Multiple museums in Memphis are undergoing major transformations, with three institutions announcing significant expansions and relocations over the next 18 months. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will rebrand as the Memphis Art Museum and move to a new 120,000-square-foot facility designed by Herzog & de Meuron, opening in December 2026. The Metal Museum will relocate to the former Memphis College of Art’s Rust Hall in Overton Park, nearly sextupling its space, with a September 2026 opening. The National Civil Rights Museum has already unveiled its reimagined Legacy Experience galleries for its 35th anniversary, and the Mud Island River Museum is reopening as the immersive experience "Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time."
This cluster of museum expansions represents the South’s biggest museum boom, concentrated in Memphis. The upgrades signal a major investment in cultural infrastructure, positioning the city as a growing arts destination. The new facilities will offer expanded exhibition spaces, educational programming, and public amenities, potentially boosting tourism and civic engagement while preserving and reinterpreting regional history and art.