alex haley house museum

We began our visit with a 15 - 20 minute movie on Alex Haley and the making of the iconic mini-series, "Roots", which was very well done. We continued the visit by spending time in the interpretive center which chronicled slavery as well as Haley's life and the life of his family. We completed our tour by visiting Haley's home where he grew up listening to the stories of his ancestors retold by his mom and aunts and then paid our respects at his final resting place. We were fortunate to have been given the tour by one of Alex Haley's distant cousins and she was able to give us a perspective on his life and times. We took this tour after visiting Slave Haven and the Civil Rights Museum so it was a full circle experience for us.... It was an excellent tour and well worth the time....

En route from Memphis to Nashville we spotted the Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Centre on the map and decided to do a slight detour to visit .It was well worth it .We were personally shown round the house by Beverly Johnson the programme coordinator who really took time to explain everything to us ,answer all our questions and really helped the place to come to life .The introduction film was excellent ,and the museum really interesting .Having read Roots many years ago and watched the mini series it was lovely to have had the chance to visit where it all began .On our return Beverly sent us a copy of the local newspaper which featured a small article about our visit. Apparently this is something the a museum likes to do when they have overseas visitors .Lovely touch ,

I first discovered Henning when I was looking for a second house to buy and yes, I did purchase one in Henning. I didn't know Alex Haley's boyhood home was located there until my Realtor was showing me other properties near Henning. We decided to stop by the the house and museum. I feel it's a stop everyone should make to learn about Mr. Haley's life and experiences that influenced him and eventually influenced many to explore their own roots. Not only is Henning a nice peaceful little town but there is much history in that area such as Fort Pillow. If you're ever in West Tennessee please go to Henning you will not regret it.

Alex Haley is a pivotal figure in American culture, and it was an absolute thrill to set foot on the home he spent so much of his childhood in. The new Visitor's center is also very nice, with an outstanding video about the impact of Roots. This attraction is very much out of the way but also very much worth a visit!

Went to Ripley, Tenn with the fam for a family reunion. When we went to the musuem it was closed. So we looked through the windows. We also visited the grave sites of Kizzy and Chicken George. I feel so blessed to have this experience. Would love to go back with my babies to educate them about those times. (I visted here in '09)

How well it is kept up and maintained. Staff was knowledgeable and related some personal experiences.

During a rainy afternoon we received a warm welcome at the museum from Paula Lee Bogan. After the orientation film and our freedom to wander through the clearly marked and comprehensive museum she took us around the house and provided homely information that made Alex come to life.Only a few other people were there at the time of our visit. The museum was extremely modern and well presented. We fully recommend this museum. We had not seen the TV mini-series and had only got through half the book by the time of our visit. This did not hinder our enjoyment or our understanding. It meant that we wanted to finish the book even more as soon as we returned to the UK.An added bonus was having our photo taken for the local Henning newspaper that the museum kindly sent to us with a write-up as a momento of our enjoyable and friendly visit.

I like so many others have read Alex Haley's epic novel "Roots" and viewed the mini series. Alex story of his family had an impact that had Americans regardless of race looking into their roots.Since Henning, Tennessee is a short distance from Memphis, I wanted to visit the home that sparked Alex to start his search.The home is that of his grandparents Will and Cynthia Palmer and it reflects the home of a upper middle class family during that time. The home had items we think as standard like a phone, cabinets in the kitchen, fireplaces, and closets. The highlight of the home to me was the front porch where young Alex listen to his grandmother and great aunts, cousins tell the family history.Alex is also buried on the house grounds (many of his other relatives like Chicken George are buried in a cemetery not far from the home).Behind the home is the Interpretive center. It house a small theater which shows a short film about Alex and the novel Roots. There is a permanent exhibit of family items, items the filming of Roots and items connected to reflections of his family history. There is also a rotating exhibit, a small gift shop, genealogy room.The curator was a true gem and the pride and love of the museum comes out.If you are in the area, or want to do something different, by all means visit!

We knew something about Alex Haley thru his well-known book "ROOTS", but if you want to get a complete picture of this author, don't forget to stop in Henning Tennessee, where you'll bewelcomed by very friendly people. An introduction film, the beautiful house and Haley's grave make your visit complete and worthwhile the admission fee of $ 5.

This is no doubt a must-see for anyone with an interest in the author who gave life to "Roots". Here is the house of Alex Haley's grandparents (with whom he spent many summers and where he learned the stories that he'd later develop into his Pulitzer novel). The home is lovely, just as pictured on its website, and contains many original features; a tour of the house is provided and questions are answered at length. To the front/side of the home is Haley's dignified burial plot. Via a walkway to the rear is the Interpretive Center, which is fairly new and offers a theater (with documentary), gift shop, genealogy room, and interesting exhibits. It was worth the $6 admission. The home is open 10-5 Tuesday through Saturday, closed Monday, not sure about Sunday. This made for a nice stop while driving the Tennessee portion of the Great River Road and would be an easy trip from Memphis, too. Keep in mind that this is the prettiest and only worthwhile stop in Henning, a very small town whose original grandeur (as seen in the crumbling facades of homes) is decades over -- and whose original "downtown" (further west of the Haley site) is now a sad line of long-boarded-up businesses. For a bite to eat, head just a few minutes south to Covington, TN, which boasts a lovely courthouse square, boutique shops, and eateries, plus well-preserved historic homes on South Main.

The staff are really friendly. Its a great tour of the past with a gift shop to take a little with you.

Alex Haley, the author of ROOTS, was from Henning, TN where his home and museum is located. It is just off TN Hwy 51 just south of Ripley. Every aspiring writer young or old would love this house and Alex Haley's story. It is staffed by people who knew him which makes for a very personal approach to his story. During the summer pick up some great Ripley tomatoes that are for sale at road side stands along the way.

Historical info is very good. The house is preserved very well, however the attendants were not very friendly and attentive to our needs.

Museum is very "homey" with locals leading the tour. The area is very small town and some of the folks associated with the museum actually knew Mr. Haley and take great pride in his accomplishments.

Beverly, one of Haley's relatives, is program director and tour guide. On a rainy morning in late October, we were the only ones there, so she have us a very personal tour of the family home. She told wonderful stories. A museum, recently built behind the home, was not yet open. Highly recommended.