Back in the summer of 1991, I was selected to go to a seminar for teachers in Fairfax, Virginia. I was excited about it and since they were not paying my way there, I decided to do some sightseeing on my journey. I made some stops and one of those stops was in Nashville to see the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  However, the visit proved to be a little underwhelming. While in Nashville in late September 2021, Frank and I made plans to visit the museum. Recalling my previous visit, I hoped they had improved it in the last 30 years.  I am happy to report that they have definitely improved it and we greatly enjoyed our visit.

            The Country Music Hall of Fame was established in 1967 “to create a research and educational organization that would give the world an insider’s view into country music. The non-profit organization, Country Music Foundation, was chartered by the state in 1964 to collect, preserve and publicize country music artifacts and to showcase the history of country music. Through this foundation, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was established and since then, has grown and evolved into the iconic organization that it is today.” (From their website.) The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum that I visited in 1991 no longer exists as it was demolished after a new and downtown building was opened in 2001. It was then more than doubled in 2014. The new building consists of 350,000 square feet, storage for archives, event space, and the Taylor Swift Educational Center.  They even have performance space in the CMA Theater and the Ford Theater.

            The new museum is a far cry from the one I recall visiting in 1991.  We started on the third floor which showcases the history of country music and the people who have played a role in its history.  It is well organized and flows nicely. We elected to purchase the audio tour and it greatly enhanced our experience.  Just like our Titanic visit, numbers were used to key in the audio for more information.  There are musical instruments, handwritten lyrics, posters from the Hatch Print Company, and costumes from performers through the years.  Recognizing people I had heard of and “knew” due to Hew Haw, Porter Wagner, and The Grand Ole Opry felt familiar and like I had “come home,” so to speak.  Of course, there were some that I had not heard of, but Frank knew most of those. 

            The second floor features the artist from 1960 to the present so there were a lot more that I was familiar with. Buck Owens, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and up to some of my favorites including Alabama, Garth Brooks and Brad Paisley. Interwoven in both the third floor and the second floor are some special exhibits on Martina McBride, Kacey Musgraves, and the exhibit “Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring 70s featuring the “Outlaws of Country Music”: Waylon, Willie and the boys so to speak.  Frank accused me of reading every single thing in the Martina McBride and Kasey Musgraves exhibits, but the exhibits are well done and drew me in. I wish I had been able to view their past exhibits.  The museum has featured Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, the Zac Brown Band, and Chris Stapleton in the past in their special exhibits “examining country music in the twenty-first century.” They have also featured Loretta Lynn, Bob Dylan, and Hank Williams, Jr.  As well as these featured exhibits are done, I wish I had seen the previous exhibits. 

            Definitely add the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to your “Bucket List.” You won’t be disappointed.  We spent three and a half hours touring the museum and no, we did not read every plaque or see every video that was featured.  Allow plenty of time and you may want to take a break for a bit to eat or a drink on the first floor if you need a break.  There are different options in which you can add a tour of the Hatch Show Prints and / or the Historic RCA Studio B Tour.  We opted to just do the museum, but we did add on the audio portion. The basic price is $27.95 for an adult and tickets can be purchased online.  I definitely recommend buying tickets in advance online for any and all events these days due to limited times and limiting crowds. Check out the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum; I’m sure you will enjoy it!

Till next time,

Beth Cervenka

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