After months of civic negotiation, Prince’s Paisley Park is slated to open its doors to the public on October 28. The plan to turn the late musician’s home and recording studio into a museum has been a municipal controversy since its conception.
Although it was originally scheduled to welcome fans and tourists beginning on October 6, 2016, a 3 to 2 vote by Minnesota’s Chanhassen city council postponed the iconic estate’s opening by tabling a rezoning request.
At the time, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that this postponement was in response to the concerns of council members and local residents who were wary of how the museum might impact traffic, public safety, and parking availability in their town. Questions arose regarding how a town of 24,000 residents would adjust to hosting an inevitably large influx of Prince-loving tourists.
In lieu of this decision, a press release announced that a temporary permit would allow for a limited number of private tours of Paisley Park, and, as the Guardian reported, an exhibition of Prince artifacts and paraphernalia at the Mall of America would be open to ticket-holding visitors.
As of October 24, Prince fans need no longer wait to plan a visit to the grounds, as deliberations over the site’s rezoning have finally been resolved. A council vote officially granted the estate permission to open as a museum without any more special permissions, settling its former concerns regarding safety.
With this, Prince’s lifelong dedication to his fans will endure, as his brother in law, Tyka Nelson, stated in an earlier press release that “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.”
Fans will now have the opportunity to visit and pay their respects to the musical legend, all while seeing thousands of artifacts that range from his wardrobe, award collection, artworks, concert memorabilia, and other personal and professional archives.
Tickets for both self-guided and tour-led access to the recording, performing, and living facilities at Paisley Park are now available for purchase on the Paisley Park website, offering the experience of a lifetime for Prince’s devoted fans.