or small wedding party. There is ample parking for guests, and the rent comes with a security guard.
I will update this review after the actual wedding ceremony, but I have been nothing but pleased with my experience so far.

We really enjoy taking our Grandkids to the Nature Center. It is a wonderful place for them to not only observe but, to learn about all things nature. The small, quiet atmosphere encourages them to actively participate in the many activities that are available to them. I suggest going early in the morning before the summer heat sets in. Don’t miss this.

What a beautiful place to get married. My friends attempted to get married in front of the pond there, and if it hadn’t started pouring they would have succeeded. But it was a lovely spot, looked like a painting… hmmm. But we ended up hightailing it up to the covered area. I will say this, be careful what time of year you decide to get married here because after the rain, it was insanely hot and muggy and there was nowhere to get away from that!

This is a kid’s paradise hidden in plain sight — 65 acres of lake, meadow, and forest — smack dab in the middle of the city. I don’t even really like kids, but this place made me excited about having a new place to go when I get conned into babysitting my friends’ offspring. Because let’s face it, it is incredibly rare for me to be entertained during «children» activities or places. But Lichterman somehow manages to keep adults’ interest too.
It is a certified arboretum and their Backyard Wildlife Center has live animals, hands-​on explorations, microscopic discoveries, a forest boardwalk two stories high, as well as a pretty awesome underwater viewing area. I hadn’t been here since I was little one myself (eeek, was that really 20+ years ago?!) and the improvements are fantastic. I enjoyed feeding the fish and walking on the trails (easy for small ones and the elderly — it is scenic but not «hiking»).
My mother is a Master Gardener and loves their plant sales and seed swaps. Fun for all ages!

I love this place. I live right down the street from here, and it is so great knowing that this oasis is in the middle of the city. My wife and I also got married here, so that’s a huge plus as well.

Went many times as a young kid. Went back today for the first time in at least 15 years. Boy has it changed. Completely updated all the facilities and include some new buildings. The visitor center was very nice. Stuffed animals everywhere which is funny because the message is conservation lol. An elk, Bear, ducks hanging from the ceiling and even eagles in the visitor center. Right off the bat we noticed the gift shop has been closed. We were informed this was due to lack of staff which we were told was due to state budget cuts in the parks sector. There is no more gift shop. Lots of walking to do spread out over 64 acres of pure nature. trails through meadows, over lakes (bridges) and trails through forest. When by the lakes you can see acres upon acres of Lilly’s in the water. They are very thick. This is an unseen sight around these parts so it is nice. There is a new facility called the ‘Backyard something’ I forgot. This building houses lots of live insects in glass windows like you might see in a zoo. I think only about half the insects exhibits actually had insects in them which kind of sucked. In one or two of the exhibits the insects were dead. It was a very nice set up but seemed to be a half ass kind of thing. They have a live feeding of an animal at noon some days. We showed up for this which was also located in the backyard building or whatever its called. The guy inside didn’t even know about this. He had to ask someone about this. By the time this other guy showed up it was 12:30 and we just left. Ends up, and this will make you laugh. They were going to feed some very small snapping turtles. They said they were going to put a bowl of food out in the turtle exhibit and the turtles come out to eat. Im sure this would have been REAL exiting with two damn near baby turtles moving at the pace of a snail, that’s it. No feeding an endangered hawk or some crazy animal, setting out a bow of food for some baby turtles. haha. This place seems to be hurting now due to state budget cuts. I hope it doesn’t get to rough because this is an excellent place to take your kids and introduce them to nature. This is a fun place just seemed to be a half ass operation. I’m sure they need some good volunteers here to help out. Great place great fun to get out and enjoy nature but seems to be a half ass operation so I give it 3 stars which I rather give more. Sorry Lichterman. Take your kids they will enjoy it. Oh yeah, you can feed the fish in the lake. We bought a dollar bag of food to do this and when we got to the lake which is a huge lake we didn’t think the fish would even be around or here it to come up it was so big, we couldn’t see any fish at all. We threw a handful in and low and behold they showed up. lol. So did about 8 big turtles. lol.

Not at all what I thought… thought this place would be full of gross and annoying bugs and insects. Nice and tranquil!!!

I had a buy one get one free admission to the Lichterman Nature Center, so I decided to take my son for a visit. You enter through the visitors center where you can pick up a map, buy some food for the fish in the lake and check out some of the displays. We then did the lake loop. Whew! I would not go here in the summer, but it was awesome on a fall day. When we visited a bunch of local clubs had participated in a scarecrow contest and we saw some of the most amazing, elaborate scarecrows! My son’s favorite part was the Backyard Nature Center. We saw some fish, turtles, snakes, spiders. They have a pretty butterfly garden to walk through. Out the back you walk along this tall boardwalk where you feel like you are up in the treetops. I think it is a really great place for younger kids. Lots of space for them to run and get their energy out and lots for them to explore and learn about. I have a feeling older kids would find it kind of boring though.
You can bring food in, but they do not have any for sale. The volunteers working the desk said we could leave and come back in with our tickets from the day, so we fueled up on some nachos at Moe’s and came back for a second round in the afternoon.
Neat place overall and worth the visit.

