Locals, Pay What You Want

Daily pay-what-you-want Museum admission is available for Nashville-Davidson and bordering counties, including Cheatham, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson. Plus, PMC is providing $10 parking for locals who visit the Museum in January between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Walk of Fame Park Garage, based on availability.

Plan Your Visit

  1. Live in one of these counties? (Nashville-Davidson, Cheatham, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, Wilson)
  2. Decide what to pay, if anything
  3. Plan your visit (advance reservation recommended)
  4. Bring proof of residency (per ticket)—driver’s license, college ID, mail, utility bill, etc.

LOCALS, RESERVE TICKETS HERE

Did you know local kids always visit free?

$10 Parking for Locals

Throughout January, PMC is providing $10 parking for locals across the street from the Museum, based on availability.

  • Location: Walk of Fame Park Garage located at 161 4th Ave South
  • How to: Obtain parking ticket upon pulling into the parking garage. When checking in at the Museum’s Information Desk, ask for a validation sticker and apply it to the parking ticket. You will insert this ticket into the kiosk when exiting the garage.
  • There is a maximum six-hour parking limit.
    Click here for more information.

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Live Music Every Weekend

The programs below are included with Museum admission. For December programs, reserve tickets below. For January programs, please reserve your pay-what-you-want Museum tickets here, and call (615) 416-2001 to add on your program tickets.
  • Musician Spotlight: Whit

    December 8 | 12:00 - 12:45 PM


    Background vocalist Whit can be heard on albums by Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Martina McBride, Maren Morris, Darius Rucker, and Sugarland. She has worked with a wide range of artists, including Sabrina Carpenter, Anderson East, Rival Sons, and Smokey Robinson. As an artist, Whit has released a single, “When We Were Kids.” Ford Theater. Included with Museum admission. Program ticket required. Free to Museum members.

  • Interview and Performance: Rosanne Cash

    December 8 | 2:30 - 4:00 PM | SOLD OUT


    To celebrate the opening of the exhibition Rosanne Cash: Time Is a Mirror, Rosanne Cash will sit down for a one-on-one interview with the Museum’s RJ Smith. Beginning in the 1970s and continuing to the present day, Cash has staked out a distinctive place in American music. Her songs have drawn on rockabilly rhythms, the truth-telling of folk-rock songwriters, West Coast country-rock energy, new wave flash, and deeply rooted country music.

  • Songwriter Session: Jamie Floyd

    December 14 | 12:00 - 12:45 PM


    Jamie Floyd wrote “The Blade,” the title track of Ashley Monroe’s Grammy-nominated 2015 album, which was also recorded by Ronnie Dunn for his 2022 album, 100 Proof Neon. She also wrote “I Would’ve Loved You,” a duet recorded by The Voice winner Jake Hoot and Kelly Clarkson, and songs recorded by Ingrid Andress, Ty Herndon, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Kesha, Miranda Lambert, Brian McKnight, Hayden Panettiere, Kellie Pickler, and Wrabel. Floyd independently released an EP, New Girl, in 2019 and released a new single, “Did You Ever,” this year. Her songs have also been featured in film and on television, and she is currently writing songs for several upcoming musical theater projects. Ford Theater. Included with Museum admission. Program ticket required. Free to Museum members.

  • Musician Spotlight: Alisa Jones

    December 15 | 1:00 - 1:45 PM


    Alisa Jones brought the sound of the hammered dulcimer to new audiences when she recorded on projects by Johnny Cash, Michael Martin Murphey, Dolly Parton, and others. Her father, Country Music Hall of Fame member Grandpa Jones, and her old time fiddle–playing mother introduced her to traditional country music at an early age, which led to her discovery and love of the dulcimer. In the early 1990s, Jones, multi-instrumentalist Mark Howard, and master autoharpist Ron Wall—who will accompany Jones during this program—formed the Cumberland Records label and released numerous acoustic instrumental records. During this performance, Jones, Howard, and Wall will perform a selection of classic Christmas songs. Ford Theater. Included with Museum admission. Program ticket required. Free to Museum members.

  • Songwriter Session: Matt Warren and Dave Pahanish

    December 21 | 12:00 - 12:45 PM


    Matt Warren wrote Gary Allan’s “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” and “Learning How to Bend,” and Robert Randolph & the Family Band’s “Love Do What It Do” featuring Darius Rucker. His songs have also been recorded by Bucky Covington, Andy Frasco, Jim Lauderdale, and Rucker. Dave Pahanish wrote Toby Keith’s “American Ride,” Keith Urban’s “Without You,” and Jimmy Wayne’s “Do You Believe Me Now.” His songs have also been recorded by Tim McGraw, Collin Raye, and Emily West. Ford Theater. Included with Museum admission. Program ticket required. Free to Museum members.

Family Friendly Programming

Family Program: Fam Jam
Dec 7
9:30 AM
Family Program: String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry
Dec 7
10:00 AM
Photo of children playing with various musical instruments.
Family Program: Musical Instrument Petting Zoo
Dec 7
Family Program: Line Dancing
Dec 14
Family Program: Bedazzled Buttons
Dec 15
Family Program: Friendship Bracelets
Dec 21

Current Exhibitions

Luke Combs:

The Man I Am

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.

Night Train to Nashville:

Music City Rhythm & Blues Revisited

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.

