One of the reasons I visited Minneapolis was to visit Paisley Park, so I thought I’d post my thoughts about the experience. Being the opinionated Prince fan that I am, you can expect this post to be lengthy.
I purchased a VIP tour for $100, with the promise of an hour and forty minutes of Purple hospitality. I’m not going to walk you through room by room, but rather point out a few things I thought were interesting or worth mentioning. Also, in doing some research to refresh my memory (because I’ve been busy!), I realized I could literally piece together pictures from the internet and show you the entire tour (start to finish, seriously), however, I won’t do that and ruin it for others.
Paisley Park is located in Chanhassen, which is about thirty minutes from Minneapolis. The first thing I noticed is how close it is to the street. It’s literally right off the expressway. But then I guess with the harsh Minnesota winters, who wants to get stuck midway up a long winding driveway. I also noticed it’s not isolated in the least. Maybe it was at one time but, just as a quick example, there’s a daycare right across the street from the main gate.
I don’t know what the parking situation is for any of the other tours, but the VIP ticket directed me right to the parking lot in front of the building. The lot is guarded, and all guests will be asked to show their tickets before you’ll be permitted on site. The lobby is small, and there’s no seating available, so I wouldn’t recommend showing up too early. Plus, there isn’t a lot to see in the entrance area anyway.
Don’t get me wrong, I generally enjoyed the tour, but I’m also going to mention a few minor gripes. Like this one. The VIP tour offers you a “unique and exclusive photo opportunity” for an extra $13. This fee buys you a thumb drive to store your photo on. And here’s my gripe. I’ve already dropped $100, why not throw in the USB drive in as a perk? Thumb drives are relatively cheap, especially when bought in bulk. And, if I don’t want a pic, it would make for a nice keepsake. I didn’t pay for a pic, but my sister did, so I’ll talk about that more in a minute.
In case you had any doubts, they’re very serious about security and the ‘no pictures’ policy. We were immediately stopped at the door, asked what time our tour was, and my sister’s bag was thoroughly searched. I recommend not even bringing a purse or bag, if possible. You’ll be asked to turn your phone off, and remove your smart watch (if applicable), and both items are placed inside a Yondr bag. The bag is then locked and handed back to you. I love this idea, and I wish it was in use at more music venues. I get tired of watching a concert through the screen on the person’s phone in front of me. Put down your phone and enjoy the show. Anyway, you won’t be able to access your phone again until you literally get ready to leave the building, so if you live and die by your phone this experience isn’t for you. My only gripe about the bag is it would be nice if it had a strap to make it more convenient to carry.
The tour begins in the atrium, where our guide immediately acknowledged Prince’s remains. For those of you who aren’t aware, Prince was cremated, and his ashes were placed in a miniature replica of Paisley Park. Yes, seriously.
The urn is located inside a half-moon shaped plexiglass container that’s bolted to the wall overhead. Brian, our soft-spoken tour guide, pointed out the remains, assured everyone that it’s ok to feel overwhelmed or emotional, then gave the group a moment to silently pay their respects. I can assure you no one dramatically burst into tears.
The first thing I noticed was the container had a large crack in it. And, curious person that I am, or maybe it was my OCD kicking in, I asked Brian one on one what happened. However, he really didn’t have an answer for me. And insert gripe in five, four, three, two….
Why not take the container down until you can get it fixed or replaced? It looks tacky (with or without the crack) and we all know Prince was a perfectionist. Personally I think the idea of putting his ashes on display is creepy. But, at least they aren’t in a case on the main floor like a diamond in a Jared’s jewelry store display. My thoughts are his remains should be in a more personal, restricted area, away from the prying eyes of any tour group. But who knows, maybe that’s what he would’ve wanted.
There are several rooms in the atrium, filled with memorabilia and outfits, tvs showing videos on a loop, and a couple of guitars. One of the things that stuck with me in this area was a notebook with hand written lyrics to Soft -n- Wet. Prince had the most beautiful handwriting, the kind of loopy, romantic cursive typically attributed to girls or women.
As the group was exploring the atrium and the small rooms around it, I ran into one of those guys. You know, the auxiliary tour guide. No, he doesn’t work at Paisley Park, but you’d think he did by all the supplemental trivia and ‘facts’ he felt compelled to share with anyone within earshot.
