Bristol, Va.-Tenn. (Feb. 17, 2026) - Little ones and their grown-ups are invited to take part in Museum Story Time at 10:30 a.m. ET every first Friday of the month in the Learning Center at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick – a.k.a. musician Momma Molasses – will also be on hand to lead everyone in song. The event is free and open to the public.
"We love hosting young children at the museum and seeing them engaged and excited about being here," said Dr. Rene Rodgers, head curator at the museum. "Our Museum Story Time program gives us the chance to share the joy of music and stories and is just one more way we can provide meaningful and fun programming to our community."
Books selected for Museum Story Time focus on themes related to music or the culture of our Appalachian region. After the reading, Momma Molasses will perform a song related to the book, a wonderful opportunity for children, and grown-ups, to dance and sing along! A standards-based craft or activity will follow the story and song.
For more information, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.
Spring Story Time Themes
March 6 - From Seed to Song: "The stories we carry in our hearts and our history, planted in soil and song."
Grandpa's Garden by Stella Fry
Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres
April 3 - A Nest Is a Story: "The stories curled inside, waiting to hatch, hop, or hum."
Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward
Whose Nest? by Victoria Cochrane
May 1 - Moss & Moonlight: "Thez stories we follow on tiptoe, between the brushstrokes and the trees."
Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl
Children of the Forest by Matthew Myers
*May's Story Time ties in heavily to the Charles Vess special exhibit.
About Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, explores the history of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and their lasting impact on our music heritage. From those iconic recordings and beyond, Bristol and the surrounding region continues to influence music around the world.
The 24,000 square foot museum is located at 101 Country Music Way (corner of Moore & Cumberland Streets) in Historic Downtown Bristol, Virginia. Through multiple theater experiences, film and sound, and interactive, technology-infused displays—along with a variety of educational programs, music performances, and community events—the exciting story of this music and its far-reaching influence comes alive. Rotating exhibitions from guest curators and other institutions, including the Smithsonian, are featured throughout the year in the Special Exhibits Gallery. The museum is also home to a digital archive.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and most major holidays; call ahead for clarification at (276) 285-3831. Admission is $13.65 for adults, $11.55 for seniors, students, military, children ages 6-17, and groups of 20 or more. Children ages five and under are free. Admission prices include Bristol, Virginia admission tax.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a participating member of Museums for All, supporting those receiving food assistance (SNAP) and Women, Infants & Children (WIC) benefits for a minimal fee of $3 per person for up to four people. Museums for All is a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children's Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum going habits.
For more information visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.