Paisley Park, Prince's former home and studio in Chanhassen, Minn., will open for public tours as a museum in October and be run by a firm with ties to Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion.
Prince's private compound will open for daily tours starting Oct. 6, according to Bremer Trust, which was appointed to handle Prince's affairs after he died in April. The megastar didn't leave a will, and his estate is working its way through probate court in Chaska, Minn.
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Tours of the 65,000-square-foot complex will include the main floor recording and mixing studios, the private NPG music club and the giant soundstage where he held private events. The tour will include memorabilia and some of Prince's awards. Bremer said it was working with Prince's family on the project.
Tickets go on sale online at 2 p.m. Friday. Bremer didn't disclose prices.
However, a business plan submitted to the city of Chanhassen says standard ticket prices will run $38.50 each. A "VIP Tour experience" will cost $100 or more.
Paisley Park is contracting with a subsidiary of Graceland Holdings, the entity that runs Elvis Presley's Memphis, Tenn., mansion and museum operations, according to the business plan.
Graceland is providing start-up money to finance improvements and initial operating costs tied to the Prince museum.
The business plan anticipates tours at the Chanhassen site will start in 10-minute intervals with groups of 25-30. Peak traffic is forecast at 1,500 to 2,000 people per day.
A Graceland representative called Paisley Park "one of music's greatest landmarks. With 30-plus years of experience caring for Graceland and its archives, we look forward to helping the Prince estate launch and manage Paisley Park tour operations and care for its extensive archives."
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Beyond the Paisley Park tours, Bremer said details also will be coming soon on a Prince tribute concert scheduled for U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Oct. 13.
Minnesota Public Radio News can be heard in Duluth at 100.5 FM or online at MPRNews.org .