I first ran into him in a room dedicated to the Sign ‘o’ the Times era. I quickly exited the room and entered into Prince’s office, and not even thirty seconds later he showed up again. Because he started spewing information yet again, I immediately left that room as well, which I now regret. Apparently in his office, there were several pictures on display, of his parents, a baby, and some other folks. When someone asked the guide who they were, he said they were told to refer to them as ‘friends and family’ to protect their privacy. And since the office was reportedly left just as he left it, one could assume the people in those pictures were near and dear to his heart. I guess allowing Mr. Know It All to chase me from the room will give me a reason to visit again in a few years.
Next we filed into an editing bay full of directors chairs that, per the tour guide, aren’t usually there. We were told we could have a seat, a rarity as we were told up front not to sit on anything unless specifically told we could do so. Brian told us that Prince recorded almost every one of his performances, and he would use the room we were sitting in to review footage, much like a coach, looking for things that could be improved or eliminated. He would also occasionally bring his band members in as well for coaching opportunities. No surprise, like I said, he was a perfectionist.
We were shown a few concert clips, as examples of what it may have felt like to have been in the room during one of those ‘coaching’ sessions. My initial observation was they were too short. I had no idea it was the beginning of a trend. Brian asked if we had any questions, and one immediately came to mind. Prince recorded a hauntingly beautiful song called Power Fantastic, and it’s on the double CD album The Hits/The B Sides. You can hear a snippet of it here. I’d read in the liner notes that he played every instrument on the song except the horns, because those were the only instruments he didn’t know how to play. So I waited patiently until it was my turn and I asked “did he ever learn to play horns?”
And ‘that guy‘ immediately answered ‘no’ with assurance and authority. And I in turn shot him the stereotypical Black woman ‘did I ask you‘ look. Soft spoken Brian didn’t miss a beat. He gently grasped the mic on the wire connected to his earpiece and pressed the button to talk. “Hey, does anyone know if he ever learned to play horns?” He paused, smiled, nodded, then asked a follow-up question, “got any examples?” He listened for a moment before he finally answered me. “Yes. I tried to get an example of a song, but no one had anything off the top of their heads.” I want to take this opportunity to say, no matter how big a fan you are, and how much Purple knowledge you posses, please don’t be ‘that guy.’ It’s so annoying. If you want to share your knowledge, apply for the job, confirm that your knowledge is correct, and get paid to dispense with your fountain trivial information.
Once we left the editing bay, we were shown the last known guitar Prince ever played, called The Purple Special. It was hand made especially for him, and there’s an interesting story behind it. It is the prettiest shade of purple, and pictures don’t do it justice. You can read more about it here.
We finally left the atrium and stepped into Prince’s galaxy room. It’s a very small space where Prince liked to relax and meditate. There’s a short clip set up on a monitor in the room, from an Oprah interview, where Prince is showing her the very same room. This is the only room we visited that felt anything close to a room in normal home, in terms of size and furnishings.
On the other side of the galaxy room is recording studio B. Here is where they take the picture on the VIP tour. If you’ve read anything about the earlier VIP photos, you may remember there were some complaints about people doing inappropriate things with the piano. Which, as a side note, isn’t really a piano but a keyboard with a piano frame built around it. Because of those complaints, the photo-op has changed to include a picture with a large mural on the wall. I know I had a gripe about the extra $13, but I will say that everyone in our group was given the opportunity to take multiple photos, as well as take group photos. Remember I said my sister paid for the photo-op but I didn’t? Well I’ve posted it below. I did not want to take this photo, something about the space felt weird to me, but she convinced me it would memorialize our trip. I’m glad I did, this is the first trip we’ve ever taken together with just the two of us.
There’s a ping-pong table in this space, as Prince was a vicious player, and some equipment to record live vocals over a Prince song. The vocal recording is only available on Thursdays, so if this sounds interesting to you, plan accordingly (VIP tours only). This is the other reason why they sell you the USB device. One other perk with the VIP tour, it comes with brunch, served until 3pm on Sundays only.
