John and Betty Wynn of Ozark, Mo., have 13 grandchildren, and never miss a chance to take them to nearby Silver Dollar City, a massive theme park that showcases mountain music and crafts. "My family has been coming here since 1976," says John. "It's important to pass along the music of yesteryear to my grandchildren. I want them to experience the music, crafts, and fellowship that the old days have to offer."
Bluegrass, folk, old-timey, rockabilly. Country music is more than entertainment for many families: It's a commitment to a culture. Museums and other heritage sites that feature this music cater to this multigenerational appeal, and make their displays as lively for kids as they are meaningful for adults.
Here are some country music havens that engage grandchildren of all ages and interest levels. Some are international favorites; others are little-known treasures.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville, Tenn.
A giant guitar sculpture at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN |
Nashville is one, continuous country music shrine, including revered
Ryman Auditorium, a performance hall and
Studio B, where Elvis and other greats recorded. It all comes together best in the city’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which should be your first stop when you take grandchildren to Tennessee’s Music City. This isn’t the nation’s only country music hall of fame, but it outshines, out-sings and out-sequins all others. Grandparents can listen to the voices of long-ago Opry stars played in intimate "sound cones," and see costumes, posters, album covers and personal memorabilia. Kids can take in the interactive displays and movies. It’s stroller-friendly and little ones can nap in their seats. Lunch is available in the airy atrium lobby.
Curb Museum for Motorsports and Music, Kannapolis, N.C.
NASCAR drivers race to a country-music beat, and fans get to enjoy the cars and the music at this 20,000-square-foot museum in Dale Earnheart's hometown near Charlotte. Mike Curb made his fame and fortune with Curb Records, the studio that’s home to stars such as Wynonna Judd, Lyle Lovett, Tim McGraw, LeeAnn Rimes, and Hank Williams Jr. Their records and keepsakes complement an automotive museum filled with NASCAR, Indy, and modified cars, as well as mementos from Curb's award-winning career as a songwriter and sponsor of auto racing. The sound system fills the air with country classics while visitors pay homage to fast cars and music stars. Bring a camera to snap the grandchildren at the wheel of a real race car.
Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
A family tours the Dollywood grounds |
One of country's best loved stars, Dolly Parton created her own museum within her Tennessee theme park to display souvenirs of her long career. New at Dollywood's Chasing Rainbows museum is a tribute to Dolly's musical mentor and friend, Porter Wagoner. You’ll see the many awards Dolly has won, original song lyrics (some scribbled on a shoebox lid), and her tour bus, which guests can walk through. Visitors' favorites include a display of Dolly's designer gowns, and the original Coat of Many Colors made by her mother, which inspired the poignant song of the same title. Park admission includes access to the museum, nonstop shows, and thrill rides for all ages.
John Denver Sanctuary, Aspen, Colo.
Loyal fans created a sanctuary to John Denver under towering trees near Rio Grande Park in his beloved Aspen. The sanctuary, open year-round, houses huge granite rocks carved with lyrics of Denver's songs and is an ideal hideaway for quiet contemplation. But keep a keen eye out, for it is easily missed. The setting on the Roaring Fork River offers plenty of space where kids can run. It’s next to a skateboard park and across from an art museum with an outdoor sculpture garden.
Silver Dollar City, Branson, Mo.
A basketmaker sharing his craft at Silver Dollar City |
Silver Dollar City, created in 1960 as a showplace for mountain artisans, crafters, and cooks became a world-class theme park with the addition of stages for music performers, a section for thrill rides, and more artisans demonstrating their crafts. The music alone can fill your day. Venues include large, indoor theaters with state-of-the-art special effects, and tiny stages where a lonesome cowboy bawls ballads for onlookers sitting on split-log benches. While listening to folk and country music from cowboy to Cajun, your grandkids will get an education in Ozark culture and crafts. At one booth, a husband and wife crochet rag rugs; at another, a woman makes fiddles. Relax in the big, air conditioned theater and watch the 45-minute stage show
Headin' West. The park is stroller- and wheelchair-friendly, suitable for family members of all ages.
Sun Studio, Memphis, Tenn.
Sun Studio calls itself the Birthplace of Rock N' Roll; it's the spot where an 18-year-old Elvis Presley recorded his ground-breaking "That's Alright Mama." The work bridged the gap between country music and rock, knocking the music industry on its ear. Not just a shrine to Elvis, Sun Studio was featured in the film Walk the Line as the place where Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins got their start. See a wealth of memorabilia, touch the first microphone that recorded Elvis, and hear outtakes from recording sessions by stars, including Presley, Cash, Perkins, B.B. King, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The studio tour is free for kids 5 to 12, but it's best suited for children ages 8 and older.
Related information
Listen to the soaring notes of "Rocky Mountain High" while taking a video tour of the John Denver Sanctuary on YouTube.
The first stars inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 were Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, and Hank Williams.
To get a photo and autograph from the stars in person, visit Nashville during the CMA Music Festival, formerly called Fan Fair. Dates are June 11 to 14.
If you can't make it to Nashville in June, Chicago holds a Country Music Festival in October, or head for the John T. Floore Country Store in Helotes, Texas, for family-friendly country shows. Also, make a playlist for your grandchildren featuring your — and their — favorite country artists.
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