A 41-foot sign on U.S. Highway 72 West beckons tourists into
the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia, Alabama.

A lighted fountain silhouettes the three-arched entrance against the southern sky.
Spotlights feature the gold records in the arches.

When visitors enter the lobby a music controlled color chandelier provides a light show that bounces off of the bronze stars of music achievers scattered about the floor. Much like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the lobby serves as the Walk of Fame for the Museum. Permanently imbedded bronze stars cover the floor, each engraved with the name of one of Alabama's more outstanding Music Achievers.

Leaving the lobby, visitors enter the Hall of Fame Gallery, which features portraits of the Inductees painted by Tuskegee artist Ronald McDowell. Induction is reserved for a select few who have made exceptional contributions throughout their careers. Induction Banquets began in 1985 and have been held every other year since that time. At each banquet, inductions are made in the Performing, Non-Performing and Pioneer categories. At this time there are 32 Inductees to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

As visitors leave the Gallery, they encounter lifelike plaster casts of Alabama, Lionel Richie and Hank Williams, Jr.

The Popular Music section is the beginning of the main exhibit hall. It is marked by a 12 foot jukebox playing pop, classical and opera tunes by Alabamians. A wax figure of Nat "King" Cole is seated at a piano. On display also is recording equipment used in Sam Phillip's Memphis Music Service and the contract between Sam Phillips and RCA when the Alabamian sold his rights to the soon to be superstar Elvis Presley. Tommy Shaw of Styx fame, has his shirt and guitar on display, along with Ransom Wilson's flute, Jim Nabors' Gomer Pyle outfit and stage outfits, Emmylou Harris, Donna Godchaux, Bobby Goldsboro, Lionel Richie, The Commodores and others.

The tour continues through a 16 foot guitar into the Country Music section and to more showcases Personal memorabilia belonging to Sonny James, Tammy Wynette, Vern Gosdin, Jeanne Pruett, Freddie Hart, Rose Maddox and others. A wax figure of Hank Williams, Sr., bears his original stage suit. The 1960 "Golden Country Car" has 500 silver dollars and silver guns mounted on it topped off with Texas Longhorns mounted on front.  There are numerous instruments belonging to country stars. The highlight of this section is the group Alabama's Southern Star tour bus.

As visitors exit the bus, they may step into a brick sided nightclub where the Rhythm and Blues section is belting out music. Therein is Erskine Hawkins's trumpet, Martha Reeves' and Eddie Kendricks' stage outfits, gold records by Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge, the 1935 official portrait of W.C. Handy and many other historical artifacts.

When you leave the nightclub, you enter the Muscle Shoals section, which highlights the studios that made Northwest Alabama world famous. A video recaps the history of the Shoals music industry. The artifacts include the console Rick Hall used to record Arthur Alexander's hit "You Better Move On" and the instruments of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

Next is a Recording Studio where a would be star may select a music track and record a personal cassette or make a video recording right in the Museum!

Across from the studio is the Gospel Showcase, where among the artifacts are outfits, pictures, and awards from such notables as Jake Hess, Gold City, The Speer Family and The Sullivan Family.

The newest addition to the museum exhibits features the Songwriters of Alabama. The Wurlitzer jukebox provides hundreds of chart topping songs by Alabama songwriters. Billy Sherrill composer of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" anchors one end of the exhibit while Curly Putman, who gave us "Green, Green Grass of Home" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today" anchors the other side.

The tour then leads to the Gift Shop, where various music related items are on sale.