The private estate and studio complex of the late rock superstar Prince will open for daily public tours from October 6, it has been announced.
The Paisley Park tours will be managed by the company that runs Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate.
Bremer Trust said millions of Prince fans will get the chance to tour the 6,038-square-metre complex in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, where Prince, 57, collapsed in a lift and died of an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl in April.
“Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do and was actively working on,” Prince’s sister, Tyka Nelson, said.
Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do
“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.”
The tours will be run by Graceland Holdings, which has overseen Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, since 1982, according to the museum’s business plan.
Graceland, where Presley died in 1977, has welcomed more than 20 million visitors since opening to the public, averaging more than 600,000 annually in recent years. Graceland is providing the initial funds for capital improvements and operating costs.
Besides being the music star’s home, Paisley Park has been “the centre of Prince’s creative endeavours” since its opening in 1985, Ms Nelson and other siblings said in an additional statement.
The tours will include studios where Prince recorded, produced and mixed most of his biggest hits, and the sound stage where he rehearsed for tours and hosted exclusive private concerts. Also featured will be thousands of artefacts from his personal archives “including iconic concert wardrobe, awards, musical instruments, artwork, rare music and video recordings, concert memorabilia, automobiles and motorcycles”.
Tickets go on sale online on Friday. Standard tickets will cost $38.50, but VIP tours will be offered for small groups priced at $100 or more. Tours will last about 70 minutes, starting every 10 minutes, and each group is expected to include 25-30 guests. Graceland officials expect 1,500 to 2,000 guests on peak days.
The plan requires re-zoning approval from the city, which posted documents about the plan on its website. The planning commission hearing is scheduled for September 20 and the city council will consider it on October 3.
“Chanhassen will be pleased to demonstrate to the thousands of visitors to Paisley Park the same hospitality and respect that Prince enjoyed during his time in Chanhassen,” mayor Denny Laufenburger said.