Before the project can go out to bid all the funds necessary to complete the project must be raised and/or committed through pledges. For information on how you can help in this effort contact 276.645.0111 or donate through our main page on this website through PayPal.

When constructed, the Cultural Heritage Center has the potential to become a major tourist destination in itself. It is estimated that the Smithsonian quality museum and performing arts venue will bring tens of thousands of visitors to Bristol each year, supporting existing downtown businesses and creating new opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

The new Cultural Heritage Center will not only benefit Bristol's economy but will also benefit our region's tourism economy by adding a major asset to The Crooked Road, the region's tremendously successful effort to showcase its musical heritage with a driving trail extending from Rocky Mount to Clintwood.

The music which was born in the hills of our region is at the root of popular music that has spread across our nation and been exported to the world, and Bristol truly holds a momentous place in our nation's music history. Recognizing its importance, the U.S. Congress formally declared Bristol the Birthplace of Country Music in 1998 when it approved a resolution I authored in a bi-partisan partnership with former Congressman Bill Jenkins for Tennessee's First District.

It was here that in July 1927, Ralph Peer came to record musicians from the southern Appalachian region for commercial distribution, an event often described as "the big bang of country music." Over the course of ten days, referred to as "the Bristol Sessions," Peer recorded the original Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, and many others who eventually found a commercial audience beyond this region for the first time.

The new Cultural Heritage Center will commemorate the musical heritage of our region and help us build on its musical legacy. The Center will offer state-of-the-art exhibits, educational programs and performances in the former Goodpasture Motors Building on Cumberland Street in downtown Bristol. The new Center will include gallery and exhibit space featuring state-of-the-art exhibits using the most advanced multi-media technologies. Additionally, a small 100 seat theatre will be constructed to complement downtown Bristol's existing performing venues. Two classrooms will be constructed to serve school children in the region.

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