Right here in Tennessee, Memphis has a spectacular light show that happens every night over the Mississippi River. When the sun goes down, this city comes alive and the Mighty Lights bridge light show begins. It really is a spectacular show that everyone should see at least once in person.
Both the Hernando de Soto Bridge and Big River Crossing seem like perfectly normal spans during the day - they're neat architecturally, but most people wouldn't spend a long time gazing at them.
The Hernando de Soto bridge, immediately recognizable for its iconic "M" shape, is one half of the nightly Mighty Lights show.
Big River Crossing, one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the United States and the longest one to cross the Mississippi River, is the other bridge that hosts the colorful light show.
The bridge is a tourist attraction all on its own. People from Memphis and visitors from all over come to experience this one-of-a-kind bridge that passes right over the Tennessee/Arkansas state line.
The bridges are both recognizable landmarks in Memphis, and they both have interesting back stories - but for maximum "wow" factor, look toward the bridges every night starting at sunset.
The Mighty Lights show runs at the top and middle of the hour, every hour, from dusk until the last show of the night at 10:30 p.m.
More than 100,000 LED lights colorfully illuminate the night and make the waters of the Mississippi below glow and dance. The lights can display millions of colors and designs, but once in a while you'll see the bridges lit up in specific colors.
On the Fourth of July, for example, the bridges show red, white, and blue. If there's a Tennessee State Tigers game, they'll be illuminated in blue.
The Memphis Riverfront is the perfect place to view this magical show. The lights are visible from all along the Riverfront.
The Mighty Lights website (linked at the bottom of this article) has detailed information on where to park and where to stand for the best vantage points.
There are several elevated locations around the city with great vantage points to view the Mighty Lights show. Some notable spots include The Lookout at the Pyramid and Hu Roof. You can enjoy a drink and/or a meal while you watch.
The city of Memphis comes alive at night and the Mighty Lights show helps bring that all together. We highly recommend this bridge light show in Memphis Tennessee next time you find yourself on the West side of our beautiful state. Make sure to check out both the Mighty Lights and Big River Crossing sites for any more information.
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