COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
If you're a country music fan, this is the museum in Nashville. Even if you aren't, almost anyone who has some appreciation for American popular music will thrill to such sights as Bob Dylan's barely legible inscription scrawled across a lyric sheet; Emmylou Harris' petite, bejeweled cowboy boots; and Elvis' gold-leafed-encrusted Cadillac (a gift from Priscilla). Awesome multimedia exhibits let guests explore displays on bluegrass, cowboy music (a la Roy Rogers), country, swing, rockabilly, Cajun, honky-tonk, and contemporary country music through personalized CD listening posts, interactive jukeboxes, and computer stations. The Grand Ole Opry gets its due with a dumbfounding array of memorabilia, enhanced by vintage Opry recordings. And, as if all of this wasn't more than a visitor could stand, the museum also showcases such weird objects as Naomi Judd's rusted wringer-and-tub-style washing machine, and the kitschy cornfield from TV's Hee Haw -- complete with a pair of one of the stars' denim overalls and plus-size gingham dress. Even a seasoned visitor of the museum should make an extra visit because there's always a reason to return for special exhibitions and events. Showing right now "Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970" will examine the connections between country music and rhythm-and-blues. The exhibition will open in March 2004 and run through December 2005. Meanwhile, lucky visitors at any time of year might catch a glimpse of a country great: Nashville resident Vince Gill is said to be a regular here, and legends such as Merle Haggard have been known to drop by for impromptu concerts.
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