Storytellers Hideaway Farm and Museum

The Storytellers Hideaway Farm and Museum in Rosine, Kentucky, honours the musical heritage of Ohio County and in particular the legacy of Bill Monroe -- the 'Father of Bluegrass' -- who was born near Rosine in 1911. The museum is located near the intersection of roads in this small community in the western Kentucky hills, in the landscape that shaped Monroe's music. It commemorates not only Monroe but the broader tradition of old-time and bluegrass music that came from this corner of Kentucky, connecting the songs of the hills to the national story of American roots music.

Bill Monroe grew up in the Jerusalem Ridge community near Rosine, in a family of musicians who played the fiddle, banjo, and mandolin at community gatherings. His uncle Pen Vandiver was one of his most important early musical influences. Monroe went on to define bluegrass as a genre through his work with the Blue Grass Boys from the 1930s onward, developing the high lonesome sound that influenced Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, and virtually every subsequent bluegrass musician. The farm at Jerusalem Ridge is a heritage site in its own right.

The museum and farm are in a rural setting that requires a car to reach but rewards the journey for serious fans of country and bluegrass music. The Bill Monroe Museum at the nearby Jerusalem Ridge property is another component of the heritage landscape in this area. Rosine and its surroundings constitute a genuine pilgrimage destination for anyone interested in the origins of one of America's most distinctive musical forms.