Birthplace of Country Music Museum

Birthplace of Country Music Museum From the 1927 Bristol Sessions and beyond, our region continues to influence music around the world. Tuesday through Saturday, and open 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and tells the story of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions and their lasting impact on the landscape of country music past, present, and future. The Birthplace of Country Music® Museum, in affiliation with the Smithsonian Institute, tells the story of our music heritage though exciting interactive exhibits, beaut

iful film experiences, and rich displays. The museum also offers an array of rotating special exhibits, online experiences and student activities, educational and entertainment programming, and much, much more. One "exhibit" is actually a working radio station which broadcasts from the museum, WBCM Radio Bristol. Live radio shows are often performed in the museum's "acoustically perfect" 100-seat Performance Theater. The museum is closed to the public on Mondays, open 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.

📣 Learn about the Art of Lutherie with K.T. Vandyke at our next Speaker Session! On June 9 at 7 p.m., K.T. will be shari...
05/12/2026

📣 Learn about the Art of Lutherie with K.T. Vandyke at our next Speaker Session! On June 9 at 7 p.m., K.T. will be sharing how he reconstructs and restores the threads of life in instruments that find their way into his hands.

Owner and operator of Frog Level Guitar Shop, a business with 40+ years of operation, Vandyke keeps alive a storied history of lutherie that was handed down to him by his mentor Walter “Skip” Herman. Hundreds of guitars have passed across his bench from Golden Era Martin and Gibson acoustics, to the workhorse instruments seen on stage with performers like Morgan Wade and Dave Matthews.

This program is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are requested. For more information and registration, please visit the link in our comments. 🔗

Join us for Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time, featuring Joshua Ray Walker and Chancellor Lawson this Thursday at 7 p.m....
05/12/2026

Join us for Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time, featuring Joshua Ray Walker and Chancellor Lawson this Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!

Hosted by Kris Truelsen and Country Casserole, WBCM - Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time is a reimagining of the classic WCYB radio program that aired in the 1940s & 1950s and is broadcasted live with a studio audience right here in our Performance Theater at the museum!

Get your tickets through the link below and join us on Thursday for a wonderful night of music!

05/11/2026

Join us in celebrating Jen Otey, a talented potter and recipient of the Bristol Roots Project Tradition Bearer Fellowship grant! 🎉 This prestigious fellowship recognizes Jen's incredible dedication to preserving and sharing the rich cultural heritage of the Appalachian Mountains through her unique pottery.

Based in Wytheville, VA, (Visit Wytheville) Jen draws inspiration from the breathtaking natural environment around her. Her hand-built stoneware pieces feature whimsical designs inspired by local flora and fauna, making each item a functional work of art.
This grant will provide Jen with the resources to upgrade her equipment and enhance her skills, allowing her to create even more beautiful pottery. She plans to share her knowledge through workshops, fostering a sense of community and creativity in Southwest Virginia.

As the chairperson of Forge Appalachia , Jen is dedicated to making art accessible for everyone. Through art workshops and events, she is committed to nurturing local artisans and supporting those in need.

The Bristol Roots Project is a collective of three regional cultural organizations: the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, serving as the community anchor venue, the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities, and Create Appalachia. By providing targeted resources and support to area organizations, artists, artisans, and collectives, this project seeks to dramatically increase the sustainability and visibility of traditional practice, cultural knowledge, and vitality in the Greater Bristol community. Bristol Roots is made possible through an initiative by Mid Atlantic Arts through the Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) program.

Let’s celebrate the artistry and spirit of our community together! Help us spread the word about Jen's work and the importance of preserving our Appalachian culture.

💐Happy Mother's Day! Did you know that today is also Mother Maybelle Carter's birthday? Born in 1909, Maybelle Carter be...
05/10/2026

💐Happy Mother's Day! Did you know that today is also Mother Maybelle Carter's birthday?

Born in 1909, Maybelle Carter began performing with her daughters, Helen, Anita, and June, as “Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters” after the original Carter Family stopped performing together in 1943.

The Mother Maybelle name might have started out as part of a band persona, but she kept this moniker for the rest of her career. And everything she did underlined this role as matriarch and mentor to so many, including Chet Atkins, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash.

She also influenced many with her extraordinary guitar playing and all-around musical prowess, including Earl Scruggs, the New Lost City Ramblers, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Some groups admired her so much, in fact, that they brought her on stage to play along with them as a way of honoring the legacy she carried from her early days of country music.

🚂 It’s National Train Day, and we’re celebrating the Bristol Sessions’ very own “Singing Brakeman,” Jimmie Rodgers! As a...
05/09/2026

🚂 It’s National Train Day, and we’re celebrating the Bristol Sessions’ very own “Singing Brakeman,” Jimmie Rodgers!