As we made our way through the facility, we came across something else I thought was pretty neat. Mounted on the wall outside studio A is ‘the wall of inspiration.’ It’s a mural with Prince in the middle. To his left are artists that inspired him, like Rufus and Chaka Khan, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown, and to his right are artists that he’s inspired like The Revolution, Vanity 6, The Family, Sheila E, and NPG. You can read more about it and see a few pictures of it here.
In studio A, we were given the opportunity to listen to a few clips of unreleased music. Again, as I mentioned before, the clips are too short in my opinion. Two things remain in my mind about this space; a random door about 14 feet up on the wall that leads into the studio in which we were standing (which was only one level), and oddly placed tapestries haphazardly attached to the walls with clear push pins. When I pointed them out to my sister, she asked our guide about them, and he said something about Prince just liked to randomly hang things on the walls that he really liked. I’m not a conspiracy theorist by any means, but it looked more like they were covering something up. And although he probably didn’t mean it literally, I can’t imagine Prince, at four feet eleven inches, climbing up on a ladder and randomly hanging tapestries in a recording studio, with push pins you can find at any Staples or Office Depot. But ironically, as I write this, I realize that’s exactly what it looked like. Someone very short on a very tall ladder trying to hang something up really high.
One of my favorite rooms on the tour was the Purple Rain Room. It’s a large, dimly lit space with a high ceiling, dedicated to the Purple Rain movie and soundtrack. Dig if you will a picture (see what I did there) of the exterior and interior of the Purple Rain album, the flowers and the image of the face, turned into wallpaper and plastered all over a room. A purple leather-bound copy of the script is located in this room, along with memorabilia from the movie to include a motorcycle, his white ruffle shirt and purple coat, his purple Yamaha piano (complete with scuff marks from his dancing), his Oscar (for best original score), and a guitar.
There’s also a large screen overhead showing clips of music from the movie. If anyone were to get emotional on the tour, I’d think this would be the place, especially when they play the Purple Rain clip. If you’ll remember, the scene in the movie was emotional, and when other artists pay tribute to Prince they usually play Purple Rain. Honestly I tear up a little just thinking about it. However, this room is where I had a giggle fit. Brian explained that the room was one of the few spaces specifically renovated for the tour. He mentioned it had previously been a rehearsal space, and contained a basketball court as well. When I heard that, I immediately thought about Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Story (from Chappelle’s Show) about Prince playing basketball in heels (and winning) and I could not stop giggling. What makes the story even funnier is that it really is true, as confirmed by Micki Free (formerly of the music group Shalamar) in the beginning of this Youtube clip. Despite his size, Prince was a beast on the basketball court, heels and all.
The backside of the Purple Rain Room empties into another space transformed specifically for the tour. What was formerly Prince’s personal hair studio is now an exhibit dedicated to the movies Under the Cherry Moon and Graffiti Bridge.
The Cherry Moon and Graffiti Bridge exhibit exits to a long hallway personally decorated by Prince. It features pictures, some of which I’ve never seen before, and awards such as the MTV moon man, Grammys, AMAs, and Billboard, to name a few.
The next space we visited would become my favorite space of all. The sound stage and concert hall. The first thing I noticed when I walked into this dark area was a very large Prince symbol. Mounted up high overhead, in a corner, it would light up with those chasing lights, flash a few times, then go dark momentarily before repeating the sequence. It reminded me of something you’d see on the front of the Sign ‘o’ the Times album.
The space is humongous, and contained four stages full of more memorabilia. Wrapped around the base of each stage are large Prince photos from every decade and era. His sweet baby blue Rolls Royce is on display here, behind velvet ropes, as well as a purple Plymouth Prowler, which in my opinion can go back in the garage. Any garage. Seeing Prince on a huge screen hanging overhead, and hearing his voice and music bumping loudly throughout the space, I could easily imagine lots of parties taking place here.
Ironically it was in this same space where I had a few emotional moments. The atmosphere is such that it makes you want to dance. Until you remember that the person who made it all possible isn’t here anymore. It all felt a little bitter-sweet to me.
