Metal Museum

The Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, is dedicated to the art of metalworking and houses an extensive permanent collection of more than three thousand objects, along with rotating special exhibitions. Founded by artist and blacksmith James Wallace, who ran the museum for almost thirty years, the institution has grown into an interactive place for learning. The museum's history is closely tied to its buildings, which originally served as a hospital for Civil War veterans and yellow fever research, opened in 1884. Of the six historic buildings, only two remain in their original condition, while others were added or restored during the renovations of the 1970s and 1980s. Today, in addition to its galleries, the museum has a working forge and foundry where you can watch artists at work. Hands-on workshops and demonstrations let you try your hand at metalworking yourself. A special highlight is the annual Repair Days weekend each fall, when volunteer metalsmiths from across the country repair used metal objects while the public looks on.