Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum — Owensboro, Kentucky

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened in 2018 on the banks of the Ohio River in Owensboro, Kentucky — the state that gave birth to bluegrass music through Bill Monroe, who was born in the nearby community of Rosine. The museum traces the development of bluegrass from Monroe's revolutionary fusion of old-time string band music, blues, and gospel in the 1940s through to its contemporary practitioners, with interactive exhibits, instruments, and rare recordings. Monroe himself is from Ohio County, just east of Owensboro.

The Hall of Fame component inducts bluegrass musicians annually, and honourees include Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson, and dozens of others who shaped the genre. The museum's collection includes instruments, stage clothing, and personal effects from across bluegrass history, with particular emphasis on the mandolin — the instrument Monroe made central to the bluegrass sound. Kentucky's broader contribution to Appalachian and country music is also explored.

The museum is located in a modern building on Owensboro's riverfront alongside the RiverPark Center. Owensboro hosts the annual ROMP (River of Music Party) bluegrass festival, and the museum serves as the year-round anchor of the city's identity as the 'Bluegrass Capital of the World.' It is open to the public and draws visitors from across the United States.