The Mississippi River has a new front-row seat, and it belongs to Memphis.
The Memphis Flyway officially opened at the south end of Tom Lee Park on June 12, stretching 218 feet toward the river and delivering panoramic views of the Mississippi, Wolf River Harbor, downtown Memphis, and the Arkansas shoreline. After nearly two years of construction and roughly $16 million in public and private investment, the riverfront’s newest landmark is ready for its first visitors.
The name comes from the Mississippi Flyway, one of North America’s great bird migration routes. Every year, millions of birds travel this corridor, including roughly 40 percent of all North American bird species. The elevated overlook puts visitors directly above one of the busiest migration pathways on the continent, a vantage point that simply did not exist before.
The distinction that sets this apart: the Flyway is the only free, ADA-accessible observation deck along the entire length of the Mississippi River, according to FOX13. From Minnesota to the Gulf, no other city offers this view to everyone at no cost.
The opening marks the latest milestone in the transformation of Tom Lee Park and the Memphis riverfront, a stretch of the city that keeps finding new ways to connect Memphians to the river that shaped its history, economy, and culture. Sunrise, sunset, or mid-migration, the view is waiting.