And as we transitioned to a more personal area of the sound stage (the NPG Music Club), where he held intimate concerts for his friends and family, a feeling of sadness overcame me. It’s easy for me to imagine how someone with so much, fame, money, material things, and lots of visible signs of accomplishment, could still feel incredibly lonely. Like that old saying, money can’t buy happiness. But he sure had enough of it to make one hell of a down payment though. 🙂
There’s mention of a cafe, and I did see a menu with some of Prince’s favorite foods (like mac and cheese) in the gift shop, but I must’ve missed the actual cafe. I think it didn’t catch my eye because the seating area around it looked more like someone’s dimly lit living room than an eatery. We did pass an empty counter with a drink cooler behind it though, so I’m sure it’s there somewhere. I guess when I think of a cafe I think metal tables and chairs.
The tour ends at the gift shop (don’t they all), where there’s a wall dedicated to fan memorabilia that was left along the roadside after Prince’s death. I love the fact that they cherish the things people took the time to leave in memory of him and didn’t trash it all. It looks like a section of chain link fence with some very creative items attached, like hand decorated shoes, shirts, jewelry, and even license plates (LUVSXY). Brian mentioned they occasionally rotate the items too, so it keeps the display fresh and everything gets a chance to be in the spotlight.
Let’s talk about the gift shop. Pretty much everything that’s available on site is also available online, with the exception of a few items like specialty pins, necklaces, t-shirts and hoodies, and the infamous tomborocca, which apparently was pretty hard to find at one time. The shop is small but adequate, and offers what I could call typical gift shop items; books, pins, key chains, necklaces, shirts, hats, scarves, jackets, and hoodies. But, another gripe coming up in three, two, one…
Nothing has price tags. The price lists are in these clear, letter sized plexiglass holders and you have to scan the list to find out how much anything is. We were literally passing one around among a few of us. And if one isn’t available, then people ask one of the two available sales associates what something costs. Which slows down the line, in an already small space. You don’t even need a pricing gun to fix this issue. It would only take thirty minutes maximum to use the same printer that you used to print the price lists, to print actual signs and hang them above merchandise so people can see how much the items cost. So if you plan to spend any time in the gift shop, allot yourself at least thirty minutes, and expect to hear a lot of “how much is this?
If you’ve hung in there with me so far, here are my final thoughts.
I enjoyed the tour overall. The hour and forty minutes felt just right and there was a nice balance between tour guide narrative and time for everyone to explore each area or exhibit on their own.
When Paisley Park first opened, I felt a little torn as a Prince fan. He was such a private person that it felt wrong, but he also had a huge ego which should’ve made it feel more ‘right.’ And I had to consider the fact that there was no will to be found, which left the family in a difficult position.
Did it open too soon? Maybe. Let’s use Elvis as an example. Elvis had been gone for five years by the time Graceland opened. Paisley Park opened six months after Prince passed. But, you have to keep in mind there were property taxes to be paid, and somebody had to keep the lights on and maintain the building. Judge if want, but would you rather it open to the public or watch the government seize the property and auction it off to the highest bidder?
I like the fact that the property is being managed by Graceland Holdings LLC now. They have a lot of experience in preserving precious history, and seem to have brought some organization to the initial chaos. As they continue to go through his belongings, they’ll be a better judge of what should be on display and for how long. Even lights can take a toll on items on display so the pieces will need to be rotated in and out carefully.
Do I think this is what Prince would’ve wanted? Yes. Not like we were best buds or anything, but ultimately I think he would’ve wanted Paisley Park to become a museum. I think he probably would’ve wanted to see it executed a little differently, but I think the property will get there eventually.
What I don’t want to see happen is his image plastered everywhere like Elvis’ was. Can you imagine Prince bobble heads, or seeing his face a pair of underwear or floating inside a snow globe? I hope the family manages to heavily restrict the rights to his image and likeness, so any items that may be manufactured maintain some tact, respect, and dignity.
Would I go back? Yes. I look forward to seeing the property mature and the new exhibits that will be created as they dig deeper into his personal belongings. New exhibits will make for different experiences for repeat customers. Whatever happens with the ongoing drama and legal battles, my hope is that he is truly resting in peace. It’s weird but sometimes I honestly miss him like he was a member of my family. And something tells me I’m not alone.
Forever a fan,
Angela
