On a recent trip to Los Angeles, Gregg and I planned an afternoon at the GRAMMY Museum. It was raining for most of our visit, so checking out the Museum was a great way to spend a day.  There was so much to see and do, from exhibits and film screenings to immersive experiences and listening stations.

Here are a few highlights of our visit:

The “Shining Like a National Guitar” exhibit showcased an impressive display of vintage guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles.

Founded in 1927, the National String Instrument Corporation was an American guitar company first formed to manufacture banjos and then the original resonator guitars. They also produced resonator ukuleles and mandolins. Now defunct, their original instruments are in high demand. It was a great treat to see so many of these unique instruments that have been associated with artists such as Bukka White, Mark Knopfler, and Johnny Winter, to name a few, in one place.

The “Musical Crossroads” exhibit was cool. It featured four genre “pods” where you could deep dive into the worlds of hip-hop, pop, folk, and gospel. It demonstrated how genres, musical influences, fandom, and technology intersect.

The “Janet Jackson Music Video Looks” display showcased the “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Scream” music video-worn outfits.

The traveling exhibit, “Luther Vandross Artistry and Elegance,” featured artifacts including one of Vandross’ GRAMMYs, two full sets of custom-designed, hand-beaded stage wear worn by Vandross and his backup singer/dancers, performance footage, handwritten lyrics, studio notes, and more. I enjoyed the glimpse into Vandross’ creative process and the never-before-heard recording of him.

There were so many interesting and entertaining presentations to interact with, but one of my favorite activities was watching a variety of curated performance clips from past GRAMMY Awards broadcasts. So much incredible talent has graced the GRAMMY stage!

If you’re a music lover like me, a visit to the GRAMMY Museum is a must. Exhibits change all the time, so there’s something new to see on each visit. 

I look forward to watching artists’ musical achievements being awarded with that gilded gramophone during the GRAMMY Awards ceremony tonight. There could be a history-making performance that will be featured in the GRAMMY Museum in the future.

The GRAMMY Museum is located at 800 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015.