A MANSION BECAME A MUSEUM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Pink Palace was never designed to be a museum, even though the Memphis landmark has always drawn visitors.

When Clarence Saunders, founder of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain, announced construction of the mansion in 1922, it quickly attracted media attention and public interest.

The 36,500-square-foot home along Central Avenue was designed to be Saunders' home, but he never got the chance to live there.

Saunders called the home "Cla-Le-Clare" which incorporated the names of his children, Clay, Lee and May Clare. It was to feature a pipe organ in the entry lobby, a ballroom, indoor swimming pool, shooting gallery and bowling alley, along with eight bedrooms.

However, the unfinished home fell into the hands of creditors when Saunders lost his fortune in 1923. The city of Memphis finally spent $150,000 to finish construction of the mansion and turned it into a museum in 1930.

When the mansion reopened in March, it was filled with exhibits on everything "From the Boss to the King."

The exhibit focuses on changes in Memphis history that occurred between the reigns of political boss E.H. Crump in 1900 Elvis Presley, the 1960's-era king of rock 'n' roll.

Other new exhibits like "Memphis Celebrates Cotton" and "When Cotton Was King" examine the city's role in the cotton industry.

Each room of the mansion houses a different exhibit and also shows its original intent. Plaques along the wall explain what visitors see and what Clarence Saunders intended for the room.

The museum also houses an exhibit hall for science displays and a planetarium.

The museum, at 3050 Central Ave. in Memphis, is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 9 p.m. on weekends. For more information, call (901) 320-6320.