Our Exhibits
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is home to permanent exhibits that focus on the story and impact of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and a Special Exhibit Gallery that features rotating exhibits created in-house, by guest curators, and by other institutions and museums. Our artifact, archival, and digital collections are used in our own exhibits and are also available for research and study purposes.

Special Exhibit: Ellen Elmes, The Art of Music and Mountains
Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music and Mountains features her creativity across a variety of mediums and themes, from traditional instruments, musicians, and songs to the grandiosity and minutiae of nature. The core of this exhibition – a series of acrylic on canvas, large-scale paintings entitled “Tribute to the Stanley Brothers” and inspired by their songs – is an example of a body of work that awakened in the artist a deeper understanding of the roots, stories, and expression embodied in old-time and traditional songs of the mountains.

Interactive Permanent Exhibits
Immerse yourself in the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and beyond through exciting theater experiences, interactive touchscreen exhibits, artifacts and photographs, and in-depth displays. You'll also get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the studio at Radio Bristol, which broadcasts live from within the museum’s permanent exhibits space.

Temporary Exhibits
Explore the Special Exhibits Gallery where rotating exhibits are curated in-house or by guest curators and other institutions, including the Smithsonian. This space changes throughout the year and features exhibits that delve into a wide range of topics—from music and Appalachian culture to history, science, and art.
-
Special Exhibit: Songwriter Musician
Aug, 2024 - Dec, 2024
-
Special Exhibit: A Cardboard History of Blue Ridge Music
Jan, 2024 - Jul, 2024
-
I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music Special Exhibit
Mar, 2023 - Dec, 2023
-
Special Exhibit: The Way We Worked
Oct, 2021 - Jan, 2022
-
Special Exhibit: Houses of the Lord
Oct, 2021
-
Special Exhibit: Our Living Past
Apr, 2021 - Sep, 2021
-
Hard Rock’s Country Music Memorabilia
Sep, 2020 - Mar, 2021
-
Special Exhibit: Honky Tonk
Sep, 2020 - Mar, 2021
-
Poster Exhibits: Centennial of American Women’s Suffrage
Aug, 2020 - Mar, 2021
-
Special Exhibit: Real Folk
Mar, 2020 - Aug, 2020
-
American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart special exhibit
Aug, 2019 - Jan, 2020
-
I Have a Voice: Tennessee’s African American Musical Heritage
Feb, 2019 - Apr, 2019
-
Reading Appalachia: Voices from Children’s Literature
Feb, 2019 - Jun, 2019
-
For All the World To See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights
Nov, 2018 - Jan, 2019
-
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion: Through Your Eyes
Aug, 2018 - Oct, 2018
-
The Appalachian Photographs of Cecil Sharp, 1916 to 1918
Mar, 2018 - Jun, 2018
-
The Luthier’s Craft: Instrument Making Traditions of the Blue Ridge
Nov, 2017 - Mar, 2018
-
Things Come Apart
Jul, 2017 - Oct, 2017
-
“Hometown Stars” Special Exhibit
Feb, 2017 - Jun, 2017
-
A Place for All People Poster Exhibit
Sep, 2016 - Feb, 2017
-
“We are the Music Makers: Preserving the Soul of America’s Music”
Sep, 2016 - Jan, 2017
-
Made in Tennessee: Manufacturing Milestones
Mar, 2016 - Aug, 2016
-
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Oct, 2015 - Feb, 2016
-
New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music
Mar, 2015 - Sep, 2015
-
The Carter Family: Lives and Legacies
Aug, 2014 - Feb, 2015