American Currents:

State of the Music

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum offers perspective on country music’s latest chapter with the exhibition American Currents: State of the Music. Presented annually, American Currents takes a broad view of the genre over the past year to explore musical developments, artist achievements, and notable events, as determined by the Museum’s curators and editorial staff.

An American Masterwork:

Thomas Hart Benton’s "Sources of Country Music" at 50

An American Masterwork: Thomas Hart Benton’s “Sources of Country Music” at 50 explores Benton’s process in creating his final painting, which was commissioned by the Museum in 1973. The exhibit includes sketches, drawings, lithographs, photographs, and a three-dimensional model of the painting, along with a 1975 video of Benton speaking about the mural.

Western Edge:

The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock

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.

Sing Me Back Home

Folk Roots to the Present

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Museum is offering pay-what-you-want ticket admission for locals beginning Wednesday, January 1, through Friday, January 31, 2025. Any dollar amount you want to provide will be accepted for Museum admission. 

Anyone living in Nashville-Davidson County and its bordering counties—Cheatham, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson.

Yes. You can pay any amount, including if you want to pay $0.

Museum admission is normally $29.95 for visitors ages 13 and over, and $19.95 for youth ages 6-12. Children under five are admitted free. If you live in Nashville-Davidson and bordering counties, Museum admission is free for youth ages 18 and under.

Yes. Locals are encouraged to reserve timed tickets in advance here. Each adult will need to present proof of residency upon arrival at the Museum. Timed tickets are available for Museum entry between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., with a limited number of Museum admission tickets available each day. The Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Local children from Nashville-Davidson and its bordering counties (Cheatham, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson) can visit the Museum free any time. Learn more here. 

Each adult visitor will need to present one of the following upon arrival at the Museum:

  • Any photo identification that includes your local address.
  • Any bill or piece of mail that includes a local address, along with any photo identification. Bills may be printed or shown from a mobile device.

Guests ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult or chaperone who is age 16 or older. Guests ages 16-17 who are not accompanied by an adult may present one of the following for free admission.

Youth proof of residency: School ID, Library Card, Driver’s License or Permit, Report Card, School T-shirt 

Yes. College students may present student identification from universities or colleges located in Nashville-Davidson or its bordering counties. Bills or pieces of mail with a local address will also be accepted with any photo identification.

Each adult member of your group needs to provide proof of local residency upon arrival to the Museum to receive pay-what-you-want admission. If members of your group do not live in Nashville-Davidson or its bordering counties, they may purchase advance tickets here or upon arrival to the Museum, based on availability.

Groups can reserve up to eight advance tickets online for pay-what-you-want-admission. If you need to reserve more than eight tickets, please call 615-416-2001 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central, or email reservations@countrymusichalloffame.org.

The Museum’s permanent exhibition, Sing Me Back Home, tells the story of country music from its pre-commercial roots in the nineteenth century through its vibrant life today. The Museum’s galleries feature artifacts, including instruments, stage wear, one-of-a-kind recordings, films, and more. Along the way, visitors can enjoy a variety of temporary or rotating exhibits. Read more about current Museum exhibits.

The Museum’s self-guided experience takes approximately 90 minutes

Yes. The Museum offers a variety of family and public programs, which are included with pay-what-you-want admission. Space may be limited, based on availability. Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance for programs located in the Museum’s theaters by calling 615-416-2001 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central, or emailing reservations@countrymusichalloffame.org.

Yes, additional experiences like Guided Museum Tours, Historic RCA Studio B Tours, Hatch Show Print Tours, and Audio Tours can be purchased and reserved in advance by calling 615-416-2001 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central or emailing reservations@countrymusichalloffame.org.

PMC is providing $10 parking for locals who visit the Museum in January between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the Walk of Fame Park Garage, based on availability.  The garage is located across the street from the Museum at 161 4th Ave S. There is a maximum six-hour parking limit. A validation sticker must be obtained at the museum Information Desk to receive the discount. The sticker can be picked up upon arrival to the Museum and must be applied to the garage parking ticket before inserting into the kiosk when exiting the garage.

There are several paid parking lots located around the Museum. The Music City Center (6th Avenue South and Demonbreun) and the Hilton Hotel are both across the street from the Museum and offer paid parking.

Additionally, the Museum is walking distance from WeGo Public Transit routes 6, 8, 18, 52, 55, 84, and 86. Parking is available in public garages and surface lots. Visit parkitdowntown.com for an interactive parking map and more resources. For more visiting information, visit the Museum’s “Know Before You Go” page.

All Museum admission payments support the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s educational mission, which provides creative programs, workshops and classes for local schools, families, and communities. In 2024, the Museum served people from across Tennessee and beyond through 1,900 education programs, ranging from instrument demonstrations to the Museum’s flagship songwriting program for schools, Words & Music. Read more about the Museum and its mission.

Yes. The Museum has guidebooks available that share exhibit themes in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish for guests’ use during their visitAudio guides are available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese that offer interpretation of exhibited artifacts. Unified English Braille code is also available. Visit the Museum’s Information Desk for more details about accessing these resources. 

Yes. The Museum strives to provide all visitors with an enjoyable experience by offering services to assist with various needs and abilities. Visit the Museum’s accessibility page for more information.

Call the Museum seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central at 615-416-2001, or email questions to reservations@countrymusichalloffame.org.

RESERVE TICKETS TODAY

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