The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville details the long history and ever-changing traditions of country music, focusing on the preservation and interpretation of the music. Since 1964, the museum has exhibited one of the broadest collections of music in the world, with many significant pieces from country music dating all the way back to its roots in folk culture.
Among the museum’s collections are vintage musical instruments, sound recordings, handwritten song lyrics, oral accounts, films, photographs, stage costumes and accessories, vehicles, newspapers, fan letters, scrapbooks, business documents, instruction booklets, and more. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum also exhibits unique architecture, as it's built in the shape of a bass clef and sports front windows that look like piano keys. The immense variety on display attracts over a million visitors every year, inviting anyone to discover all kinds of items from country music history.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville - one of the highlights of 10 Best Things to Do in Nashville and 10 Best Things to Do in Downtown Nashville (Read all about Nashville here)
photo by Michael Rivera (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
Where to eat and drink in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville?
If you’re looking for finer dining, the famous Wildhorse Saloon is about a block away from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The restaurant is known for its “World Famous Fried Pickles,” which are dill pickles deep-fried in Wildhorse buttermilk spice blend and served with herb ranch. The Hard Rock Cafe is a well-known American burger chain with clear musical connections, while the Stillery is also an American establishment but offers a more modern feel with one-of-a-kind mason jar cocktails.
When you visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, you might also want to stop by the fast-paced bar Tin Roof for lively music alongside a variety of drink options or Robert’s Western World for reasonably priced American classics accompanied by cowboy-style music. Tootsie’s Orchid Bar stands out because of its vivid flower namesake colouring and includes bands on each of its 3 stories, like the similar Southern Honky Tonk Central.
What are the highlights of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville?
Among the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s notable musical instruments are Mother Maybelle Carter Gibson’s L-5 guitar, Bill Monroe’s mandolin, Bob Wills’s fiddle, and Chet Atkins’s 1950 D’Angelico archtop guitar. The luxurious signature vehicles of superstars such as Elvis Presley, Webb Pierce, and Jerry Reed reside at the museum as well, a flashy tribute to their talent and fame-filled careers. Displays of rhinestone-adorned “Nudie'' suits, homemade cotton dresses, formal gowns, and rustic cowboy garb showcase the fashion styles that country music has assumed over the years.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum also houses the Bob Pinson Recorded Sound Collection, which consists of over 250,000 recordings, including 98% of the pre-World War II country recordings that were commercially released. The oldest surviving record studio in Nashville also inhabits the museum and contains recordings of famous musicians such as Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and Waylon Jennings.
photo by Michael Rivera (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
What else is good to know about the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville?
Food, drink, and smoking are not allowed within the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Flash photography, selfie sticks, tripods, and video recording are also prohibited, but still photography is allowed for noncommercial, private use. Personal bags may be checked upon entry and may not be allowed if too large to be adequately checked.
Additional places of musical interest near the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum include the famed Ryman Auditorium, which was a longtime home of the Grand Ole Opry, and the Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Glen Campbell museums, which showcase personal artefacts from their namesake stars. The National Museum of African American Music is also nearby and features the musical legacy of African Americans, preserving their influence on musical genres and contributions to history.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville
Location: 222 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
Open: Daily from 9 am to 5 pm
Phone: +1 615-416-2001