This was not an easy list to rank as I highly recommend visiting all of these top 9 music museums in Nashville and Memphis. This list of the best music and history museums in Tennessee covers rock and roll, soul, country, blues, and everything in between. I highly recommend adding all nine of these music museums to your top things to do in Nashville or Memphis.
See my related posts: Top things to do in Memphis – three-day itinerary and Top 5 music museums in Nashville – ranked. While many of the museums and Memphis Travel provided tickets, opinions are always my own.
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List of the best music museums in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee
I absolutely loved my visit to Memphis – and plan to return with my husband. And equally loved all three of my visits to Nashville – two girl trips and one visit with my husband. He and I are not huge country fans, but we would visit Tennessee again and again. Both cities offer a lot of music history. Each museum I’ve toured provided its own special something. Again, I highly recommend visiting all of them. But if you are short on time, here is my recommend list in priority order of the top music museums to see in Nashville and Memphis.
Top 9 music museums in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee ranked
My top 9 ranked music museums in Nashville and Memphis include:
- Graceland – Home of Elvis Presley in Memphis
- Sun Studio in Memphis
- Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville
- Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville
- RCA Studio B in Nashville
- Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville
- Stax Museum of American Soul Museum in Memphis
- Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum
- Blues Hall of Fame Museum in Memphis
Best music museums in Tennessee: #1 Graceland – Home of Elvis Presley in Memphis
Whether you’re an Elvis fan or not, I’m confident you will love touring the home of the King of Rock and Roll. A very special thank you to Graceland for providing me tickets to tour Graceland – The Home of Elvis Presley. As always, opinions are my own.
Graceland lives up to its ranking as the number one attraction in Memphis, Tenn. It’s certainly my top music museum in Tennessee.
If it’s been a few years since you’ve visited, you may be surprised to learn that tickets provide you access to the 14-acre Graceland estate as well as the 200,000-square-foot Elvis entertainment complex. See my related post: Guide to Graceland: Home of Elvis Presley.
Best music museums in Tennessee: #2 Sun Studio in Memphis
To witness where rock and roll began, then you need to visit Sun Studio – one of the best music history museums in Memphis, Tennessee. The birthplace of rock and roll is not only a museum, but still operates as a recording studio. During your guided tour, you’ll learn more about music legends like Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Ray Orbison, and more. One of the coolest things to do when visiting Sun Studio in Memphis: You can stand in the very same spot where Elvis Presley recorded.
Special thank you to Sun Studio and Memphis Travel for the complimentary ticket. See my related post: Guide to Sun Studio
Top 9 music museums in Tennessee: #3 Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville
Johnny Cash will always have a special place in my heart as my father loved his music. As did many others. Touring the Johnny Cash Museum revealed that the Man in Black inspired so many other music legends – and current stars. And I’m not the only fan of this museum. Home to the world’s largest collection of Johnny Cash memorabilia, this museum is one of 6 Nashville top attractions to receive the AAA Gem Rating. Additionally, the Johnny Cash Museum is ranked as the #1 music museum in the world by Conde’ Nast, Forbes, and National Geographic Traveler.
See my related post: Top 5 music and history museums in Nashville – ranked
Best music museums in Tennessee: #4 Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville
You don’t have to go far for the next best music museum in Nashville. The Patsy Cline Museum is located just upstairs from the Johnny Cash Museum. Note that both museums require separate tickets. A smaller museum, it does pack in a lot of cool exhibits depicting the short life of this amazing country crooner. Patsy Cline tragically died in a plane crash when she was only 30 years old.
See my related post: Top 5 music and history museums in Nashville
Top music history museums in Tennessee: #5 RCA Studio B in Nashville
One of the top things to do in Nashville is to tour the historic RCA Studio B. It is known as the birthplace of what’s known as the Nashville Sound. The city’s oldest surviving record studio produced more than 250 songs by Elvis Presley. You can even sit at his favorite piano at RCA Studio B. Other stars that recorded hits at RCA Studio B include Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson, Chet Atkins, Roy Orbison, and many more.
