Home of the Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park and Campground
Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Hall of Fame
& Country Star Museum
General Admission $4.00 / Seniors $3.00 / Children 12 & under FREE
Hours of Operation:
May - October (Daily) 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
November - April (Sunday 12-4, Tues-Wed closed, Thu-Sat 9-5)
HALL OF FAME MEMBERS
| Curley Seckler (Induction 9/2011) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eddie Adcock Kenny Baker A.P. Carter Maybelle Carter Sara Carter J. D. Crowe John Duffey Lester Flatt Jimmy Gaudreau Melvin Goins Ray Goins Josh Graves Carlton Haney |
Doyle Lawson Jimmy Martin Del McCoury Jesse McReynolds Jim McReynolds Bill Monroe Bobby Osborne Sonny Osborne Don Reno Earl Scruggs Red Smiley Dick Smith |
Larry Sparks Carter Stanley Ralph Stanley Carl Story Enoch Sullivan J. B. Sullivan Margie Sullivan Charlie Waller Doc Watson Mac Wiseman Bill Yates |
| CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE HALL OF FAME | ||
BLUEGRASS MUSEUM
During the 1980's Bill Monroe had operated a bluegrass museum in Tennessee, first on Music Valley Drive near Opryland and later in Twitty City. In 1984, the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame was created for which Monroe himself would hand pick the inductees for their substantial and enduring contributions to bluegrass music. The first Hall of Fame inductees were: Carl Story, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, The Sullivan Family, Mac Wiseman, Don Reno & Red Smiley, The Seldom Scene, The Osborne Brothers and Monroe himself. It wasn't until after Bill and his son James decided to tear the old Brown County Jamboree Barn down that the decision was made to move the Museum and Hall of Fame to Bean Blossom.
They celebrated the grand opening of the new Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Country Star Museum during the fall festival September 4-6, 1986. The Stanley Brothers were honored that year and festival performers included: Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys, Johnny Paycheck, Kitty Wells, The Whites, The Reno Brothers, John Hartford, The Sullivan Family, as well as other notable Grand Ole Opry stars and Bluegrass greats.
The museum has grown over the years and there is always something new on exhibit. A walkway of stars paves the entry to the museum with Hollywood-style bronze stars for bluegrass greats, family and friends. Once inside take a self guided tour while listening to a Tribute to Bill Monroe and learn about the story of how Bill Monroe found his musical way to Bean Blossom and the old Brown County Jamboree Barn in the early 50's. Gaze at the pictures on the walls and reminisce about the story of bluegrass beginnings and the legendary Grand Ole Opry.
On display you will find Bill Monroe's personal collection of memorabilia of his life in the business, as well as instruments, clothing, pictures and more donated by legendary bluegrass and country stars like: Jimmy Martin, Jim & Jesse, Porter Wagoner, Flatt & Scruggs, Stringbean, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and George Jones. Click here to learn more about the Hall of Fame Museum.
As you exit the Museum and Hall of Fame be sure to visit Uncle Pen's Cabin, located in the courtyard. This is a replica of the cabin once owned by Pendleton Vandiver, Bill Monroe's uncle. After Bill Monroe's parents died, he went to live with his Uncle Pen as a teenager. Monroe created the fame of Uncle Pen in a song and the cabin is his tribute to Pen for his musical influence on his life.
Photos below: Courtesy of the Brown County Convention & Visitor Bureau
A Bit of Trivia provided by Gaby Zimmerman:
"The Hee Haw sign is one of the original five that were used in the hit show HEE HAW. When LULU ROMAN performed at the Bill Monroe Music Park years ago, she told us she and MINNIE PEARL also received a Hee Haw sign.
VIC GABANY, sound engineer for the Grand Ole Opry for over 25 years (and the same engineer used for our two Jimmy Martin videos and Uncle Pen CD) told us that BILL MONROE and MINNIE PEARL shared the same dressing room at the Grand Ole Opry (not at the same time of course) during their regular Opry performances. When facing the stage, it was the first dressing room to the left. This room was basically reserved for Opry royalty!
If you notice in the pictures above, the photo with the red dress and also the green suit are those of DOLLY PARTON and JOHNNY CASH. Dolly’s dress is a big hit with Museum attendees. About a year before JOHNNY CASH died, he phoned the museum and purchased a long sleeve denim shirt with a picture of Bill Monroe embroidered on it. He had seen MISS DIXIE HALL wearing the shirt and fell in love with it. You can see the MISS DIXIE HALL in the shirt in a Bluegrass Music Profiles Magazine article regarding her and TOM T. HALL." Gaby Zimmerman, Bill Monroe Music Park & Campground
©COPYRIGHT 2009-2012. Dwight Dillman, Bill Monroe Music Park
This entire website is copyrighted. Do not reproduce any portion of this site including text, photos, without first obtaining permission.
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