Prince’s Paisley Park Estate Opens To Excited Fans

It is every fan’s dream to visit Prince’s Paisley Park home. Much like Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Prince’s 65,000-square-foot Paisley Park studio complex and private estate located in Chanhassen, Minnesota, is set to have record numbers of visitors descend from all over the world this month with 2,000 visitors a day expected. Whether Prince’s legacy and home will rival Presley’s Graceland remains to be seen, but the same company that has run Graceland since 1982, Graceland Holdings, will also be overseeing Paisley Park as it makes its transition from the Purple One’s home to a museum.

What can you expect to see when you visit Prince’s home? You will have the opportunity to tour the main floor and studio where Prince did all of his recording, producing, and mixing. You can stride into his editing suites and rehearsal rooms, plus the concert hall and soundstage where he performed his many live and impromptu shows with the New Power Generation. If you’re super curious, purchasing a VIP ticket will allow you to see some extra rooms and studios with your very own personal guide and VIP parking pass.

For those out there who may not be aware, turning his Paisley Park estate into a museum of sorts was something that Prince had ruminated over before his death in April this year, according to Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson. There had long been rumors that Prince was getting ready to open up his house to fans.

“Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do and was actively working on. Only a few hundred people have had the rare opportunity to tour the estate during his lifetime. Now, fans from around the world will be able to experience Prince’s world for the first time as we open the doors to this incredible place.”

If you decide to make the journey to Chanhassen, you will be able to see Prince’s concert wardrobe; all of his awards, including his seven Grammys, an Oscar, and a Golden Globe; his own artwork; handwritten lyrics from songs not yet recorded; his musical instruments, video, and music recordings; and even his collection of cars and motorcycles.

Joel Weinshanker, one of the people who helped to set up the tour, was thoughtful and introspective about Prince’s legacy.

“He knew a lot of his work would only be appreciated after his death. We went through emails and texts and messages to be true to his wishes. You feel Prince here. You see the genius. It’s like DaVinci’s workshop.”

Last Tuesday on October 4, Paisley Park was set to open for its first visitors. Fans were excitedly buying airplane tickets in anticipation for the event just after they had bought their Paisley Park admission tickets, but there was a minor glitch. Chanhassen City Council held a vote on Monday night on October 3 and the Council voted 3-2 to temporarily halt plans for turning Paisley Park into a museum because of a zoning request dispute.

However, it was decided in the end that Prince’s home would be opened for a limited time by way of a temporary permit. Those that bought tickets in advance to visit Paisley Park On October 7-15 would be able to use their tickets at a later date with Thursday, October 6, being the first day, followed by Saturday, October 8, and October 14.

The trouble the Chanhassen City Council saw was that with around 600,000 visitors each year, there was sure to be some parking, safety, and traffic issues that needed to be addressed before the zoning permit for the museum could be approved.

Fans like Chicago’s Zelda Burns, who had already bought tickets for earlier this week, were not pleased with this change of plans.

“I don’t fault the City Council for raising concerns or Paisley Park for what it’s done. I’m just upset with both sides that this is all coming down so close to the day they’re supposed to start.”

If you’re excited about seeing Prince’s home, the museum’s official website still has tickets for sale and states that Paisley Park will be open each day of the year, excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas, of course. The operating hours for Paisley Park are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

[Featured Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]