Note: RCA Studio B tours are part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. See my related post: Guide to Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum for more details about tickets. Special thanks to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum for providing my husband and me tickets. Opinions are always my own.
Best music history museums in Tennessee: #6 Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville
My husband and I are not country music fans, but we both loved touring the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville. Don’t let the #6 ranking deter you from visiting. It’s difficult to rank when you feel they are all the best music history museums to visit. In fact, my husband ranked the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum #1 (he hasn’t visited the museums in Memphis yet).
See my related post: Guide to Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum for more details about tickets. Greatly appreciate the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum for providing my husband and me tickets. Opinions are always our own.
Top music history museums in Tennessee: #7 Stax Museum of American Soul Music
It pains me to rank the Stax Museum of American Soul Museum at #7 out of the top 10 music museums in Tennessee. That’s because I absolutely loved this museum. You just need to visit all of these museums when you visit Memphis and Nashville. They are all really just that good.
So grateful to Memphis Travel and Stax Museum of American Soul Museum for providing me a complimentary ticket to visit. While I had never heard of this former recording studio before, I was definitely familiar with many of its recording stars like Otis Redding. This is one of the most memorable fun facts I learned at Stax Museum. He showed up at the studio serving as a chauffeur for another recording artist. That session didn’t go well, so Redding stepped in to demonstrate his talent. He eventually became the label’s biggest recording star.
See my related post: Guide to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Best music history museums in Tennessee: #8 Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum
If you love rock and soul music, then the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum is your kind of place. A Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program developed by the National Museum of American History, the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum offers a self-paced audio tour. You can access a library of more than 100 songs and access up to 300 minutes of music history.
While the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum and Memphis Travel provided me tickets, opinions are always my own. See my related post: Guide to Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum
Top music museums in Tennessee: #9 Blues Hall of Fame Museum
Last, but certainly not least, of the best music museums in Tennessee is the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis. This hidden gem features 10 music galleries with interactive touchscreens so you can listen to song samples, watch videos, and read about the 400 Blues Hall of Fame inductees. You can take a guided tour with a volunteer or go on your own.
See my related post: Guide to the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis
So this is my list of the top 9 of the best music museums in Nashville and Memphis. Do you agree with my rankings? Or do you recommend other music museums I should visit in Tennessee the next time I’m in the area?
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Great list. I’d love to visit the Jonny Cash Museum in Nashville. Maybe someday. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome and my pleasure. I hope you get the opportunity to visit all the best music museums in Nashville and Memphis.
We lived in Nashville and loved visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. Our goal is to return to the area and visit Graceland. Thank you for having us feel like we’re walking through these museums!!
Thank you so kindly! Cool that you lived in Nashville! We loved our tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – even though we’re not huge country fans. Snd highly recommend Graceland in Memphis
I didnt know music museums existed! This is absolutely amazing. I could see these as being something my dad would enjoy. Definitely going to tell him about this article!
Awesome! Lots of music history and museums in Memphis and Nashville.
I love Nashville, but I have never been to the music museums in either Nashville or Memphis. I did get to tour Graceland – that was pretty amazing.
Graceland is definitely a top thing to do in Memphis. I hope you get the opportunity to visit these top 9 music museums when you visit Nashville and Memphis.
I love Memphis and Nashville! It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Nashville, though, so I’m hoping to do a birthday getaway there this summer. My youngest has never been, and she’s 12! I’m hoping to do the Ryman and the Hermitage. I’m also kicking around a night at Loretta Lynn’s ranch. I’ll keep looking around your site for inspiration!
Thank you so much! I love Memphis and Nashville also – so many cool things to do especially the music museums. I’d like to visit Loretta Lynn’s ranch also.
These music museums looks so cool! I’d love to walk through the PAtsy Cline museum; she has such a cool sound and I’d love to see a little piece of her life.
These are the best music museums in Nashville and Memphis. I loved touring the Patsy Cline Museum. It’s small, but I learned so much about her.
My favorite is hands down Graceland! I loved touring and becoming an Elvis fan!
