Visit the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is an immersive journey to the time and place when musical pioneers walked the line in Bristol and created the “big bang” of country music—and to a timeless, unbroken circle of sound that still exists today.
About the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, tells the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest V. Stoneman, and others – recordings that were influential in shaping the sounds and practices of early commercial country music. The museum explores how this rich musical heritage lives on in today’s music, and how music from our region continues to influence music around the world.
“These recordings in Bristol in 1927 are the single most important event in the history of country music.”
-Johnny Cash
Hours
Regular Hours
Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed Mondays
Holiday Hours
New Year's Day, Closed
Easter, Closed
Memorial Day, Closed on Mondays
July 4th, Open Regular Hours
Labor Day, Closed on Mondays
Thanksgiving, Closed
Christmas Eve, Closed
Christmas Day, Closed
New Year's Eve, Open Regular Hours
Tickets
General Admission
$13
plus tax
Discounted Admission
$11
plus tax
Seniors, college students with ID, military, children ages 6-17, and groups of 20+ Admission
Children 5 & Under
Free
Bristol Virginia Admission Tax will be added to each admission ticket.
Special Exhibit Only
$5
The Special Exhibit is included in General Admission
Museums for All
$3
The Museum offers reduced cost admission through Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM).
FAQs for Your Visit
Have a question about visiting the Museum? Check out our list of frequently asked questions to help you prepare for your visit.
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather, the museum will be closed if the City of Bristol, Virginia is closed in order to ensure the safety of visitors and staff. We may also close early as deemed necessary, so in the event of ice or snow please check our Facebook page or call the Museum (423-573-1927.)
Museum Address
101 Country Music Way
Bristol, VA 24201
Parking
You’ll find plenty of free parking in Historic Downtown Bristol near the museum. A large, free parking lot is available across the street from the museum at the corner of Cumberland and Moore Streets. Free two-hour street parking can also be found along Cumberland, Moore, and Country Music Way.
There is a paid city parking lot that uses the honor box system located on the corner of Cumberland and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, across the street from the historic Bristol Train Station. Free one- and two-hour street parking is also available on State Street during business hours.
Map
The Museum is located in Historic Downtown Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee. Click here to view the actual location.
Directions
From Knoxville: Travel on I-81 North towards Bristol. Take Virginia Exit 3 (I-381/Bristol). Merge onto I-381 South, which becomes Commonwealth Avenue (1.0 mile). Continue south on Commonwealth Avenue (1.0 mile). Turn left onto Cumberland Street (0.4 miles). The museum will be on your right at the corner of Cumberland and Moore Streets.
From Roanoke: Travel on I-81 South towards Bristol. Take Virginia Exit 3 (I-381/Bristol). Merge onto I-381 South, which becomes Commonwealth Avenue (1.0 mile). Continue south on Commonwealth Avenue (1.0 mile). Turn left onto Cumberland Street (0.4 miles). The museum will be on your right at the corner of Cumberland and Moore Streets.
From Asheville: Travel on I-26 West towards I-81 North. Merge onto I-81 North towards Bristol. Take Virginia Exit 3 (I-381 South/Bristol). Merge onto I-381 South, which becomes Commonwealth Avenue (1.0 mile). Continue south on Commonwealth Avenue (1.0 mile). Turn left onto Cumberland Street (0.4 miles). The museum will be on your right at the corner of Cumberland and Moore Streets.
