Paisley Park tour tickets on sale, including $100 VIP package
CHANHASSEN, Minn. (KMSP) - Tickets go on sale at 2 p.m. CT Friday, Aug. 26 for tours of Prince's Paisley Park recording studios and residence in Chanhassen, Minn. Tours start on Oct. 6. Tickets for the 70-minute tour start at $38.50, and VIP packages are available for $100. More information can be found on the Paisley Park website, officialpaisleypark.com.
Bremer Trust, the special administrator of Prince's estate, filed paperwork with the City of Chanhassen to turn the 65,000 square foot recording studio into a museum, run by the same company that operates Graceland.
"Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do and was actively working on," Tyka Nelson, Prince's sister, said in a statement. "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."
Chanhassen Mayor Denny Laufenberger and other city officials were given a "dry run" of the proposed tour on Tuesday. Laufenberger says there will be some changes to the building, widening doors and adding some lighting and parking, but the operating company says tours will be timed and staggered to avoid massive crowds.
"I saw things that have been in place since Prince passed," the mayor said. "Papers on music stands in Prince's writing, so clearly the intent is to preserve this exactly as Prince left it."
The guided tours will take visitors through the recording studios, rehearsal rooms, private music club and concert hall on the main floor of Paisley Park. The tours will also highlight Prince's iconic concert wardrobe, awards, musical instruments, rare music and video recordings and other artifacts from his personal collection.
The Chanhassen Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Sept. 20 at 7:00 p.m. If all goes well, the full city council will vote on it Oct. 3.
Self-guided tour
Main floor of Paisley Park, including recording and mixing studios where Prince recorded, produced and mixed some of his biggest hits
Prince's video editing suites and rehearsal rooms
Massive soundstage and concert hall where Prince rehearsed for concert tours and held exclusive, private events and concerts
Prince's private NPG Music Club
General Admission Average Tour Time: 70 minutes
VIP Tour
VIP Tour experience includes a guided tour with an expert guide, who will personally take you throughout your Paisley Park experience, including:
PLUS, only the VIP Tour Experience Offers:
VIP Tour Time: 100 minutes
Statement from Prince's siblings
Prince's siblings, Sharon, Norrine, John and Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson, released a joint statement Wednesday regarding the move to turn Paisley Park into a museum:
"Since its opening in 1985, Paisley Park has been not only Prince's home, but the center of Prince's creative endeavors. We continue to be moved by the endless number of fans from around the world who come to Paisley Park to stand outside and pay their respects to our brother. The new Paisley Park museum will offer fans a unique experience, an exhibition like no other, as Prince would have wanted it. Most important, the museum will display Prince's genius, honor his legacy, and carry forward his strong sense of family and community. We are excited to open the doors of Paisley Park and share Prince's magic with all of his fans."