Hall of Fame Announces it will Double in Size

A rendering of 5th Avenue expansion

The Country Music Hall of Fame announced Thursday that it plans to double its size by 2014.

Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame hopes to expand its floor space by more than three football fields, which could triple the room for its exhibits.

The expansion is all part of a shared four-story connection with the Omni Nashville convention hotel, now under construction. Museum Director Kyle Young says it will house a children’s gallery, restaurants, and an exhibit space for the Hatch Show Print.

Mayor Karl Dean says with 450,000 visitors walking through its doors each year, there’s no telling how many people the museum will draw once it’s expanded.

“I mean just think of when the women’s Final Four is held here in 2014 and just think when the National Rifle Association is here with about 15,000 members. I mean the attendance to this great museum will go up dramatically.”

Museum officials first announced the intent to expand in December. Since then, they’ve raised $56.8 million towards the expansion’s $75 million price tag.