Baron Von Opperbean & the River of Time: Memphis’ Next Big Immersive Adventure
Something wild and wildly imaginative is coming to the Memphis riverfront.
Something wild and wildly imaginative is coming to the Memphis riverfront.
Baron Von Opperbean & the River of Time (BVO) is transforming the former Mississippi River Museum on Mud Island into an 8,000-square-foot immersive playground packed with projection art, hidden puzzles, digital worlds, live actors, and a full-on sci-fi storyline.
The opening date is set for March 7, 2026, with more phases planned through 2027 as they build toward a 33,000-square-foot experience.
Think: part playground, part art gallery, part open-world video game…with Memphis grit and creativity woven through every space.
From pop-up to full-blown world-building
This project didn’t appear out of thin air. After a successful pop-up, BVO's Quadrant 360, that sold 4,000 tickets in two days, mostly through word of mouth, the creators realized Memphis was hungry for more family-friendly, imaginative experiences. People even drove in from eight states just to see it.
That response helped set the stage for what’s next.
BVO is described as a cross between Meow Wolf and the City Museum in St. Louis but with its own Memphis soul. It blends physical art and digital storytelling while giving local creatives a platform to build, experiment, and dream big.
A walk-through story you control
Guests won’t just watch this experience. You move through it, explore it, and decide how deep you want to go.
- Projection art and large-scale installations
- Interactive puzzles and “hidden secrets”
- A layered sci-fi narrative with multiverse vibes
- Actors in costume guiding, nudging, and surprising you
- Holographic AI characters
- Spaces that feel like levels inside a video game
One of the co-founders, Marvin Stockwell, explains it like this:
It’s kind of like an open-world video game. Do you follow side quests? Or do you head straight to defeat the “big bad” at the end?
Either way. Curiosity is rewarded.
The Dragon Ship and beyond
Visitors will begin inside a ride-simulation style room called the Green Dragon Ship, starting an undersea voyage before climbing “through the engines.” Audio, music, story layers, and world-building carry you forward.
And a cool detail for Memphis history lovers: the Pink Palace (MoSH) helped take artifacts from the original Mississippi River Museum so nothing meaningful was lost. Parts of the old museum, like the lifesized boats, will also be incorporated into future phases.
BVO Opening Phases
BVO is being developed in phases:
- Phase 1: 8,000 sq. ft. opening March 7, 2026
- Additional phases rolling out through 2026
- Full 33,000 sq. ft. completed by 2027
The Team Bringing BVO
Behind the project is a team of four co-founders including creative visionary Christopher Reyes, who has long focused on building platforms for Memphis artists. Additional co-founders include Marvin Stockwell, Reuben Brunson, and Kathryn Hicks.
CEO Jee Vahn Knight is the latest addition to the team and brings experience from NASA, the Smithsonian, Disney, and Meow Wolf.
“In every great city, art always precedes economic development,” Vahn Knight said, in a release. “What’s happening here isn’t a recovery story—it’s a creative one. The energy, the collaboration, the sheer will to build something new—that’s the real engine of Memphis’s growth. I’m proud to be in the trenches with the people who are shaping what comes next.”
This is very clearly a passion project from when we did a walk through of the early development. Every room feels intentional and ever-evolving.
We’ll share more as opening day approaches including ticket info, tips, and a deeper peek inside. For now, mark your calendars.
Baron Von Opperbean & the River of Time opens March 7, 2026 on the Memphis riverfront.
For the latest information and a deeper look into the project, visit https://www.bvoexp.com.
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