As a teenager, Rodgers started working the rails as a waterboy alongside his father. Not long after, he became a brakeman on the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad with his brother. He continued to work for the railroads before contracting tuberculosis in 1924.

Though his time on the rails ended, Rodgers carried those experiences into his music with songs like “The Brakeman’s Blues,” “Train Whistle Blues,” and “Waiting for a Train.”

Today, his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, keeps his legacy alive with a museum, an annual memorial festival, and a range of tributes honoring both his railroad roots and musical impact.

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Newspaper donated to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum by the Joe E. Brooks Estate

05/07/2026

Our Museum Store just got a fresh new update!✨ From stylish apparel and handcrafted jewelry to fun games and unique home goods, we’ve got a little something for everyone. Stop in during your visit or shop online anytime at shop.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org 🛍️

💬 What items would you love to see in our Museum Store?

Tune in tomorrow at noon for Museum Talk on WBCM - Radio Bristol! Julia and Tobias will be joined by Genevieve Keeney-Va...
05/06/2026

Tune in tomorrow at noon for Museum Talk on WBCM - Radio Bristol! Julia and Tobias will be joined by Genevieve Keeney-Vazquez, president and CEO of the National Museum of Funeral History, to discuss how museums interpret death and mourning, along with insights into fundraising and programming.

Congratulations, Baylor! 🎉🎉🎉
05/05/2026

Congratulations, Baylor! 🎉🎉🎉

For National Cartoonist Day, we’re highlighting the work of the talented Charles Vess! In addition to his ballads featur...
05/05/2026

For National Cartoonist Day, we’re highlighting the work of the talented Charles Vess! In addition to his ballads featured at the museum, we’re also showcasing some of his broader work, including Marvel’s “Spider-Man” and a range of other fantasy titles.

Be sure to check out “Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads” now through September 30 in our Special Exhibits Gallery! 🎨🌿

Happy birthday, Ernest Phipps!Ernest Phipps, born May 4, 1900 in Corbin, Kentucky, was a preacher in the Holiness Church...
05/04/2026

Happy birthday, Ernest Phipps!

Ernest Phipps, born May 4, 1900 in Corbin, Kentucky, was a preacher in the Holiness Church. At the 1927 Bristol Sessions, Phipps and his group, the Holiness Quartet, made the first-ever recordings of Holiness music, a type of music characterized by expressive performances sharing deep spiritual emotion and strong rhythms accompanied by instruments, foot stomping, and hand clapping.

Ernest Phipps and the Holiness Quartet recorded a total of six spirited, influential gospel tracks at the 1927 Bristol Sessions, including “Don’t You Grieve After Me,” which was issued with the earliest Bristol Sessions serial number and released in the first batch of Bristol sides in September 1927.

Although Phipps’s recordings at the 1927 and 1928 Bristol Sessions are celebrated as pioneering Southern gospel tunes, he did not go on to pursue a music career. After these two recordings, Phipps returned to his home in Kentucky, where he followed his true passion of spreading the gospel. During World War II, he was drafted and served in an army hospital before returning once again to Kentucky, where he preached until his death in 1963.

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Donated to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum by Teresa Phipps Patierno in the memory of her grandfather, Ernest Phipps, a Coal miner & Holiness preacher from Kentucky, a simple man who loved his Lord.

05/02/2026

Hear from Miciah Conners as we congratulate him on receiving the Bristol Roots Project Tradition Bearer Fellowship Award!

We celebrate Miciah's dedication to preserving traditional craftsmanship with his exceptional work in Windsor chairmaking and green woodworking. This fellowship will empower him to acquire valuable tools and resources, allowing him to open a community workshop in Nickelsville, Va., where he will teach the art of traditional crafts, including making poplar bark baskets and elegant Windsor chairs.

Through his skillful hands, Miciah not only creates beautiful pieces but also fosters a connection to our rich cultural heritage. His passion inspires both joy and understanding across diverse communities, ensuring that these timeless practices are not lost to future generations.

Join us in supporting Miciah as he embarks on this exciting journey to educate and engage our local community in the arts that shape our identity. Let's preserve our heritage together! 🪑

The Bristol Roots Project is a collective of three regional cultural organizations: the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, serving as the community anchor venue, the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities, and Create Appalachia. By providing targeted resources and support to area organizations, artists, artisans, and collectives, this project seeks to dramatically increase the sustainability and visibility of traditional practice, cultural knowledge, and vitality in the Greater Bristol community. Bristol Roots is made possible through an initiative by Mid Atlantic Arts through the Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) program.

Address

101 Country Music Way
Bristol, VA
24201

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

(423) 573-1927

Website

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