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You are here: Home / Family Vacation Ideas / Family Vacation Ideas in the Southeast USA / Downtown Nashville: Johnny Cash Museum
Clothing and instruments on display at the Johnny Cash Museum in downtown Nashville, TN.
Clothing and instruments on display at the Johnny Cash Museum in downtown Nashville, TN.

Downtown Nashville: Johnny Cash Museum

June 12, 2017 //  by Audra Rogers//  Leave a Comment

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Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Where is the Johnny Cash Museum located in Nashville?
  • What Span of Time Does the Johnny Cash Museum Cover?
  • What Are the More Notable Items in the Johnny Cash Museum?
  • Is Anyone Else in the Johnny Cash Museum?
  • How Can Music Lovers in Nashville Beat the Crowds in the Johnny Cash Museum?
  • Does the Johnny Cash Museum End on a High Note?

If you take a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, you’ll hear country music pouring out of the honky-tonks downtown on Broadway. While you’re there, take an opportunity to pay homage to one of the classic country legends that helped start it all. Johnny Cash embodied all of the well-known traits of classic country music: rebellion, heart, fame and pain. And the Johnny Cash Museum, within easy honky-tonk walking distance, captures it all.

In downtown Nashville, while you're enjoying country music in the honky tonks on broadway, stop by the Johnny Cash Museum and pay homage to a classic country legend.

My in-laws traveled all the way from small-town Kansas to visit us in Nashville, Tennessee. It can be difficult to choose activities that make multi-generational groups happy. But one thing suited all of our small town Texas and Kansas roots right down to the ground: the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville.

Where is the Johnny Cash Museum located in Nashville?

Smack dab in the middle of honky-tonk central, the Johnny Cash Museum can be found at 3rd and Broadway in downtown Nashville. It turned out to be a nice respite for us during a light rain, though we were on our way there anyway.

The weekend crowd at the Johnny Cash Museum, a great destination for music lovers in Nashville, TN.
Bring your patience, congestion is common on weekends when visiting the Johnny Cash Museum. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

If you are unable to visit during the week or on off times, expect a crowd. It is a smaller venue with several stations to listen to music and read detailed items, many of which are handwritten by the Man in Black himself.

What Span of Time Does the Johnny Cash Museum Cover?

The museum spans Johnny Cash’s entire life. There are a lot of smaller, detailed items to see, like family pictures from his childhood, a school field trip post card, letters from his time in the military, a royalty check from Sun Records in the 1950’s, letters to June, multiple album covers and props from a music video released just a few months before he died.

Johnny Cash and June Carter album cover at the Johnny Cash Museum, a terrific destination for music lovers in Nashville, TN.
Album cover in the Johnny Cash Museum. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

What Are the More Notable Items in the Johnny Cash Museum?

Many of his signature stage outfits are in the museum. I got excited when I saw these knee boots, size 13D.

Stage boots worn by Johnny Cash at the Johnny Cash Museum, an interesting destination for music lovers in Nashville, TN
Knee boots specially made for Johnny Cash by Acme. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

Everything is carefully noted in case you recognize something and need a refresher about where an item is specifically from.

Stage outfits from June Carter and Johnny Cash at the Johnny Cash Museum, a fun attraction for music lovers in Nashville, TN.
Johnny Cash was also famous for his carefully chosen clothing. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

One of my more sentimental moments was seeing the furniture and stonework from Johnny and June’s lake house in Hendersonville, TN. Tragically, their home of thirty years burned down in 2007, 4 years after the famous couple passed away.

Home furnishings and stone work recovered from June Carter and Johnny Cash's lakehouse at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, TN.
Stonework and furnishings recovered from Johnny and June’s lake house. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

The stonework is a cornerstone piece of the museum, carefully salvaged from the fire. I also noticed a heart-shaped felt box sitting in one of the chairs.

1998 Valentine to June Carter from Johnny Cash at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, TN.
A Valentine’s Day gift to June from Johnny in 1998. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

It was a Valentine from Johnny to June in 1998. It reads “June, My love, My life For life Johnny Cash”.

Is Anyone Else in the Johnny Cash Museum?

Accompanying many of Cash’s stage outfits are gowns from his wife June Carter Cash and the Carter family. The Man in Black shared the stage with countless other legends during his career, and they are also a part of the exhibit.

Signature Roy Orbison glasses at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, TN.
Roy Orbison’s signature look is a part of the Johnny Cash Museum. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

A pair of Roy Orbison’s signature eyeglasses is in a display case along with a pair of blue suede shoes worn by “Blue Suede Shoes” songwriter Carl Perkins. You can also find a white jacket worn by Elvis Presley and photos and instruments from Cash’s time with the Tennessee Two.

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Autographed pictures, programs, instruments and awards from the Highwaymen are also a crowd favorite. You may remember the Highwaymen as Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and of course, Johnny Cash.

Memorabilia from the Highwaymen and life of Johnny Cash at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, TN.
Country music memorabilia on display at the Johnny Cash Museum. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

“Walk the Line” is the title of a famous song and the movie about Johnny and June’s life. Instruments and clothing used and worn by Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix in the film are on display.

How Can Music Lovers in Nashville Beat the Crowds in the Johnny Cash Museum?

Thankfully, there are 3 small theater-style sitting areas that play continuous video clips of performances if you need a breather.

The staff does a good job of staggering guests for a short time behind a velvet rope before entering, but there are several listening stations at the beginning so it bottlenecks at the start. However, there is plenty to see and absorb and in my opinion, so it’s worth the wait.

Additionally, the Johnny Cash Museum also has an on-site cafe and a Patsy Cline museum in the building for an extra fee.

Does the Johnny Cash Museum End on a High Note?

The museum ends on an emotional and thoughtful note, which is likely how Johnny Cash would have wanted it. The last thing you’ll see is one of the more well-known projects at the end of his life. The “Hurt” music video plays continuously with props from the filming.

Johnny Cash's Hurt Video props at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, TN.
A fitting end to the museum: “Hurt” video props. The “liar’s chair”, bust and closed sign from the defunct House of  Cash Museum. Photo: Audra Rogers, Encouraging TravelingMom

The video shows an honest image of all of the hurt, heartache, fame, love, and sadness he was always so open about, which was a fitting end to the museum. I felt compelled to stand and watch the video in its entirety, twice.

It won Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year from the Country Music Association in 2003, the year he died.

To see more pictures of what’s inside the Johnny Cash Museum, watch this short video.

Have you visited the Johnny Cash Museum? What is your favorite memory of Johnny Cash? Share in the comments below.

 

Category: Family Vacation Ideas in the Southeast USA, Family Vacation Ideas: Southern State Destinations, VideosTag: Nashville

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