There's four key museums, historic sites and attractions that belong on the itinerary of any Waylon Jennings road trip.
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Beyond the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, there's another site in Nashville that brings great stories about Jennings to life through artifacts from his career. Outside of Tennessee, there's a spot in Jennings' hometown that's a family affair, plus a historic venue that's part of the shared legacy of Jennings and his fellow Texan, Buddy Holly.
Read on for four places every Jennings fan should visit.
Waymore's Liquor Store (Littlefield, Texas)
The crown jewel of Waylon Jennings museums has got to be this roadside attraction that doubles as a drive-thru liquor store. Its impressive collection of Jennings' personal items and other memorabilia can be found in his hometown, near Lubbock, Texas.
The store and museum is owned by Jennings' younger brother James.
Surf Ballroom (Clear Lake, Iowa)
Jennings famously played bass for Buddy Holly on the rock pioneer's final tour. He narrowly missed out on a seat on the plane that crashed on Feb. 3, 1959, claiming the lives of Holly, the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) and Ritchie Valens.
The final venue to host a Holly concert, the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, is still open and doubles as a music history museum that chronicles "the Day the Music Died" and other pop culture touchstones.
Willie Nelson & Friends Museum (Nashville, Tn.)
This hidden gem in Music Valley is across the street from the Grand Ole Opry and next door to the Nashville Palace.
It's a celebration of a bygone time in country music, themed around Willie Nelson and his peers and collaborators. Jennings get represented, both as one of Nelson's fellow outlaws and a member of The Highwaymen.
Highlights include Jennings' well-worn luggage, the passport from his time as a Highwayman and the boot jack he used to easily slip on and off western footwear.
Read More: Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter: A Classic Country Love Story
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Nashville, Tn.)
The Hall of Fame is a must-visit, if only to see the plaque of Jennings, a 2001 inductee, in the museum's hallowed rotunda. There's plenty more Jennings artifacts to browse, especially if you catch the Outlaws & Armadillos: Country's Roaring '70s exhibit, which tells the story of how outsiders in or from Texas shaped a period of creative freedom from Music Row restrictions.
Outlaws & Armadillos: Country's Roaring '70s runs through June 5, 2022.
