The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is appropriately nestled in the very heart of Music City and offers an unmatched view of the evolution of country music. As true fans already know, country music has roots tied to various musical genres and pulls influence from an array of cultures.
The museum houses an impressive collection of over 2 million artifacts ranging from stage costumes to instruments, ensuring return guests are dazzled by new displays alongside storied favorites such as Elvis Presley’s solid gold Cadillac!
Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music is the museum’s core exhibition where visitors are immersed in the history and sounds of country music, its origins and traditions, and the stories and voices of many of its honored architects. The story is revealed through artifacts, photographs, and text panels, with a rich overlay of recorded sound, vintage video, and interactive touchscreens. Current exhibits on display include Charlie Daniels: Million Mile Reflections, Jason Aldean: Asphalt Cowboy, and Shania Twain: Rock This Country.
Other historic properties of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum include the legendary letterpress operation, Hatch Show Print, and the historic RCA Studio B. Interesting note, this early recording studio is Nashville’s oldest and is where landmark recordings by Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, and many others were produced.
After taking a tour of the museum’s diverse array of exhibits and interactive offerings, be sure to visit the iconic Hall of Fame Rotunda. Election to the Country Music Hall of Fame is country music’s highest honor, therefore the Hall of Fame Rotunda was designed to recognize Hall of Fame members in a style befitting the high honor of membership. Every individual is recognized as an equal. The members’ plaques are placed randomly around the room-except for the newest members of the Hall of Fame, whose plaques can be found alongside Regionalist artist Thomas Hart Benton’s breathtaking mural The Sources of Country Music. The room is round to ensure that every Hall of Fame member has a place of equal importance.
Country music has a uniquely American story, what blossomed from a humble melting pot of rural influences is now a multi-billion dollar industry with worldwide reach. If you ever venture to the historically-rich city on the banks of the Cumberland River, be sure to include this site on your things to do in Nashville itinerary and take in the very essence of a proud musical tradition.
