Mississippi road trip! Grammy Museum offers history, concert events and Taylor Swift

Summertime means road trips, and for music fans in Memphis, there are plenty of nearby attractions to enjoy. From Nutbush to Nashville, Muscle Shoals to Mississippi and beyond, the region is awash in music history.

For those looking to learn about music’s biggest honor, The Grammys, and its legacy, look no further than Cleveland, Mississippi. About a 2-hour drive from the Buff City, Cleveland is home to the Grammy Museum Mississippi, which offers a fascinating permanent collection, cutting-edge interactive programs, concerts and special exhibits, including a final run for a career-spanning Taylor Swift extravaganza, which closes later this summer.

Developed by the Cleveland Music Foundation — a nonprofit organization founded in 2011 — the 28,000-square-foot Grammy Museum Mississippi is housed near the campus of Delta State University, home of the Delta Music Institute's Entertainment Industry Studies program, which features the most unique audio recording facilities in the South.

Affiliated with the Grammy Museum Foundation, Grammy Museum Mississippi officially opened in 2016 and is dedicated to exploring the past, present and future of music as well as its cultural context, while putting a spotlight on the deep musical roots of Mississippi.

The museum features a dynamic combination of public events, educational programming, multimedia presentations and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a Mississippi-centric area that introduces visitors to the impact of the state’s songwriters, producers and musicians on the traditional and modern music landscape.

Here's what to know before you visit the museum.

Exhibits at Grammy Museum Mississippi

The Grammy Museum offers a number of permanent/ongoing exhibits. These include one chronicling the “History of the Grammy Awards,” and a surround sound theater experience showcasing great Grammy performances over the years, while the museum’s “On the Red Carpet” exhibit features original clothing worn at the awards, illustrating the glitz and glamour of music’s biggest night.

The Grammy Museum Mississippi is open six days a week.

The museum’s “History of Dance” exhibit tells the story of dance fads through the years inspired by the music of the times, while Grammy winner NE-YO hosts an interactive exhibit where visitors can show off their best moves.

Elsewhere in the museum, Keb’ Mo’ welcomes you into a series pods where you can first write and record your own blues song and then produce your collaboration inside the production pod.

There’s also the Iconic Instrument Display, which features the actual instruments used in performances by some of the world’s leading musicians including B.B. King and Bruno Mars.

In addition, the museum features audio/visual displays that trace the evolution of recorded sound from 1877 until today.

Special events at Grammy Museum Mississippi

This summer Grammy Museum Mississippi will present a pair of special events focused on some of the leading female songwriters and performers in music.

Women In the Round Concert: Ashley Cleveland, Karen Staley, Pam Tillis and Tricia Walker | July 2

Ashley Cleveland, Karen Staley, Pam Tillis and Tricia Walker were the original members of the talented foursome that was the first female “in the round” group at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, one of the world’s preeminent listening rooms.

The first “in the round” session took place in 1985 when four successful songwriters — Thom Schuyler, Fred Knobloch, Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet — formed a circle in the middle of the Bluebird room and took turns playing each other’s songs. The format was an instant hit and in 1988 Cleveland, Staley, Tillis and Walker decided to see if they could create the same magic.

Since their first show together in 1988, they have continued to perform together for select dates over the years. The July 2 performance at the Grammy Museum will feature the songwriters swapping stories and taking turns playing their songs and accompanying each other instrumentally and with harmony vocals.

Women in the Round, a part of the museum’s Big Night program series, will take place on July 2. Tickets for the fundraiser event are $125 for general public and $100 for Grammy Museum members. The ticket includes a pre-event reception starting at 6 p.m.

Funds raised from the event will go directly to support the education programs of Grammy Museum Mississippi. To purchase, go to Grammymuseumms.org.

Taylor Swift: Through the Eras Exhibit | Open now through Aug. 31

Taylor Swift — singer, songwriter, musician, producer, director and 14-time Grammy Award-winner — is arguably the most successful recording artist of the last two decades. Swift has broken countless records on the Billboard charts, the streaming charts and in movie theaters with the release of her “Taylor Swift — The Eras Tour” concert film.

Outfits Taylor Swift has worn during tours and red carpet events are seen on exhibit at the Mississippi Grammy Museum in Cleveland. The exhibit will close on Aug. 31.

The “Taylor Swift: Through the Eras” exhibit opened at Grammy Museum Mississippi in summer 2024 and has been held over into 2025. Celebrating Swift’s 18-year career from her self-titled debut album through her most recent release, “The Tortured Poets Department,” the exhibit will close Aug. 31.

This exhibit showcases personal items representing all of Taylor’s 11 eras, including numerous stage outfits, instruments and other ephemera from across her career.

Demand is expected to be high for the last few months of the exhibit's run. Those wishing to attend, especially for the final weeks, should purchase tickets in advance.

Entry to the Swift exhibit is part of the general admission to the museum, which ranges from $8 to $16. To purchase tickets, go Grammymuseumms.org.

Grammy Museum Mississippi

Where: 800 W. Sunflower Road, Cleveland, Mississippi

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-3 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday