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Reply #390 posted 10/25/16 3:05pm

Mkilpatrick74

Mkilpatrick74 said:[quote
Been outta the loop for almost a month now....

]what did I miss? Is PP not open for tours anymore since the initial few? I'm seeing posts about council meetings and folks who had purchased tickets getting canceled?
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Reply #391 posted 10/25/16 3:08pm

malbena

Mkilpatrick74 said:

Mkilpatrick74 said:[quote Been outta the loop for almost a month now.... ]what did I miss? Is PP not open for tours anymore since the initial few? I'm seeing posts about council meetings and folks who had purchased tickets getting canceled?

They voted again yesterday and it is now approved. Paisley Park is officially open for tours.

This is my normal life. These marital standards cannot be recreated with money.
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Reply #392 posted 10/25/16 4:10pm

Mkilpatrick74

Nooriginalusername said:

We took the General Admission tour because I couldn't afford the VIP with the expense of getting there and the concert. I was beyond pleased with our experience. The tour guides need ALOT of training. I had to feed them the information and correct misinformation about basic stuff several times. The ones we had clearly weren't big Prince fans, if at all, so that was an odd vibe. I was the only one in the group who immediately started the tears as soon as I got past the entrance and was standing to enter the atrium. The urn was really well done, beautiful actually and I was skeptical. The guides presentation of though was very sterile - "Now its time to pay your respects" then they put their heads down had a moment of silence and then popped up their heads, put on the smile and led us to the other rooms. eek I didn't let them herd me off, stuck around, grabbed a few tissues and took my time. From that point, we just followed the groups. There was a feeling of being rushed but I just didn't move with the group and no one complained, so I went with taking my time to take it all in. Studio A was very special. Just to absorb all that has happened in that room over the years was overwhelming. It's truly a magical music factory in those walls. Overall, the themed rooms were very well done, the artifacts were wonderfully chosen and it was just a priviledge to be present in his space. There were wonderful videos of Prince performing throughout but the loop in the rehersal space with footage of his Piano and Microphone performance at Paisley is phenomonal-particularly since the set is still there-as it was the night he performed. But the highlight for me was at the end. There is the full video of Prince's SuperBowl performance on large screens. I have always loved this performance and was so completely in the moment. I wasn't aware of anyone else in the room, just standing there wiping my tears but with a smile. I felt a very gentle pat on my arm and heard "Thank you so much for coming." I looked beside me and there was Tyka. She was there with other family and they had joined the group and were watching our reactions to the footage. It was a really beautiful moment. She went around and shook hands, gave hugs and thanked us personally. She was completely gracious and sincere and it was obvious that she loved how much we loved her brother. There are issues to be worked out at Paisley but it was a once in a lifetime experience and I hope they are able to make this work. I just hope that the management will implement more training and more exhibits that provide a deeper and wider knowledge of Prince and who he was for future generations and those who aren't as familiar with him.



Oh wow seriously? Now it's time to pay your respects? Ughhhhh!!!! Please I pray someone emailed and gave them a few pointers on what to say in this room! I pray I get the honor of standing in that very room someday so I may say a real goodbye and would love to say a prayer there.
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Reply #393 posted 10/26/16 7:08am

musicfan77

avatar

Mkilpatrick74 said:

Nooriginalusername said:

