Willie Nelson and Friends Museum

Learn about Willie Nelson music career and where it all started.

Willie Nelson grew up living with his grandparents after his parents got a divorce. They became music teachers, and Willie would watch them study and learn to write music. He would also watch his grandfather perform. Willie played on Abbot High School's football and basketball teams. He was so poor that he would pawn his guitar on Monday and pick it up on Fridays so he could play it and did that over and over again. Willie was a tree trimmer by day for a while but never went back after he got tangled in some rope, and the guys he worked with had to cut the rope to get him out.

The Nashville Souvenir store is at the front section of the building and sells glassware, mugs, tee shirts of Willie Nelson and other music artists, and lots more. At the back of the store, there is a door that leads into the museum. You need to pay for entrance at the souvenir register before entering the museum. At the museum, there are glass displays featuring items belonging to Willie Nelson such as clothing, boots, belt buckles, and many of his guitars. The "friends" section of the museum has glass wall cases full of items from people like Adie Murphy, Jan Howard, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Glenn Campbell, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagner, and many more. In the center are furniture items that Willie kept in his studio in Texas, including rugs, microphones, couches, chairs, and a pool table. This museum is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 7 pm, and 9 am to 8 pm Saturday and Sunday.