Even among living legends, Dolly Parton’s star shines with unusual brilliance. Her fame casts a wider, brighter light today than at any time in her career of sixty-plus years. The Country Music Hall of Fame member has enjoyed seemingly effortless success as a singer, songwriter, movie and television actor, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist ever since she first hit the record charts in 1967. In truth, however, her achievements required determination to get past those who tried to limit the scale of her dreams.

This annual exhibit offers a broad look at country music and its place in American culture over the past year, exploring musical developments, artist achievements, and notable events. The latest installment, which will be open through January 2026, features music and moments from cozy clubs to arena rafters.

Rosanne Cash: Time Is a Mirror, traces the life of an artist, raised within a legacy few get to experience, who established a legacy all her own. Referred to as “a musical mystic” and a “songwriting time traveler,” Cash has created work that moves among genres and transcends time with a singular voice.

From his blue-collar North Carolina roots to his place at the top of the country charts, the exhibit will trace Luke Combs’s life and career by way of musical instruments, song manuscripts, stage wear, tour memorabilia, and more.

In celebration of its twentieth anniversary, Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues Revisited returns to the Museum on April 26, 2024. The acclaimed 2004–2005 exhibit explored an often-overlooked chapter of Nashville’s musical history—an influential rhythm & blues scene that thrived from the 1940s through the 1960s. And the exhibit’s companion compilation album won a Grammy in 2005. This twentieth-anniversary edition of Night Train revisits highlights from the exhibit’s debut, along with new artifacts and rare photos.

Western Edge examines the close-knit communities of Los Angeles-based singers, songwriters and musicians who, from the 1960s through the 1980s, embraced country music, frequented local nightclubs, and created and shaped the musical fusion known as “country-rock” – ultimately making an indelible and lasting impact on popular music.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s core, permanent exhibition tells the story of country music from its pre-commercial roots in the nineteenth century through its vibrant life today. This exciting, multi-layered experience includes artifacts, photographs, original recordings, archival video, newly produced films, touchscreen interactive media, and beautifully rendered text panels.

Born in Dutton, Pennsylvania, Mark Mulroney received his BFA from San Diego State University and his MFA in Studio Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Recent exhibitions include Ampersand Gallery, CG2 Gallery, Mixed Greens, Joshua Liner, Mrs., Ever Gold [Projects], Park Life, Left Field, and Slow Culture. His work is included in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, as well as The West Family Collection and The Progressive Collection.

The Bradley Barn Sessions, a Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibition, features photographs by renowned photographer Fritz Hoffmann from the recording sessions for Country Music Hall of Fame member George Jones’s 1994 album, The Bradley Barn Sessions.