Day tour from Nashville, Alabama
Two and a half hours from Nashville, a pair of small studios turned out hit after hit in the 1960s and 1970s. This Muscle Shoals day trip from Nashville takes you into both rooms, with a guide who knows the stories and the records.
From $295per adult ticket, lunch and entries included
A long day south to the two studios where Aretha, Wilson Pickett and the Rolling Stones recorded, with lunch in Florence and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
Categories: Studio & Backstage, Soul & Motown. Destinations: Muscle Shoals. Getting around: tour van. Tour leader: Wade Pruitt or a colleague from our team.
Where Aretha Franklin recorded I Never Loved a Man.
The Swampers' own studio, restored as it was.
Catfish or barbecue at a local place.
Hank Williams to Lionel Richie.
Records and stories on the drive down.
Your tour leader
Wade Pruitt, based in Nashville. Played bass in Lower Broadway bands for six years and has led our Nashville and Austin groups since 2018.
Recorded music and stories, no live show
Times shift a little with traffic and studio schedules; your guide keeps the day on track.
The van collects guests at central hotels and heads south on I-65 and through the hills, with a playlist of Shoals records and a guide who explains what you are hearing.
A tour of FAME on Avalon Avenue: Studio A, the hallway of gold records and the stories of Rick Hall, Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett.
Lunch downtown in Florence, then a quick look at the W.C. Handy cabin when time allows.
The concrete block building at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield, where the Stones, Cher and Bob Seger recorded with the Swampers.
An hour at the Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia, with the band Alabama's tour bus and a booth to record your own song.
The van returns to Nashville for about seven, in time for dinner and a show on Broadway.
Loading the map
Tour vanAmtrak trainRiverboatShort flight Map tiles: © Esri, HERE, Garmin © OpenStreetMap contributors. Lines join the stops in tour order in simplified form.
Lunch3 studio and museum entriesRecorded music and stories, no live show
Pace. Easy. Short walks and plenty of sitting: shows, studio tours and the van.
Good to know. About eleven hours with five in the van. Both studios still record, so the visit can move to another room on session days. There is no live show on this day trip.
Weather and changes. Shows and studio visits run in all weather; if a venue cancels, we replace it with one of the same kind and tell you in writing.
8 dates from to . "Guaranteed" means the group has reached its minimum and will run.
| Date | Status | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Deal, save $30 | Few seats left | $265 |
| Deal, save $20 | Guaranteed | $275 |
| Available | $295 | |
| Guaranteed | $315 | |
| Available | $315 | |
| Guaranteed | $315 | |
| Few seats left | $295 | |
| Guaranteed | $315 |
Day tours are paid in full when you book; free cancellation up to 7 days before. Other dates for private groups on request. All dates, booking terms.
Both studios still record. If one closes for a session, the visit moves to the other room or a different part of the building; we confirm the week before.
About eleven hours, five of them in the van with stops. The seats are comfortable and there is water on board.
Not on this tour. Our Southern road trip visits both studios between Nashville and Memphis.
Yes, at a local place in Florence. Tell us about any diet when you book.
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