We took the General Admission tour because I couldn't afford the VIP with the expense of getting there and the concert. I was beyond pleased with our experience. The tour guides need ALOT of training. I had to feed them the information and correct misinformation about basic stuff several times. The ones we had clearly weren't big Prince fans, if at all, so that was an odd vibe. I was the only one in the group who immediately started the tears as soon as I got past the entrance and was standing to enter the atrium. The urn was really well done, beautiful actually and I was skeptical. The guides presentation of though was very sterile - "Now its time to pay your respects" then they put their heads down had a moment of silence and then popped up their heads, put on the smile and led us to the other rooms. eek I didn't let them herd me off, stuck around, grabbed a few tissues and took my time. From that point, we just followed the groups. There was a feeling of being rushed but I just didn't move with the group and no one complained, so I went with taking my time to take it all in. Studio A was very special. Just to absorb all that has happened in that room over the years was overwhelming. It's truly a magical music factory in those walls. Overall, the themed rooms were very well done, the artifacts were wonderfully chosen and it was just a priviledge to be present in his space. There were wonderful videos of Prince performing throughout but the loop in the rehersal space with footage of his Piano and Microphone performance at Paisley is phenomonal-particularly since the set is still there-as it was the night he performed. But the highlight for me was at the end. There is the full video of Prince's SuperBowl performance on large screens. I have always loved this performance and was so completely in the moment. I wasn't aware of anyone else in the room, just standing there wiping my tears but with a smile. I felt a very gentle pat on my arm and heard "Thank you so much for coming." I looked beside me and there was Tyka. She was there with other family and they had joined the group and were watching our reactions to the footage. It was a really beautiful moment. She went around and shook hands, gave hugs and thanked us personally. She was completely gracious and sincere and it was obvious that she loved how much we loved her brother. There are issues to be worked out at Paisley but it was a once in a lifetime experience and I hope they are able to make this work. I just hope that the management will implement more training and more exhibits that provide a deeper and wider knowledge of Prince and who he was for future generations and those who aren't as familiar with him.

Oh wow seriously? Now it's time to pay your respects? Ughhhhh!!!! Please I pray someone emailed and gave them a few pointers on what to say in this room! I pray I get the honor of standing in that very room someday so I may say a real goodbye and would love to say a prayer there.

...as Prince would say......They need to go to a Prince class. smile

It's a shame that the guides are not more knowledgeable. I too felt a bit rushed but I took my time to take it all in and I had the VIP package. I am so grateful, I got to sit at the man's piano and pose next to his guitar.

There were several people in my group crying and turning as not to let people see them crying. It is sad even though Prince is in the place he loved. I went up close to the glass where the urn is contained and said "We love you Prince". The people around me agreed and one woman behind me said, We sure do.

Then there were tears again at the end watching the superbowl show and how he performed in the rain, the Pro that he is and the charm he encompasses.

fan for life
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Reply #394 posted 10/26/16 7:16am

musicfan77

avatar

3rdeyedude said:

ksl1974 said:

Gotta admit....I'm skeptical of the whole "urn" thing too. Part of me hopes there really aren't ashes in there. Cause if there are....it's not "all" of him. And I've hated that since I was little....people being cremated, and then the ashes being separated. Maybe some spread at sea, some home to different family members, etc etc. I've always felt ashes should be kept together. (whether it be in an urn or spread somewhere). Just creeps me out thinking "oh so and so has some of the ashes, this other person has some..." I like keeping the person all "together" for lack of a better term. Its all just my personal preferance. I don't think it's WRONG to divide them up....just makes me personally uncomfortable!

They know they can get away with it because you can't check or verify it. I guess it is not important. It is just symbolic but I feel an unecessary part of the tour. We all know he died.

I am still waiting to hear your proof of the ashes not being in there

fan for life
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Reply #395 posted 10/27/16 10:04am

musicfan77

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mHXyFDHXWo

He mentions something about the egg building to be a place for food storage to help out the community who didn't have food. Somewhere around 6 minutes in.

fan for life
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Reply #396 posted 10/27/16 11:02am

musicfan77

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq4ZzbpgOEA&index=6&list=RD6mHXyFDHXWo

Prince talks about Minnesota and Paisley Park and the fans preserving Paisley Park.

fan for life
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Reply #397 posted 10/27/16 10:34pm

dplatt

I'm going to visit PP this weekend and have a VIP tour booked. I'm trying to avoid reading most of this thread because I want to go in not really knowing what to expect, but I've got a question for those that have done the VIP tour:

How rushed does it feel? Do you really feel like you have enough time to appreciate everything?

The reason I ask: I'm coming into town specifically for this. Flying in that morning, doing the tour, then flying back out that evening. I'm considering doing BOTH the VIP and regular tour, thinking it would give me time to appreciate things and take in everything I want to see. But, on the other hand-- if I don't do the second tour, I could easily fit in a drive to the Mall of America to see the exhibit there.

Am I crazy? Would two tours be too much?

