A Look Inside Alan Jackson’s Remarkable Career

If you’re a country music fan and find yourself walking around downtown Nashville, there’s a new stop you’ll want to add to the list.

The Alan Jackson Museum, located at 121 3rd Avenue South, opened in June and is already attracting visitors from nearby Broadway as well as country music fans traveling to Nashville from around the world.

The museum offers an unusually personal look at the life and career of one of country music’s most recognizable stars, taking visitors from Jackson’s childhood in rural Georgia to the stages that ultimately earned him spots in both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

And there’s a lot to see. The museum houses nearly 600 artifacts and pieces of memorabilia, displayed in glass cases, floor-to-ceiling exhibits and themed collections. Together, they tell the story of Jackson’s life — from his childhood and teenage years to his relationship and marriage to Denise, the risks he took chasing a career in music, and his eventual rise to country superstar.

Among the items on display is the paper bag full of songs Jackson brought with him when he moved to Nashville in pursuit of his dream.

There are also plenty of reminders of the songs and moments that made Jackson a household name.

From The Songwriting Room To The Stage

The museum features virtually every major award Jackson has received throughout his career, including GRAMMY, CMA and ACM Awards, along with special honors recognizing his songwriting and his Hall of Fame inductions.

Fans can also see the chair Jackson used while writing some of his early hits, including “Here In The Real World.”

And then there’s the wardrobe.

The museum features shirts, jackets, boots and other clothing recognizable from Jackson’s album covers, television appearances and music videos. Among the more memorable displays are the boots, jeans and water skis from his iconic “Chattahoochee” video.

For fans who grew up watching Jackson’s videos on television, seeing those items in person is a pretty good reminder of just how much of the ’90s country era he helped define.

The museum also gets personal with artifacts from Jackson’s childhood, including a tricycle, school report cards and a sketchbook, as well as his first cowboy hat and pair of boots.

Some of the most poignant displays involve Jackson’s song “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning),” which he wrote following the events of September 11, 2001.

The museum includes items given to Jackson as gestures of gratitude for the song, including a piece of metal from the World Trade Center, a piece of stone from The Pentagon, and an honorary chief’s helmet from the Fire Department of New York.

One More For The Road

Jackson’s live career is also well represented, including what became his final concert — The Last Show, held at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium earlier this year.

The record-setting farewell concert is featured at the museum and will also live on through an upcoming live album, Alan Jackson: The Last Show — One More For The Road: The Finale, Live From Nashville, TN, as well as an upcoming NBC television special.

For fans who were there, or those who weren’t able to make it to Nissan Stadium, the museum provides another way to revisit the moment.

The Alan Jackson Experience

The museum shares its downtown location with Alan Jackson’s Silverbelly Distillery, creating what is billed as the world’s only combination of a whiskey distillery and country music museum.

Together, the two attractions offer The Alan Jackson Experience, which includes a guided tour of the museum and distillery, a Silverbelly flight tasting, a “bottle your own” experience and access to the distillery’s Vault.

A VIP Museum ticket includes general admission to the museum along with a Silverbelly flight tasting, while general admission museum tickets are available for both adults and children. Kids 5 and under are free.

For country fans, the Alan Jackson Museum is more than a collection of awards and memorabilia. It’s a look at the people, places, songs and moments that helped shape one of Nashville’s most successful country careers.

The Alan Jackson Museum
121 3rd Avenue South
Nashville, TN

Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m., seven days a week.