How to Visit Paisley Park
How to Visit Paisley Park
By Explore Minnesota
Anyone wondering how Prince ended up in Minnesota should ask Paisley Park guide Nnamdi Darlington, who shared this tidbit during a recent tour: “He said, ‘When I stay in Minnesota, I can be me.’”
No kidding. Outside of Graceland, there’s nothing quite like the mythic complex Prince called home for nearly 30 years. Here is everything you need to know about visiting it.
Step into the Prince-themed atrium on a tour of Paisley Park / Paisley Park and NPG Records
WHAT IS PAISLEY PARK?
Paisley Park is one of Minnesota’s most popular museums, a state-of-the-art recording studio, and live music venue in Chanhassen, about 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. The entire structure is 65,000 square feet and sits on roughly nine acres of land.
Prince lived in this silver structure for nearly 30 years, recorded dozens of albums, as well as inviting friends and colleagues to record their own albums in the space. It’s a unique space for Prince and music fans to celebrate and honor his legacy and music.
Prince sang about his beloved home in 1985’s song “Paisley Park” with the lyrics “Admission is easy, just say U Believe, and come 2 this Place in your heart, Paisley Park is in your heart.”
Paisley Park was Prince's recording studio, residence and performance venue / Paisley Park & NPG Records
WHERE IS PAISLEY PARK?
Paisley Park is located in Chanhassen, just 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. It’s surrounded by hotels, restaurants, shops, and is near the popular Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.
Prince loved living in Minnesota and once said, “I like Hollywood. I just like Minneapolis a little bit better."
He also told Oprah, "I will always live in Minneapolis. It's so cold, it keeps the bad people out."
Find more things to do in Chanhassen.
The Ultimate Experience at Paisley Park / Credit: Paul Vincent
WHICH TOUR SHOULD I TAKE?
Prince's legacy as an iconic Black artist who championed equality in the entertainment industry is explored in three different tours: a 90-minute Paisley Experience ($75), a two-hour VIP Experience ($110), and a three-hour Ultimate Experience ($199). Each one includes access to the estate's main floor; permanent collection pieces like costumes, shoes and "Purple Rain" props; several recording studios; a sprawling rehearsal space; and the private NPG Music Club where Prince would often perform for guests.
The more you pay, the more you see. For more details on what rooms, artifacts, playback sessions and exclusive screenings are included with each tier, check out Paisley Park's ticketing page.
Prince's longtime performance space at Paisley Park / Credit: Paul Vincent
If you are a big Prince fan, I highly recommend adding on extra time to your visit to take a walk down to the memorial tunnel located just outside Paisley Park. There you'll find a moving display of love from around the world in the form of murals, banners, poems and handwritten messages.
Make sure to bring your own Sharpie, just in case you feel inspired to leave a message of your own!
Paisley Park offers ASL Interpreters. Requests must be submitted via their contact us page or emailed to info@paisleypark.com at least 10 business days prior to your scheduled tour. Please note that photos, video and audio recordings are prohibited inside Paisley Park except for a few select locations.
Stokley performs at Celebration 2023 / Kevin Mazur for Getty
WHEN CAN I SEE A CONCERT OR THE CELEBRATION FESTIVAL?
Attending a concert at Paisley Park is a great alternative to a tour, because you can still see some of the costumes, cars and artifacts on display. The acoustics are also incredible, and the soundstage is full of frenetic energy; you can't help but imagine what it was like to see Prince get on stage and rock the mic.
Special events like the annual Celebration festival often include special programming as well — everything from exclusive listening sessions to panel discussions to dance parties.
Find out more about Celebration 2025 here, including how the June 20-24 event is planning on marking the much-anticipated 40th anniversary of "Purple Rain".
Prince's "Purple Rain" house / Eric Ogden
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER IMPORTANT PRINCE SIGHTS?
Fans can take a self-guided tour of Minneapolis to celebrate Prince's life and legacy. Find murals and iconic spots like First Avenue and the Purple Rain house was part of Airbnb's special Icons series. (Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman of Prince band The Revolution were named as its hosts.)
Prince also pops up in other areas around Minnesota, including a Prince statue in Henderson, the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in New Ulm, and the infamous Lake Minnetonka.
Read more about how Prince ended up in Chanhassen, Minnesota, over at the Star Tribune and check out a music-driven Minneapolis trip that included a Paisley Park stop below.