Bob Dylan. Madonna. Ella Fitzgerald. Bono. Dr. Dre. Whoever the artist, whatever the genre, the GRAMMY MuseumSM celebrates them with the respect of a true music fan. It’s not just about “liking” a song; it’s about knowing the impact the song has made on people and society. The GRAMMY Museum was built with this in mind, and visitors to Los Angeles can experience the museum’s tribute to the musical process and the culture of music.
Located right in the heart of the L.A. LIVE development, the museum features four floors, each with its own take on the golden thread that music has played in modern history. Thought-provoking programs, interactive exhibits and a 200-seat soundstage showcase the past, present and future of music. Visitors have a chance to immerse themselves in artist profiles, films, timelines, memorabilia and engaging multimedia presentations. In perhaps the most alluring part of the museum, a mock studio takes visitors through the actual recording process, using industry experts to lead visitors through mixing and producing.
In the spirit of learning, the GRAMMY Museum features numerous educational and public programs designed to engage young people, students, music fans — anyone interested in the world of music. The museum even offers music classes for children, as well as lectures with visiting artists and industry insiders.
Dubbed a "museum of the 21st century," the GRAMMY Museum hardly resembles a behind-the-glass exhibition. Visitors won’t find any imposing guards asking you to “keep it down.” After all, it’s about music, and “turn it up” is the more likely sentiment.
Explore our preview below of the museum’s highlights, but remember, if music has taught us anything, it's that there’s nothing like the experience itself. Purchase tickets at www.grammymuseum.org.
The GRAMMY MuseumSM experience begins on the first floor lobby, which serves as an introduction to the museum's homage to music. Soak up the audiovisual presentations and the dynamic elements of the museum’s design, all of which create the museum’s unique sense of excitement. When you’re ready, take the elevator to the fourth floor, the beginning of the museum’s gallery space.
Prepare yourself for a full-immersion experience once the elevator doors open. You'll walk through a tunnel called "GRAMMY — The Greatest Music" and enjoy selections from an array of GRAMMY Award-winning songs presented with state-of-the-art sound. At the end of the tunnel, a world of interactive exhibits opens up.
One of the first exhibits you’ll come across is Crossroads, a dynamic overview of nearly 150 genres of music. If you’re interested in jazz, for instance, you’ll be able to use the multi-touch technology to open up photos, songs and voices that run through the genre’s importance and historical impact. The best part: the exhibit reveals links to other genres, exposing surprising connections between seemingly different music categories.
Meanwhile, Music Epicenters lets you explore the changing landscape of America’s music scene. Use the touch screens to view cities where new music trends have started, see how they spread, and discover what’s going on in America’s music scene today.
Also on this level is the GRAMMY Archives & Hall of Fame. Fittingly, this section offers a comprehensive history of GRAMMY nominations and awards, going back some 50 years. Every nomination, every winner, every genre — the archives have it all.
As you head to the third floor, you’ll come across the Songwriters’ Mezzanine, which has an enormous backdrop of music imagery and lyrics. The exhibit features prominent artists talking about their creative processes and the art of music making. Discover where they find their inspiration, how they create their lyrics and how they put them to music.
In this part of the GRAMMY MuseumSM experience, you’ll explore all the behind-the-scenes action of the recording process. Different aspects and different players all come together, showcasing all the details that go into producing a song. You’ll quickly come to see that a song is so much more than a CD track or an mp3 file.
Start with the Life of a Recording exhibit, which lets you experience a GRAMMY-winning recording and the lifecycle of the song and its parts — its producers, its musicians, its final touches, even the business decisions that were made. You’ll come out with a greater appreciation for what you’re listening to and recognize all the work it takes to create something worthy of a GRAMMY Award.
Another highlight — and one of the most exciting — is the In the Studio section of the third floor. Step inside one of eight pods and meet some of the music industry’s most significant figures. They’ll guide you through the recording process, letting you make your own creative choices and hear the outcome firsthand.
Finally, head to the History of the GRAMMY Awards section, which you’ll recognize by the giant replica of the GRAMMY trophy. Here you’ll get to explore all aspects of the awards ceremony, including red carpet events, the nomination process and some of the most significant moments in GRAMMY Award history.The museum’s GRAMMY Sound Stage lives on the second floor. Take a seat and enjoy “The GRAMMY Experience,” a presentation that dives into the GRAMMY show. You’ll see what the show is like behind the scenes and experience the power and beauty of this annual music celebration.
Afterwards, you’ll have a chance to explore the Special Exhibits Gallery. This area is where temporary exhibits will highlight various aspects of music.
