A Music Fan’s Ultimate Travel Bucket List
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When it comes to planning a trip, where should you even begin? Well, if you’re a music fan, you could plan your vacation around music history, so Billboard has rounded up 13 landmarks that should be on every music fan’s travel bucket list — along with a few hotel and tour recommendations and links to cheap flights.
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Eleven of the hot spots are in the United States, while a couple — Abbey Road and Strawberry Field — are specifically for Beatles fans visiting the U.K. For Abbey Road, fans can snap a photo on the famed London crosswalk where the band shot the cover of their 1969 album or even tour the studio where the LP was recorded. Strawberry Field is in the band’s hometown of Liverpool — which is a two-hour-plus train ride from London — and was a Salvation Army children’s home that inspired the 1967 song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Back to the U.S., if you’re looking to head Down South, you could visit Pigeon Forge, Tenn., for the Dolly Parton-themed Dollywood amusement park, or Elvis Presley fans can get a double dose of The King in Memphis, Tenn.: at his Graceland mansion or Sun Studio where he recorded his very first song. Plus, don’t forget to pay homage to country music in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. If you’re looking for a centrally located hotel, Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown is walking distance from the Country Music Hall of Fame and a short drive from the Grand Ole Opry. The four-star hotel, which opened last year, features panoramic views of downtown Nashville, an on-site restaurant, indoor pool, fitness center, business center and live music. Outside Tennessee, there’s the famous Preservation Hall in New Orleans, which is home to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Elsewhere across America, there’s Prince’s beloved Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minn., where fans will get a first-hand look at Prince’s personal archives, including his awards, wardrobe and musical instruments. Also featured on the list: Motown Museum in Detroit and the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y.; the scenic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo.; the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland; and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, N.Y., which was the site of the Woodstock music festival in 1969.
Below, find photos of all these important locations of music history.
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