Chucalissa and the C.H. Nash Museum

Step back in time and explore the societies that flourished before the first Europeans arrived in North America. Chucalissa means “abandoned houses” in the Choctaw language, and is the name given by modern archaeologists to this important Mississippian village site on the edge of the bluff south of modern Memphis, TN. The site was occupied between approximately 1000-1500 CE, and at one point was home to as many as 1000 residents. Chucalissa was one town in a much wider system of settlements that archaeologists call the Mississippian Culture. Mississippians frequently built platform mounds in their settlements, practiced maize agriculture, traded important materials and objects over very large distances, and shared a belief system that was frequently expressed in their elaborate art.

The C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa has been operated by the University of Memphis since 1962. Our mission is to present and interpret the archaeological and historical heritage of the landscape’s past and present Native American inhabitants. Our exhibits cover the entirety of Native American settlement in the Southeast, as well as showcase basketry, textiles, and other art from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Chickasaw Nation. In addition to the exhibits, children can learn about the discipline of archaeology in our hands-on laboratory.

We hold two large annual events with free admission for the public. Our spring Earth Day celebration is held on the last Saturday of each April. We also host an event for International Archaeology Day, which is on the third Saturday of each October.

The museum, located inside T.O. Fuller State Park, includes outdoor archaeological displays, walking trails, and a certified tree arboretum. Museum hours are 9:00 AM to 4:30PM (last admission at 4:00PM), Tuesday-Saturday.