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

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

Giant Guitar

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]
Grand Guitar

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]
Grand Guitar

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]
Grand Guitar - closed

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. 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]

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.

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