Bristol, Tennessee: Building Shaped like a Guitar
The "Grand Guitar" once contained a music museum, but that's closed and the uniquely-shaped building is aging rapidly.- Address:
- 3245 W. State St., Bristol, TN
- Directions:
- East side of I-81 exit 74A at US Hwy 11W. Visible from freeway.
- Hours:
- Closed, private property.
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Visitor Tips and News About Building Shaped like a Guitar
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The Guitar-shaped store used to be amazing, according to my road-trip buddy/fiance. While growing up in SW Virginia, they would often go to this place to check out instruments and other music paraphernalia. Now the store looks pretty sad, though - its strings are broken and hanging down to the ground and some of its windows are broken. Still, makes for a very cool place to strike your best air guitar pose.
[Laura, 12/06/2009]The guitar building is still there. But, it looks like it has been closed for a long, long time. No museum, no radio station.
[anonymous, 05/04/2009]The Grand Guitar building in Bristol reopened a few weeks ago after being vacant for years. It is billed as Joe Morrell Grand Guitar, the world's only guitar-shaped music museum. We stopped by to get a picture and realized it was open. Downstairs houses guitars and music for sale and a setup of the control room of WOPI radio. Upstairs houses the museum with a fascinating collection of instuments and other music memorabilia.
[Kenny, 08/13/2004]I drove past the Grand Guitar 2 weeks ago. It's been closed for about 2 years now. The building and such is beginning to fall in. The most common question at the visitor's building across the highway: What was that building?
[Anita Smallin, 03/08/2003]
Grand Guitar I know you already have the Grand Guitar listed at your site, but here's a recent photo.
[Roger Donahue, 01/20/2001]Nearby Offbeat Places
- Official Birthplace of Country Music, Bristol, VA - 2 mi.
- UFO And Aliens in Yard, Blountville, TN - 6 mi.
- Vintage Signs at Self Storage, Bristol, VA - 10 mi.
- In the region: World's Shortest Highway Tunnel, Shady Valley, TN - 24 mi.
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In 1983, owner Joe Morrell built this three story, 70 foot long Martin guitar. The Grand Guitar Museum within exhibits rare instruments shaped like a shovel, elephant, pig, and one made out of an armadillo. The Guitar faces I-81, directly across from TN Welcome Center.