Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has welcomed visitors for more than 40 years. Originally located on Nashville's Music Row, the museum relocated to the Entertainment District in a modern 130,000-square-foot facility in 2001. The new museum presents the story of country music as an epic saga, encompassing three centuries and dozens of compelling individual stories.
Election to the Country Music Hall of Fame, located in a 5,300-square-foot rotunda, is the highest honor a country musician can receive. Artists are chosen annually by an anonymous panel of 200 electors, each with at least 15 years of contribution to the industry. The first Hall of Famers, Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, and Hank Williams, were elected in 1961.
The museum includes the 213-seat Ford Theater, two smaller theaters, and the 11,000-square-foot Club Conservatory. Its 5,500-square-foot Museum Store is known as Music City's best record store and the Frist Library and Archive houses books, sheet music, music samples, and other items, among them 200,000 recorded discs and 60,000 historic photos.
At each station on the museum tour, visitors can listen to samples of music from that particular era or style. Among the treasures on display are Elvis Presley's "Solid Gold" Cadillac limousine, Faith Hill's Gianni Versace dress, Hank Williams' Nudie suit, Ralph Stanley's banjo, Bill Monroe's mandolin, and a two-story display of every gold and platinum record awarded to country artists during the 20th century—a total of 854.
Aside from its many interesting exhibits, the museum provides education and entertainment programs for all ages, including weekly instrument and song writing demonstrations, interviews, panel discussions, and musical performances.
In 1977 the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum began operating RCA Studio B, the oldest surviving recording studio in Nashville, as a historic site. In 1996 Studio B was restored to its original look. Today, Belmont University students use the studio as a workshop for recording projects and the museum operates tours and recording opportunities for visitors.
Also in the 1970s, the museum first became involved in producing, packaging, and reissuing classic recordings, including some of its own compilations.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week from March through December, and six days a week in January and February. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is $19.99 for adults, with discounted prices for children, seniors over age 50, military, and students. Children under age six are free.
