Earle Farrell 4Memphis Show: Jee Vahn Knight, Coco & Jack Kenner
October 27, 2025
The Earle Farrell 4Memphis Show
The Earle Farrell 4Memphis Show features Jee Vahn Knight, CEO of Baron Von Opperbean & the River of Time (BVO), sharing updates on how the former Mud Island Museum is being transformed into a one-of-a-kind immersive playground. The conversation explores the creative vision, progress, and what’s next for Memphis’s riverfront experience.
Also featured in this episode: Coco the traveling dog with Memphis photographer Jack Kenner, who share stories from their latest adventures and upcoming destinations.
Full Episode Transcript
Read the full conversation below…lightly edited for clarity and flow.
Narrator (Intro): Memphis is the home of the blues, rock and roll - and Earle Farrell. From Collierville Square to the mighty Mississippi, The Earle Farrell 4Memphis Show celebrates the good things happening across the Bluff City and the people who make Memphis cool.
Segment 1 – Jee Vahn Knight (BVO)
Earle Farrell: And now, coming to you from Lansky Brothers - Clothier to the King - inside the world-famous Peabody Hotel, here’s your host, Earle Farrell.
Thank you very much and welcome in to Lanskies here on a Monday afternoon! We’ve got a big show lined up for you today. My first guest is Jee Vahn Knight, recently hired by a very cool project on Mud Island.
Her background fits perfectly - she’s worked for Disney, the Smithsonian, NASA, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, and helped launch Meow Wolf’s national expansion, the couple widely credited with igniting the modern immersive-experience industry.
The project is Baron Von Opperbean (BVO) — something totally new to Memphis. Most people have never seen anything like it, and explaining it isn’t easy. But when they found you, you understood immediately what they were trying to do, right?
Jee Vahn Knight: I did. It actually took a few years for us to connect. I moved to Memphis about five years ago and had stepped away from the immersive industry, working in marketing here in the city. There weren’t many Meow Wolf New Mexico imports in Memphis - I might be the only one!
When I finally met the team, saw the space, and realized how much traction they already had, it was incredibly inspiring. They didn’t even know it, but they were already halfway through the marathon.
Earle: I toured the site with Marvin Stockwell, and it’s extraordinary. People see that space and immediately imagine possibilities. Did you feel that the moment you walked in?
Jee: Twofold. As an operations person, I saw limitless creative potential - and I also saw how much existing infrastructure was there. The building’s already structurally sound, which puts us miles ahead compared with starting in an empty warehouse.
Earle: Describe where this is - that’s the river walk and the Mississippi River. The building’s on how many levels?
Jee: Three stories. The riverboat itself has three, but our project spans two main floors. Memphians love Mud Island; it’s tied to childhood memories and its heyday in the ’80s. Inside are two full-scale replica boats built to last - they’re stunning.
When I first saw them, I said, “Are you kidding me? This is inside the building?”
Earle: And some of what people are seeing now is concept art, right?
Jee: Yes - visualizations of Christopher Reyes’ vision. They let us bring in artists and fabricators to collaborate and make it real. It’s not a manufactured, top-down design - it’s co-creation.
Earle: For listeners who don’t know, Meow Wolf opened in 2016 in Santa Fe and really kicked off the modern immersive-experience movement.
Jee: Exactly. “Immersive” is a broad term - a football game can be immersive! We like to say we’re between City Museum (more playground) and Meow Wolf (more interactive art). We’re an immersive playground with rich storytelling.
Earle: Is it mostly digital? VR?
Jee: No - it’s a physical space, augmented by digital elements. A feast for your eyes and senses. You’ll meet AI characters, see interactive screens, and yes, there will be tunnels and crawl spaces for the adventurous. It’s hands-on imagination.
Earle: That front-door area I saw — the portal — was amazing.
Jee: That’s part of our adaptive reuse story. We’re re-using physical pieces and also accepting donated memorabilia from Memphians to weave local history into the art. It’s collective storytelling.
Earle: It sounds like it’ll change over time.
Jee: It will. We’ll open part of it early next year, then keep expanding over the next 2–3 years. Each visit brings new worlds, digital updates, and narrative layers. Like a playground, you can choose how to explore - climbing, discovering, or just observing details.
Earle: Will there be guides?
Jee: Yes — in-universe characters who help you discover your path, not fixed tour guides.
Earle: Age limits?
Jee: None! Though some climbing areas might not suit the very young or very tall.
Earle: Walk us through the experience.
Jee: Guests will board through Platform 33, “teleport” onto a dragon ship, then journey through multiple universes — a scientific lab, a pirate ship mid-battle — truly traveling across the multiverse.
Earle: You’ve worked for Disney; is this where entertainment is heading?
Jee: Yes. The human brain craves novelty and authenticity. Once something’s predictable, we disengage. Immersive storytelling keeps evolving — from Elvis himself to today’s Sphere in Las Vegas. It’s all about new sensory engagement.
Earle: Is it hard to explain to investors?
Jee: Sometimes! Those familiar with attractions like ours get it instantly. Others — we just invite them to visit. Once you walk the space, you understand. We’ve received grant funding and community support recognizing its tourism and economic impact.
Earle: Could this spark more on Mud Island — maybe even a Ferris wheel?
Jee: We’d love to inspire more development. Our focus now is opening a world-class experience for Memphians, but long-term, yes — we hope to help lift the entire riverfront economy.
Earle: Do you have a launch date?
Jee: Not yet public — but early next year.
Earle: Memphis has always been inventive — FedEx, AutoZone, Graceland — and now BVO.
Jee: Memphis is special. It’s why my family and I are here. The right time, the right place, and incredible creative energy.
Earle: Well, welcome to Memphis! We’ll be watching this unfold.
Jee: Thank you so much, Earle.
The full episode also features photographer Jack Kenner and his travel companion Coco - discussing photography, van life, and their cross-country adventures.