For parents and grandparents who are entertaining children this summer, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has you covered.
Not only do local children (18 and under) get free admission, but the museum also offers 25 percent off admission for up to two accompanying adults who are residents of Davidson, Cheatham, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson or Wilson counties.
And to make the museum even more of a treat, Country Music Hall of Fame officials say that this summer the family focused programming is better than ever.
“Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has family programs or resources available every day,” said Lisa Purcell, the museum’s executive vice president, external affairs.
“There is something for youth and families in every age group — from arts and crafts experiences that connect to museum exhibits to music-making experiences, like the Musical Instrument Petting Zoo, where families with youth ages 6 and up can play diverse instruments or Family Jam Sessions, where museum visitors with youth under age 5 can sing, dance and play music together.
“Supplementing these guided programs are activity kits, coloring pages, gallery scavenger hunts and more,” she said.
Believe me, this is not JUST a museum! There are so many activities and hands-on opportunities for families to learn and be entertained.
And everybody loves looking over the fabulous Webb Pierce Pontiac Bonneville and Elvis’ gold-plated Cadillac. (Look for the crushed diamonds in the car’s paint.)
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, increased daily programming and workshops for families will include:
Mondays and Tuesdays, all day – Take-home kits are available to inspire all visitors to make instruments out of repurposed materials such as spoons, rubber bands and plastic eggs. Families can find inspiration in the galleries and get creative at home.
Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon – The museum’s Musical Instrument Petting Zoo will offer budding musicians a chance to try new and familiar instruments (everything from a dulcimer to a banjo and ukulele to some percussion instruments like a cowbell and a tambourine) in a drop-in setting. (Recommended for ages 6 and up.)
Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to noon – Attendees can explore, discover and create arts and crafts related to museum artifacts and exhibitions in a drop-in setting. (Recommended for ages 6 and up.)
Saturdays, 1 to 2 p.m. – Visitors can express themselves through music, dance or art in drop-in and workshop-based programs. Attendees can explore line dancing, create a friendship bracelet, learn to play ukulele and more during these Saturday afternoon programs. There are also Family Jam sessions on select Saturday mornings this summer.
And my personal favorite, the free performances of String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry. Showtimes are 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. June 24 – 29, and you can just show up to see marionettes, rod puppetry, shadow animation and an ever-changing set telling the story of country music as it relates to Nashville’s transformation into Music City.
This unique 75-minute show chronicles the history of country music through original soundtracks and nearly 100 handmade puppets (the puppets are real works of art) ranging from the Staple Singers to Johnny Cash to Willie Nelson and Taylor Swift.
String City was created and is presented by the Nashville Public Library’s Wishing Chair Productions in collaboration with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. These performances that take place in the museum’s Ford Theater are free for all ages and as much of a delight to adults as they are to children.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which last year had more than 1.6 million visitors, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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. Reservations are recommended.
You should also know that Tennessee children ages 18 and under from Cheatham, Davidson, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties always receive free museum admission. Up to two accompanying adults receive 25 percent off admission. (Regular adult admission is $29.95.) Proof of residency is required. For information, see countrymusichalloffame.org or inquire at the Museum Box Office.
Current CMHOF exhibits include “American Currents: State of the Music; An American Masterwork;” Thomas Hart Benton’s “Sources Of Country Music at 50;” “Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul,” presented by Gibson; “Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues Revisited;” “Patty Loveless: No Trouble with the Truth;” and “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock,” presented by City National Bank
Details: countrymusichalloffame.org
Mary Hance, who has four decades of journalism experience in the Nashville area, writes a weekly Ms. Cheap column. She also appears on Thursdays on “Talk of the Town” on NewsChannel5. Reach her atmscheap@mainstreetmediatn.comand follow her on Facebook atFacebook.com/mscheap.
