Preserving and Sharing Country Music History
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum exists to preserve, celebrate, and share the important cultural asset that is country music. We're caretakers—dedicated custodians of this enduring art form.
About
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, located in downtown Nashville, has been called the "Smithsonian of country music," celebrated for its broad cultural impact, educational mission, and unrivaled collection of historically important artifacts related to country music. Chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964, the Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization.First opened in 1967 on Nashville’s Music Row, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum launched its current downtown location in 2001. In 2014, the Museum unveiled a $100 million expansion that doubled its footprint. The Museum now encompasses 350,000 square feet of exhibition galleries, archival storage, retail stores, and event space. In addition, the Museum offers the Taylor Swift Education Center for students, teachers, and families, and dedicated performance spaces in the CMA Theater and Ford Theater, both of which regularly host nationally recognized live music and cultural events.
EXHIBIT: Telling Country Music’s Stories
Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music is the title of the Museum’s central, permanent (though constantly updated) exhibition. With artifacts, photographs, recorded sound, archival video, and interactive touchscreens, Sing Me Back Home immerses visitors in the history and sounds of country music—its origins, its traditions, and the lives and voices of the many people who have contributed to its rich and varied expression. Each year, new limited-engagement exhibitions launch to complement and expand on that foundation, including the annually updated American Currents: State of the Music, which documents significant artist achievements, events, and perspectives in country music over the past year, as determined by the Museum’s curators and researchers.A Community and National Hub for Education
Through a steady schedule of educational programs, workshops, and creative classes, the Museum also engages schools, students, and families from across Tennessee and beyond. Each year, Museum educators reach more than 100,000 participants with programs ranging from weekly instrument demonstrations to the Museum’s flagship songwriting program for schoolsMedia Platforms
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s reach extends to a variety of media platforms and historic properties. The Museum operates the Grammy-winning reissue label CMF Records (award-winning releases include The Complete Hank Williams and Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970), and CMF Press, a publishing arm that releases books and exhibition catalogs delving into the rich story of country music.On Demand Content
The Museum extends its reach through multiple digital platforms and programs. Visitors to the Museum’s website can access a rich array of content, including online multimedia exhibitions, a series of exclusive video interviews and performances recorded at the Museum called Live at the Hall, and the Museum’s free, searchable, online Digital Archive.Preservation of History-Rich Properties
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum owns and operates the 140-year-old Hatch Show Print letterpress business (located inside the Museum complex). It also operates historic RCA Studio B, which opened in 1957 and is the oldest surviving recording studio in Nashville. Preservation of Studio B is made possible through a partnership between the Mike Curb Family Foundation and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.Accreditation: A Mark of Distinction
Since 1987, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, certifying that the Museum operates according to the highest standards. Of the 33,000 Museums nationwide, roughly 1,100 (3 percent) are accredited.
Thanks Country Music Hall Of Fame!
