Spring Break at the Country Music Hall of Fame

This post was written in collaboration with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which provided free admission for my family.

We plunged into history on our first visit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, learning about early country artists and delighting in memorabilia from artists like Elvis Presley, Minnie Pearl, and Bill Monroe.

This month the museum is celebrating spring break with free souvenirs and family events, and they invited our family to pay a return visit. Our first stop was a beginner mandolin workshop in the Taylor Swift Education Center, where we settled into a class of 40 or 50 people holding mandolins provided by the museum. Led by Ryan Joseph, fiddle player for Alan Jackson, the 30-minute class included a brief tutorial on mandolin chords and notes and the opportunity to learn a couple of songs. The class was funny and educational, and definitely an “only-in-Nashville” experience (my 9-year-old decided to read instead of participating, but he still chatted with the instructor and picked up a few tips).

With our recent visit to the museum, the Find Your Country exhibit became my boys’ favorite place to play. The section featured touchscreen games and quizzes that rewarded visitors with digital souvenirs, culminating in opportunities to record song vocals and create album art. The digital “souvenirs” could be sent home via email; however, we found the emailed recordings didn’t always play correctly, and they expired after a few days. My kids didn’t seem to mind the short life of their songs — they just wanted to go back again and record more.

I loved seeing costumes and artifacts from the country artists of my childhood, but on this visit I was delighted to discover the American Currents exhibit featuring newer artists like Maren Morris, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson (including the guitar case Simpson used when he busked outside last year’s CMA Awards). I also appreciated the museum’s efforts to focus on the contributions of African-American country pioneers like DeFord Bailey and Charley Pride, and I’d love to see even more endeavors in this area (perhaps a collaboration with the National Museum of African American Music when it opens next year).

As a part of their spring break celebration, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is offering free activity packs for children at the information desk. I’m glad we prioritized this stop — our packs included a museum pennant and guitar pick, plus quizzes, coloring sheets, and pencils to keep the kids engaged as they toured the museum.

The museum offered my family free admission for one day, but we also decided to test the Community Counts program that offers free admission to Nashville residents. I checked out a museum pass for two adults through the Nashville Public Library — a perk available to any Davidson County resident with a library card. Our kids wore t-shirts from their elementary school and received free admission as public school students in the Nashville area. Thanks to Community Counts we were able to bypass long ticket lines, get our tickets at the information desk, and enjoy a fun family day for free.

Will you be in Nashville for spring break? The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum wants you to pay them a visit. Thanks to Community Counts and the family education programs, you might see us there!

Upcoming family events at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:
Saturday, March 17 — Preschool Program: Song and Storytime – Fiddles
Saturday, March 17 — Beginning Banjo Workshop (ages 7 and up)
Saturday, March 24 — Creative Zone: Design an Album Cover
Friday, March 30 — Beginner Fiddle workshop (ages 7 and up)
Saturday, March 31 — Fiddle Meets Guitar (ages 7 and up)
Thursday, April 5 — Creative Zone: Bedazzled Buttons
Sunday, April 8 — Make Letterpress Art with Hatch Show Print (ages 5 and up)