I absolutely loved my tour of Graceland! I’ve been a fan of Elvis since I was a little girl.
As a musician, I would LOVE to visit these music museums in Nashville. Thanks so much for the great info!
You’re welcome and my pleasure! You would love all of these top music museums in Memphis and Nashville!
I love Nashville! This is a great list of the best music museums in Nashville and I’m putting the Johnny Cash Museum down on my lists next time I’m there!
Thank you! I love Nashville also! And loved the Johnny Cash Museum especially.
Many of these museums are on my list of places to see. And now I have new ones to add!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy your trip to Tennessee. These are the best music museums to add to your itinerary while visiting Memphis and/or Nashville.
This is a great list of music museums in Nashville and Memphis! I love how you ranked them! I think I would like to visit Johnny Cash Museum and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and definitely Graceland!
Thank you! Those are some of the best music museums to see in Nashville and Memphis.
So cool! I’ve yet to make it to Nashville but these music museums look like a must see when there. So much history!
I highly recommend both Nashville and Memphis! So much music history at these top museums!
Cool! I live about 2 hours from both cities and am pretty close to a couple of music studios in a nearby state. Whenever I get the chance, I need to explore those museums
That’s awesome you love so close to Memphis and Nashville! I hope you get the opportunity to visit these music museums.
Sun Studio sounds incredible! So excited to have new places to add to my list next time I visit!
I absolutely loved Sun Studio – one of the top things to do in Memphis! So much rock and roll history.
Omg I love the peacock window at the Elvis Presley house! Adding this to my list of things to do next time in TN.
I loved the peacock window at Graceland also. I hope you get the opportunity to visit!
I hadn’t seen museums like these ones before. They look very cool and interesting to visit. I would love to visit them one day.
I hope you get the opportunity to visit these music museums in Memphis and Nashville one day. I learned so much!
I love music, museums, and Nashville, but I have somehow never been to a music museum in Nashville! Definitely adding it to my to-do list for next time I go. This list is great!
Awesome…and thank you! If you love music, museums, and Nashville…then this post of the best music museums is for you!
I’ve never been to Tennessee before, but this definitely make me want to visit those places. Great post!
Thank you so much! Loved Tennessee especially all the music museums in Nashville and Memphis.
Sun studio would be on the top of my list, but there are so many cool museums! I have to share this with my boyfriend since he is very passionate about music. Well done!
I loved Sun Studio – one of the top museums in Memphis. Will return with my husband
Thanks for sharing. I would love to visit the Johnny Cash museum and the Blues Hall of Fame.
You’re welcome and my pleasure. I absolutely loved the Johnny Cash Museum and the Blues Hall of Fame – two of the top music museums in Nashville and Memphis.
I would love to visit Nashville and visit these music museums. It looks like we may need a longer visit to fit them all in. I had no idea there were so many.
Yes, there are a lot of music-history museums in Nashville. Highly recommend adding to your itinerary.
Wow, what an amazing collection of music museums! Thanks for such a helpful post for all of us music lovers planning trips to Nashville. I can’t wait to visit.
You’re welcome and my pleasure! These museums in Nashville and Memphis are perfect for music lovers in all genres.
It’s interesting how many museums there are in these 2 cities. I visited about 4 of them in Nashville and Graceland in Memphis. Sun Studio looks quite interesting, and I wish I had visited it when I was in Memphis.
Both Nashville and Memphis offer the best museums to learn about music history in so many genres. I absolutely loved Sun Studio and can’t wait to return with my husband.
Im impressed you ranked them – they all seem so cool! What an impressive collection of music. I’d love to revisit Nashville as an adult, I don’t think I really appreciated it as a kid.
It was so hard to rank the music history museums in Memphis and Nashville because they are all fabulous and the best things to do. I learned so much!
Nashville and Memphis have so much musical history – it’s incredible. Thanks for this comprehensive guide – cannot wait to visit the Johnny Cash and the Elvis Presley museums 🙂
So much musical history in Nashville and Memphis. Graceland and the Johnny Cash museum are two of the most popular attractions in Tennessee.