Downtown L.A. Museum Turns Rock Relics Into ‘Tower Of Song’ Spectacle

The GRAMMY Museum will open its new exhibit, Tower of Song: Iconic Songwriters & Recordings, on May 28, 2026 at its downtown Los Angeles location. The ongoing show pulls together crown jewel artifacts across genres, from Kurt Cobain’s Mosrite Gospel electric guitar to Prince’s gold rimmed glasses and Keith Moon’s gold Premier drum kit, alongside handwritten lyrics by Neil Diamond and Allee Willis.

Exhibit highlights

Housed in the museum’s Fourth Floor Gallery, Tower of Song pairs objects tied to Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees and recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame with immersive media, an original film and a digital interactive that asks visitors what makes a song great. The GRAMMY Museum lists highlights including Kurt Cobain’s Mosrite Gospel electric guitar, Miles Davis’ red lacquer Martin Committee trumpet, the LinnDrum and Ensoniq Mosaic synthesizers used by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Prince’s gold rimmed glasses and Allee Willis’ handwritten lyrics for “September.”

Opening program

A public program at the museum’s Clive Davis Theater will coincide with the May 28 opening and will feature Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Jimmy Jam and Diane Warren, followed by a reception, organizers said. The exhibit will also include an original film with interviews from writers including Carole King, Alan Menken, Diane Warren and Jimmy Jam as they talk through their creative processes. “The GRAMMY Museum is where people can engage more deeply with the music of yesterday and today, discovering influences, uncovering context, and connecting with artists and songs in a meaningful way,” Jasen Emmons, the museum’s chief curator and vice president of curatorial affairs, said in a statement to MyNewsLA.

Why it matters

Presented in partnership with the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the show draws on the Grammy Hall of Fame to frame hit records as cultural artifacts and teaching tools. The Recording Academy reports the Grammy Hall Of Fame currently totals 1,179 inducted recordings, and organizers say Tower of Song uses that archive to show how songs are written, recorded and remembered.

Practical info

Tower of Song opens Thursday, May 28 and will remain on view as an ongoing exhibit in the GRAMMY Museum’s Fourth Floor Gallery at L.A. Live. For tickets, hours and accessibility information, see the GRAMMY Museum.