Rock Out at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville

People often associate Nashville exclusively with country music. And while that genre of music is popular, there’s a reason Nashville is known as Music City, USA. There’s a rich history of all sorts of music being recorded and performed in the city. My recent visit to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum taught me so much about music in Nashville and across the United States. I even got to jam out on a drum set, sing with the Raelettes, party as a DJ and so much more.

If you’re planning to visit Nashville and want to get a taste of Music City, USA, make sure you include the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. Here’s a rundown on why this museum is so amazing, and why I recommend it to travelers and lovers of all-things music.

I’ve got to give a shout out to Jay McDowell. He’s a multimedia archivist at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum and he took the time to give me a tour of the museum. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and his knowledge of all the artifacts and history found in the museum.

Directions and Tickets to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is a short half-mile walk north of downtown Nashville. It’s located on the 1st Floor of the Historic Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The entrance is on Gay Street between 5th Ave and James Robertson Parkway.

You can purchase tickets online in advance of your visit. They aren’t for a specific time, so you can purchase them at your convenience. You can also purchase them onsite when you arrive at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Major Recording Studios Across the USA

Across the country, you’ll find major cities with recording studios that musicians have flocked to over the years. Nashville is one of those major cities – and it wasn’t just for country music. Several non-country musicians have recorded here.

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum highlights some of the musicians and recording artists (producers, engineers, record label owners, etc.) from several U.S. cities. Those cities include Nashville (of course), Memphis, Detroit (Motown), Atlanta, Los Angeles and Muscle Schoals, Alabama.

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In each room of the museum, you’ll find artifacts and instruments used in those recording studios. For example, the flute used in one L.A. studio can be heard in songs like “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys. A drum set was played in STAX USA recording studio in Memphis.

Even if you aren’t familiar with all the songs referenced and associated with artifacts in the museum, there’s nothing wrong with expanding you Spotify playlist, right?

Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash Exhibits

One end of the museum has two exhibit areas dedicated to specific singers.

Start with the entrance to the Jimi Hendrix area. There’s a brief TV presentation that sets the stage, then follow the signs into the room with artifacts, photos and history of the famous musician.

Once you exit that area, you’ll be back where you started. Make your way through the Johnny Cash area. There are memorabilia items on the wall, including photos and blurbs about The Man in Black.

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The final element in this area is a very large trailer. You may wonder why there’s a large trailer in the museum, but it’s just another one of the artifacts. It’s a lead-lined trailer used as a recording studio while artists were on the road. Keep an eye out for the wooden panel near the back of the trailer (inside) with signatures. Those who recorded in the trailer signed the panel… including Johnny Cash.

Rock Out with the GRAMMY’s

After you’ve learned about the various city centers of the music recording industry, make your way to the back to experience the GRAMMY Museum Gallery®. It’s by far the most interactive portion of the museum. It’s a spot I could’ve spent an hour in.

Here’s why…

The first stage setup has multiple instruments set up, wired up to a pair of headphones. I took a seat at the drum set, put the headphones on and started rockin’ out! Each piece of the drum set made its specific sound… but only to the person wearing the headphones. Spectators only hear little taps of the drumsticks hitting the rubber.

If drumming’s not your thing, maybe try the piano or guitar. It was fun to rock out as if I was Ringo Star, jammin’ with my peeps.

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Another interactive area allows you to take the stage with Ray Charles to sing “Hit the Road Jack”. You can sing Ray’s part, or the part of the female back up singers, the Raelettes. I sung quietly so I didn’t clear out the museum with my awful singing ability. 😂

This section of the museum highlights those behind the artist to make the music happen. Producers, engineers, etc. You can even learn about each of these fields in designated rooms with interactive touch screens.

Be sure you enjoy this area of the museum before swinging by the gift shop on your way to your next Nashville stop.

The Details

Address: 401 Gay St, Nashville, TN 37219

How long to spend: Plan on 1-2 hours for your visit.

Cost: $28 for adults; $15 for youth (ages 6-17); Children 5 and under are free. $26 for seniors (aged 65+), teachers/students and police/military/firefighters – with IDs.

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Sundays.

Website: https://www.musicianshalloffame.com/

Phone: (615) 244-3263

DISCLOSURE: I received one complimentary admission ticket to the Musician Hall of Fame and Museum for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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