So grateful for this urban oasis. When you drive in front of the Lichterman Nature Center, it’s actually pretty unassuming. You may even drive past it without noticing. It’s near the intersection of Quince & Ridgeway. And how they managed to preserve such a peaceful retreat in the middle of East Memphis, I have no idea. It’s right next to a school, a fire station, a business building, and a pretty major road. But you wouldn’t know it once you’re inside. I wasn’t that impressed with the visitor’s center and supposedly they do have some gardening classes and such but I was more taken with the numerous trails. Put on your tennis shoes and check it out!

Nice respite from urban and suburban Memphis. Shaded trails offer a cooler walk on hot days, plus, ponds and meadows offer local wildlife and flowers for viewing. Blooming water lilies on our recent visit were definitely a highlight.
The only drawback I see is that you cannot access these trails unless you go through the visitor center. I’m used to living in places where trails are open and free so it feels odd to me that one has to pay in order to access «nature,» but I understand needing to charge for the upkeep of indoor facilities.
Overall still a nice place to visit.

love this place as a kid i fell into the pond when i was trying to feed the fish man good memories i go there sometimes just to get somewhere nature ey and stuff although if you want to get less tourists theres usually less people at the botanical garden

You would think that it would be difficult to hide a 65-​acre arboretum in the middle of a busy urban area.
Apparently, it’s easier than you’d think. The Lichterman Nature Center sits smack in the middle of East Memphis. Though the entrance is marked with a sign, it’s easy to accidentally pass it if you’re not paying attention.
It’s also surprising how easy it is to forget that you’re in the middle of the city when you walk the trails at Lichterman. Its paved trails are peaceful and shady. The only reminder that the city is nearby is the occasional glimpse of office buildings peeking over the trees
The trails wind through meadows and forest, through giant fields of powerline-​eating Kudzu. There’s a long boardwalk through a lily pad filled marsh and bridges over the lake. If you need some serious head-​clearing, Lichterman is the perfect place to get it done.
The center is also home to the Backyard Wildlife Center, an educational building that houses live animals and hands-​on exhibits. When you’re in the visitor’s center, be sure to check out the huge display of various taxidermied Mid-​South native critters.
Lichterman Nature Center is part of the Pink Palace family of museums, so if you’re a member at the Pink Palace, you can get into Lichterman for free. Admission is $ 6 for adults and $ 4.50 for kids. Admission is free on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. until close.

The kids and I visited Lichterman Nature Center for the first time a few weeks ago and I was so impressed with the tranquil and gorgeous surroundings right in the middle of one of the busiest parts of our city. It’s like visiting another land.
We strolled the trails for a while and admired the lake and huge lily pads and plants growing all over the property. There are cute wooden benches scattered throughout for short rests, many of them nestled in an opening and surrounded by trees.
The Backyard Wildlife Center was a huge hit with my kids, and I enjoyed seeing the exhibits as well.
Pricing is very reasonable, and if you’re already a member of the Pink Palace, you get in for free. They also have free day on Tuesday afternoons.

Lichterman is a wonderful nature area in the middle of East Memphis. It features gardens with trees, plants, flowers and animals native to the area. I’ve been to fun birthday parties here with the kids and they rent it out for weddings and other special events.
It is in a beautiful area and the Backyard Wildlife Center is a great way for the kid to learn with hands on exhibits. You can stay for an hour or for a few hours depending on what you do while you are there. Guided tours are also available and are good if you go with a few other people and it is your first time to visit.
Tip– It is free on Tuesdays after 1:00.
Adult — $ 6.00
Senior — $ 5.50
Child (age 3 – 12) — $ 4.50
Children Under 3 — FREE

This place is huge — about sixty-​five acres worth of amazing trees, flowers, and places that are perfect for a special occasion or just lazing under a tree. I prefer the latter, and I love to come here to look out over the lake, or try to spot specific birds. You’ll see plenty of wildlife roaming here if you stop for a minute to look. It’s a great place on a sunny day. Only a little over five dollars admission, or free if you’re a Pink Palace Museums member.

you probably pass lichterman nature center and never even think about it as a wedding or wedding reception venue.
this past fall, we were investigating places to hold our reception. we thought maybe the zoo, botanical garden, children’s museum or pink palace. as i started looking, i found that the lichterman had facilities. they were not too expensive. they do require that you use a list of approved caterers and get an event insurance policy (about $ 95). lichterman has a events coordinator, julie, who is really good. one thing that lichterman provides is table and chairs and you get a security guard included in your rental fee. the room that we used for our reception was the learning center which normally is used as a meeting facility. it has lots of windows and a deck/​balcony area that overlooks the lake with ducks and the lily pads.
since we got married outdoors in lake tahoe, ca, and came back to memphis to have the reception, we really wanted someplace that tied in the outdoor theme. we could have had the reception outside in the pavillion area but with october weather in memphis, we decided the indoor facility would be safer.
if you have not been to the lichterman lately, you should go. it is really a lovely facility. it’s like a hidden jewel. we got so many compliments from people who really enjoyed seeing it again.