Tucked away in the heart of metropolitan Memphis, Lichterman Nature Center (LNC) brings nature to life with exciting exhibits, native wildflowers and trees, and a tradition of excellence in environmental education set in the midst of 65 acres of lake, meadow, and forest. Home to a wide variety of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, Lichterman is an urban wildlife oasis. Lichterman features nearly three miles of hiking trails, a Visitor Center with exhibits, a plant nursery, the Davidson Pavilion, and a Backyard Wildlife Center teaming with snakes, turtles and other creatures.
Lichterman Nature Center is part of the Memphis Museum of Science & History (MoSH).
FEATURES
Visitor Center
The Williams R. Loewenberg Visitor Center serves as the main hub for visitors to the nature center, offering interactive exhibits and dioramas in addition to information about LNC. Expansive windows and surrounding decks offer panoramic views of the lake just outside.
Backyard Wildlife Center
The Backyard Wildlife Center features live animals, hands-on explorations, microscopic discoveries, and an underwater viewing area for visitors to observe aquatic wildlife. Just outside of the wildlife center, a raised boardwalk — three stories high — provides a unique perspective on the surrounding forest canopy, offering visitors a bird's-eye view of the trees and the wildlife that call them home.
Plant Nursery
Lichterman’s plant nursery produces native and wildlife-friendly plants using sustainable horticulture practices. Volunteers help to grow the plants, which community members can purchase in an annual spring plant sale.
The plant sale features over 150 plant species, offering a wide variety of wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. The selection includes important butterfly larval host plants and colorful pollinator favorites, allowing gardeners and nature enthusiasts to support local pollinator populations in addition to other wildlife.
Discovery Forest
The Discovery Forest is an interactive and unstructured children’s play area created with natural materials, water, and objects that shape the local landscape.
This unique area provides a winding trail through the existing woodland landscape and creates a variety of play and exploration zones along the trail. Children have the opportunity to play in forest and garden areas, powered by their imaginations.
Davidson Special Events Pavilion
Serving as a popular spot for special events and gatherings, this beautiful open-air facility located on the forest edge features a massive fieldstone fireplace and serving kitchen.
ABOUT MOSH
From exhibits, movies and planetarium shows at the Museum to 65 acres of pristine nature at Lichterman Nature Center to world-renowned historic houses, MoSH is the place to discover knowledge, fun and excitement. MoSH Central is located less than eight miles from LNC.
Towering mastodons, giant mosasaurs, Civil War relics, rare rocks and prehistoric fossils are just a few of the many intriguing exhibit items you’ll discover at MoSH. The Museum includes a wide range of captivating exhibits, while also offering a 50-foot-diameter planetarium and a Giant Screen Theater for visitors to experience sea life, space travel, and more via larger-than-life 2D and 3D movies. Part of the Museum includes the Pink Palace Mansion, which treats visitors to wall-to-wall stories of music, culture, race and travel.
Other MoSH sites include two historic houses in Memphis and the Coon Creek Science Center, a leading edge research center two hours east of Memphis.