The long-awaited National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is slated to open in summer of 2020. It will be the only museum dedicated solely to preserving African American music traditions and celebrating the influence black Americans have had on music. Based in Nashville, Tenn., as part of the Fifth + Broadway development, the museum will share the story of the American soundtrack by integrating history and interactive technology to bring musical heroes of the past into the present.

African Americans are responsible for the musical legacy of our country, having created more than 50 genres and sub-genres comprising most of the music that Americans of all walks of life enjoy. And, although Nashville is famously known for its ties to country music, NMAAM’s downtown location will attract a new audience of global travelers who are interested in the history of other American music genres, such as spirituals, gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, and hip hop.

With over 1,500 artifacts, 25 interactive displays and seven galleries, the museum will tell the stories of African American artists, whose contributions are often hidden and untold. NMAAM is a celebration of the people of this city, known and unknown. It is for those who need something to aspire to, or may believe that their stories have not been told, or they have not been recognized for their contributions to the country and the city of Nashville.

The location at Fifth + Broadway is ground zero for the contemporary image of Music City. Located amid the heart of live music and national cultural attractions, NMAAM is strategically placed for guests of the city to strengthen and diversify the “Music City” brand.

As the NMAAM’s construction presses on in Nashville, its first digital sign was illuminated in January, and there have been exclusive peeks into the museum space. On a national and global sector, the excitement for NMAAM has been seen in places such as Forbes, Conde Nast Traveler and Smithsonian Magazine. There’s nothing quite like music to bring people together. And now, all of Nashville and its visitors will have the opportunity to experience African American music and their contribution to all music. There will be no place on Earth that celebrates that principle, embedded in the history of African American music, like the NMAAM.