October 13 – November 22, 2026 @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum
To celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum hosts two special exhibits exploring that important history. Both "Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation" and "We The People: The World in Our Commonwealth" were developed by the Virginia Museum of History and Culture and have been supplemented by the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s curatorial team to include the history of Tennessee and country music while they are on display in Bristol.
“We are looking forward to celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with our community this fall through a variety of programming and special exhibits that explore America’s roots through two different lenses, the revolutionary moment that started it all, and the ongoing story of the people who continue to make our land great,” said Erika Barker, Curator of Exhibits & Outreach.
Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation explores the unique and essential Virginian people, events, and sites that helped bring liberty and democracy to a nation. By highlighting the complex, diverse, and inspiring history that is America’s story, the exhibition provides context for the coming of the Revolution and brings visitors into the core of the action from 1774 through 1776, spotlighting how the American Revolution was both a war, and more than a war.
“Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation” is the signature exhibition of the Virginia America Revolution 250 Commission and organized in partnership by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. “Give Me Liberty” will be on display in the Special Exhibits Gallery Oct. 13 through Nov. 22
"We The People: The World in Our Commonwealth"brings together distinct voices and perspectives on the immigrant experience and presents the deeply personal narratives of individuals born across the world who sought freedom, opportunity and refuge by immigrating to the United States. Pairing historic accounts with contemporary stories, the exhibition highlights the profound way immigrants have both shaped and been shaped by this nation.
“We The People: The World in Our Commonwealth” is organized by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and presented by Altria. “We The People” will be on display in the Special Exhibits Gallery Oct. 27 through Dec. 6.
This exhibit is sponsored at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum by the City of Bristol, Virginia.
Also coming to the City of Bristol, Virginia,and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, theVA250 Mobile Museum Experience, “Out of Many, One,”will be stationed across the street from the museum Oct. 28-31 and open to school groups and the public. A hands-on, interactive and immersive “museum on wheels,” the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience is housed in an expandable tractor trailer that is traveling throughout Virginia and beyond, in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The mobile museum brings key stories of Virginia’s rich history to schools, museums, local events, fairs, and more, highlighting every region of the state.
In conjunction with the new special exhibits, the museum is offering several complementary programs.Founders, Flags and Fame Trivia Night will be held at LUMAC Rooftop Bar Friday, Oct.23 from 6-8 p.m. November’s installment of the Speaker Sessions series features Tom Vaughn as he shares the story of the Overmountain Men, whose victory at Kings Mountain turned the tide of the American Revolution. This Speaker Session is held at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum Tuesday, Nov.10 from 7-8:30 p.m. and streamed onRadio Bristol’s YouTube channel. A special concert,Songs of the Revolution(s), is held in the Cameo TheatreNov. 13 at 7 p.m. as a musical and spoken word tribute to America’s 250th. Tickets are $15, and available to purchase through Theatre Bristol’s websitehere.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday, 1–5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and most major holidays; call ahead for clarification at (276) 285-3831. Admission is $13.65 for adults, $11.55 for seniors, students, military, children ages 6–17, and groups of 20 or more. Admission to the special exhibits gallery is $5. Children ages five and under are free. Admission prices include Bristol, Virginia admission tax.
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Category: Exhibits