Pick up an instrument, crank up the volume and make your own music in the museum. Designed to evoke the birthplace of rock bands for decades, The Garage is where you can make music inspired by the greats.
The Garage, presented by The Minoff Family, powered by Sweetwater, consists of five main areas: Fans can pick up real instruments, learn to play, jam with friends, brand your band with custom merchandise, and check out great gear and instruments from the Museum’s collection.
Kick it with real instruments – drums, guitar, bass and keyboards – all set up at dedicated practice stations. Whether you’re playing an instrument for the first time, or are an experienced player, video prompts will guide you as you learn or show off your freestyle skills.
For those who want to jam with their friends or create an impromptu fan band, the Jam space boasts a full band setup, stocked with real, high-quality gear, where you can participate in collaborative audio and video recording or freestyle jam sessions.
Relax, pick up an acoustic instrument – like a guitar or a ukulele – have a seat and strum, or watch one of the bands in the Jam space.
As evidenced throughout rock & roll history, building a great band also involves giving it a visual identity. View a brief exhibit on how some iconic bands got their iconic logos, and then try your hand at creating your own band logos at the Brand Your Band interactive kiosks.
The Garage Gear exhibit highlights great gear and instruments from the Museum’s collection. Fans will see historic instruments in this changing exhibit featuring rock’s tools of the trade. Selected artifacts now on exhibit:
- Original wooden plank guitar prototype made and played by Les Paul
- 6-string Fender Telecaster guitar used in studio by various artists, including B.B. King, Jeff Beck and Johnny Marr of The Smiths, among others
- Ludwig floor tom drum played by Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill throughout her tenure with the group
- Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster guitar with synchronized Tremelo and original custom body, played by Buddy Guy
- Technics Quartz direct drive turntable used by Terminator X of Public Enemy
- Goya 6-string electric guitar played by Debbie Harry of Blondie
- Black Sabbath crash cymbals
- Fender Telecaster 6-string electric guitar played by Susan Tedeschi
- Fender Bassman amplifier used at FAME Studios by Rick and Rodney Hall
