We all know the Ryman brings us great music. For example, tonight they kick off their winter-long Opry at the Ryman weekends! What many forget is they are also a museum. Come on in, as we give you a glimpse of their newest exhibit honoring the late Minnie Pearl!

"She was important to a lot of people, meant a lot, brought comfort listening on radio or watching Opry or HeeHaw," says Museum and Tours Manager Joshua Bronnenberg.

"Cousin Minnie", as many called her, greeted audiences for years on the radio, on tv and on stages all around the world, including the famous Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium.

"She was an Opry member before the Opry was here, joined in 1940, before it was here, while here and at the Opry house," says Bronnenberg.

Pearl would have turned 100 in October, so to celebrate her legacy, the Ryman has put up an exhibit in her honor. "Proud to be Here! The Legacy of Minnie Pearl" is now on display, and features numerous never before seen items from her personal collection that she donated to the Grand Ole Opry archives.

"It is a great timeline," says Bronnenberg. "Starts with early life, then developing character, to all achievements at the Opry, awards, then the footage and one of her last dresses, kind of linear display."

Of course, you will find stuff that reflects back on her life as "Minnie Pearl", but there are also some very personal artifacts, including report cards, performance programs, yearbooks (where she was named Most Humorous by her class), and a Presidential Medal of Honor given to her by Richard Nixon.

"People think of Minnie as that character when in fact she was much more diverse," says Bronnenberg.

The exhibit is small in size, but rich in history, a one of a kind experience the Ryman says they're lucky to be able to showcase.

"It's something we want to maintain, let her legacy live for younger people who haven't experienced Minnie," says Bronnenberg.

The exhibit is open now. No specific close date has been announced. It is upstairs in the back of the auditorium, so you can see it if you are catching a show there, but it is also included with both the self guided and back stage tours.
New Exhibit Gives Country Fans Never Before Seen Look at Minnie Pearl