Inside the New Experience of Baron Von Opperbean & the River of Time
BVO is a free-roaming immersive experience on Mud Island. It's part art, part storytelling and part open-world adventure.
BVO is a free-roaming immersive experience on Mud Island. It's part art, part storytelling and part open-world adventure.
Baron Von Opperbean & the River of Time (BVO) has been drawing people to Mud Island since Phase One opened in May — pulling in 4,000 visitors in the first month and growing from there. But one question keeps coming up: what do you actually do there? Here's the real breakdown.
BVO is a free-roaming immersive experience inside the former Mississippi River Museum on Mud Island. Phase One covers 8,000 square feet of explorable environments filled with art, interactive storytelling, hidden details, and discovery. The full build will eventually reach 33,000 square feet by 2027, with new phases continuing to roll out.
It is not a museum. It's not an escape room. It's not a haunted house. It's not quite Meow Wolf (though the comparison is inevitable). The best way to describe it: imagine stepping inside an open-world video game where you are free to follow side quests, explore every corner, and interact with the world around you — except it's physical, it's tactile, and it's built right here in Memphis.
Think Doctor Who meets Indiana Jones in a world of Magic, Science, and the Multiverse.
What do you actually do inside?
What do you actually do inside?
You move through a layered, immersive environment at your own pace. There's no set path and no guided tour. You follow what pulls you. Look closer at things. Open things. Search for hidden spaces. Interact with the art and characters around you.
The anchor of Phase One is the Green Dragon Ship, an ancient underwater vessel so old it has become sentient. You board her and begin an undersea voyage before making your way through increasingly strange and layered environments. The spaces feel like levels inside a video game: atmospheric, intentional, and loaded with details that reward curiosity.
Hidden throughout are projection art installations, holographic characters, interactive puzzles, and secrets that most people walk right past. Guests who slow down and actually interact with the environment consistently find more than those who rush through.
Co-founder Marvin Stockwell described it early on, and it still holds: "Do you follow side quests? Or do you head straight to defeat the 'big bad' at the end?" Either way is valid but curiosity is rewarded.
BVO also does not have jump scares or horror elements. It's designed to feel mysterious and adventurous, but not frightening. That said, some spaces are dark and atmospheric, which is worth knowing if you're bringing younger kids.
How long does a visit take?
How long does a visit take?
Most people spend 60–90 minutes inside, though that varies a lot depending on how deeply you explore. Entry is timed in 30-minute windows, and once you're in, you can stay and keep exploring beyond your window.
The team behind it
BVO was built by a team of Memphis artists, engineers, educators, and collaborators led by co-founders Christopher Reyes (Chief Creative Officer), Marvin Stockwell, Reuben Brunson, and Kathryn Hicks. CEO Jee Vahn Knight, who joined the team before opening and brings experience from NASA, the Smithsonian, Disney, and Meow Wolf, has described Memphis as an underserved market for all-ages entertainment — and BVO as the answer to that.
Every room was built in collaboration with local Memphis creatives, using reclaimed materials and local craftsmanship. It shows.
What's coming next?
Phase One is the first 8,000 square feet of a 33,000-square-foot world. Future phases will incorporate more of the original Mississippi River Museum, including an old-fashioned riverboat transformed into a steampunk version traveling through a wormhole in time and space. The Pink Palace (MoSH) helped preserve artifacts from the original museum so nothing meaningful was lost in the transformation.
New discoveries, story layers, and interactive elements will continue to be added even to the spaces already open — so return visits will feel different.
Plan your visit
Location: Mud Island River Park, 101 Island Dr., Memphis, TN 38103
Tickets: Purchase in advance at bvoexp.com. Walk-ups are welcome when space allows.
Parking: Paid parking is available on the island (approx. $3.50/hour). You can also park downtown and walk across the bridge.
Arrive: 15 minutes before your entry window.
Wear: Comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. You'll be moving, climbing, and exploring.
Bring: Your curiosity. Phones are welcome for photos, but some moments are better experienced than captured.
Field trips: BVO also offers field trip programming — details here.
Grab your tickets at bvoexp.com Tickets are $20 and are free for children three and younger.
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