Discovering Musical Roots at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Our family loves listening to music. We keep our Alexa pretty busy during the week playing a variety of tunes. So when we heard about the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, we couldn’t pass it up.

Owensboro, Kentucky is less than an hours drive from Rosine, KY which is the birthplace of Bill Monroe, also known as the “Father of Bluegrass.” Throughout the museum you will learn about the history of Bluegrass music, how it got it’s start, and the role Bill Monroe played in making Bluegrass music a well-loved artform.

We enjoyed getting to see lots of different instruments on display and then were pleasantly surprised when we were able to catch a live performance and see how the instruments are played. Hadassah enjoyed looking at the bass, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo that were in this display case.

Several of the instruments on display have a story behind them as well. The resonator guitar pictured below was played by Jerry Douglas. Jerry Douglas is considered “one of the most influential musicians in the modern era of bluegrass music,” and has won many awards including 14 Grammy’s.

The gentleman who did the live performance was extremely talented and showed us how several different instruments are played. One of our favorites was the dobro guitar. He did a great job engaging with the audience and even encouraged us to join in for a few sing-alongs.

Several other music genres, such as gospel, jazz, and blues, helped to shape the music that we know today as bluegrass. In the 1930’s and 1940’s western swing music, a mix of jazz and country, was created by bands in Texas. Some of the key elements of jazz that were later implemented in bluegrass music were the string bass and the use of instrumental solos.

There are exhibits that highlight the early pioneers of bluegrass music such as Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and The Stanley Brothers. Hear their stories and learn how bluegrass music came to be.

There is an area about Elvis Presley and the birth of rock and roll, and how this new form of music affected the future of bluegrass music. Bluegrass musicians continued to play bluegrass music in cities such as Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Detroit and were ultimately able to keep the desire for bluegrass afloat. The name Bluegrass music originated during this time, between 1955 and 1969.

Cullan enjoyed seeing all of the pop culture items that were on display. The Beverly Hillbillies lunch box and card game caught his eye, even though he wasn’t familiar with the tv show. The Beverly Hillbillies theme song was one of the songs that we got to listen to during the live performance.

Cullan has an amazing eye for detail, and noticed that bowl on the Corn Flakes box is the same pattern (dusty rose) of the China set that I inherited from my grandmother.

The second floor of the museum houses the Hall of Fame as well as temporary exhibits. The International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame inductee room is a tribute to the people who have led the way for Bluegrass music to become the great art form that it is today.

The Video Oral History Project is a unique exhibit where you can listen to bluegrass artists tell their own stories of bluegrass music. There are over 225 video interviews with various bluegrass artists. With the addition of new Hall of Fame inductees, and rotating exhibits, there will always be a reason to re-visit the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

For Cullan the highlight of the museum was the jukebox that was in the gift shop area. Since he wants to own an antique toy museum when he’s older, this jukebox caught his eye and he immediately wanted to know if it still worked. The kind lady working in the gift shop answered all of his questions and told him that she would turn it on just for him and let him pick out a song. He was so excited and loved every minute of it!

For another look at our visit to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, check out our YouTube video below.

Looking for other things to do in the Owensboro area? Check out our posts on the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden, or Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari.

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