Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville
Before visiting Nashville, my daughter had no clue who Patsy Cline was, let alone the songs she had written. But it turns out, this museum was her favorite stop on our whirlwind Nashville adventure.
Music City USA is riddled with museums and restaurants dedicated to various country music stars. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll find at the Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville – Located on the second floor of the Johnny Cash Museum.
The Early Years of Patsy Cline
When you first enter the Patsy Cline Museum, you’ll notice a long wall with years, images and artifacts on it. Read through the highlights of Patsy’s life, starting with her birth in 1932. Did you know her real name was Virginia Patterson Hensley?
You’ll find some really cool artifacts hanging on the timeline wall. Like her Official Jimmy Dean Fan Club membership card.
Across the hall from the timeline is a setup of the soda fountain where she worked as one of her first jobs. It’s very poodle skirts and jukebox – like something you’d see the cast of Grease hanging out in.
My daughter really enjoyed the outfits of Patsy displayed in the museum. From purple dresses with white fringe, to white cowgirl boots with rhinestones on the side spelling Patsy.
As you continue through the museum, you’ll learn about the life of Patsy Cline and her introduction to the music scene.
The Music of Patsy Cline
Can you name a Patsy Cline song? Like me, you’ve likely heard a few of the songs, you just may not have known it was Patsy singing them. Here are some of her top Billboard songs.
- Crazy
- Walkin’ After Midnight
- I Fall to Pieces
- Sweet Dreams
In the museum, you’ll see black discs on the wall. It’s kinda fun explaining to younger generations that vinyl records are like music CDs – although some may not even know what a CD is now that MP3 and Spotify have taken over. Haha!
Use some of the touch screens and interactive exhibits to listen to Patsy Cline’s music or watch her perform on stage. At least one of the songs is guaranteed to get stuck in your head as you wander the museum and the streets of Nashville. They’re pretty catchy tunes.
The Home Life of Patsy Cline
One of the exhibits is a little theater with a few benches. I encourage you to take a moment to relax and watch a short film about Patsy Cline’s life. You’ll also learn about her tragic death at the young age of 30. She died in 1963 when her small engine plane crashed.
As you make your way through the final exhibits of the museum, you’ll find yourself in Patsy’s house. The living room, with an old black and white television set and vinyl record playing on display. On the other side, the bar area where Patsy and her husband would likely entertain guests.
In the next room, there’s a display of artifacts from the house, like ashtrays and fine china. A dining room setup, complete with place settings shows how Patsy likely kept her house. Walking through those exhibits, it feels like we had taken a time machine back to the late 1950s.
The final hallway has some fun portraits of Patsy Cline. She seemed like a fun and energetic women, and her music is worth adding to an “Oldies but Goodies” playlist.
The Details
Address: 119 3rd Ave S., Nashville, TN 37201 (2nd floor of the Johnny Cash Museum)
Cost: General admission is $18.95. Youth (ages 6-15) are $14.95. Children 5 and under are free with a paying adult.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Website: https://www.patsymuseum.com/
Disclosure: I received two complimentary admissions to Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.
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