The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum opened its doors for a media preview Wednesday, showing off the new facility to a number of local media outlets. Owensboro Times was there to tour the final cornerstone of Owensboro’s downtown development.
The building includes the 447-seat Woodward Theatre just off the main lobby. Also just off the lobby is a gift store with museum merchandise and artist CDs and a concession stand, which will be stocked with locally sourced foods and beverages.
Throwback theatre food will complement the atmosphere with such treats as flavored popcorn and Grippo crusted caramel apples. A variety of regional craft beer will be available as well as a wholesome Southern menu. The museum also hopes to offer grab and go lunch options in 2019 as well as a small amount of table seating in the lobby.
Beyond the gift shop, visitors can enjoy the museum installations, which chronicle the history of bluegrass. Upstairs, above the museum, the hall of fame is housed along with a digital library archive of video that the museum has compiled over the last 15 years.
Other features include a small multi-purpose room that will be dedicated to children’s lessons and a larger multi-purpose room that will be completed in January 2019 and available for rental for weddings or meeting space.
A green room is available for artists, complete with washer and dryer, dressing room and a landscape view of the Ohio River and downtown Owensboro.
The outdoor stage will be home to Downtown ROMP, a two or three concert series that will take place after ROMP at Yellow Creek Park. The outdoor setting is expected to hold 2,000 concertgoers.[brid video=”303485″ player=”13623″ title=”Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum tour”]