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Reply #398 posted 10/27/16 11:08pm

northernrain

dplatt:

no, two tours would not be too much! I did the VIP tour two weeks ago, and I keep reliving it in my mind. I'm sure I missed a lot because it was just so much to take in all at once (even though I was there for two hours). Visually, acoustically, emotionally...there was a lot going on! I wish I had done the VIP tour and then had a chance to go back and just wander through again and pick up on little details that get missed, especially when you're being guided through in a group. Maybe get outside and stretch and take a break, clear your mind, process things a little before you go back in for the second round, but you will be glad you did. Especially if you live far away as I do. The reality is that I will probably never get a chance to go again. sad

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Reply #399 posted 10/28/16 5:04am

rogifan

musicfan77 said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mHXyFDHXWo



He mentions something about the egg building to be a place for food storage to help out the community who didn't have food. Somewhere around 6 minutes in.


I watched it and it sounds like he was talking about people that worked at Paisley and other properties he owned. In this clip he talks about taking money out of the equation which is interesting...in that 2011 interview with George Lopez when he was talking about the internet he said people tend not to value things they can get for free. Seems his view on this evolved over the years.
Paisley Park is in your heart
#PrinceForever šŸ’œ
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Reply #400 posted 10/29/16 9:48am

musicfan77

avatar

dplatt said:

I'm going to visit PP this weekend and have a VIP tour booked. I'm trying to avoid reading most of this thread because I want to go in not really knowing what to expect, but I've got a question for those that have done the VIP tour:

How rushed does it feel? Do you really feel like you have enough time to appreciate everything?

The reason I ask: I'm coming into town specifically for this. Flying in that morning, doing the tour, then flying back out that evening. I'm considering doing BOTH the VIP and regular tour, thinking it would give me time to appreciate things and take in everything I want to see. But, on the other hand-- if I don't do the second tour, I could easily fit in a drive to the Mall of America to see the exhibit there.

Am I crazy? Would two tours be too much?

I took the VIP tour and was there for 3 hours. The guides will try to rush you but don't let them. You are paying to see it.

fan for life
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Reply #401 posted 11/01/16 10:29am

HerecomethePur
pleYoda

Visiting Paisley Park Without Prince Is As Weird As You Think It Would Be

http://uproxx.com/music/p...seum-tour/

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Reply #402 posted 11/01/16 10:39am

nelcp777

HerecomethePurpleYoda said:

Visiting Paisley Park Without Prince Is As Weird As You Think It Would Be

http://uproxx.com/music/p...seum-tour/

Good article, interesting read. Thanks.

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Reply #403 posted 11/01/16 11:00am

NinaB

avatar

HerecomethePurpleYoda said:

Visiting Paisley Park Without Prince Is As Weird As You Think It Would Be



http://uproxx.com/music/p...seum-tour/



Interesting he had a copy of Manly P. Hall's 'The secret teaching of all ages'.
"We just let people talk & say whatever they want 2 say. 9 times out of 10, trust me, what's out there now, I wouldn't give nary one of these folks the time of day. That's why I don't say anything back, because there's so much that's wrong" - P, Dec '15
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Reply #404 posted 11/01/16 2:35pm

rogifan

HerecomethePurpleYoda said:

Visiting Paisley Park Without Prince Is As Weird As You Think It Would Be



http://uproxx.com/music/p...seum-tour/



He says the no alcohol policy in the NPG Music Club is a JW thing. Is that true? I thought it was more a Chanhassen thing. Easier to get approvals for concerts if there's no alcohol allowed. I'm not aware of Prince having this policy at events outside of PP.
Paisley Park is in your heart
#PrinceForever šŸ’œ
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Reply #405 posted 11/01/16 2:46pm

rogifan

NinaB said:

HerecomethePurpleYoda said:

Visiting Paisley Park Without Prince Is As Weird As You Think It Would Be



http://uproxx.com/music/p...seum-tour/



Interesting he had a copy of Manly P. Hall's 'The secret teaching of all ages'.

Also The New Oxford Annotated Bible which is over 2,400 pages. eek
Paisley Park is in your heart
#PrinceForever šŸ’œ
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Reply #406 posted 11/02/16 12:41am

oliviacamron

avatar

NinaB said:

HerecomethePurpleYoda said:

Visiting Paisley Park Without Prince Is As Weird As You Think It Would Be



http://uproxx.com/music/p...seum-tour/



Interesting he had a copy of Manly P. Hall's 'The secret teaching of all ages'.

Know your enemies. Know their symbols, their background,thier members and affiliates, their plans. eye
[Edited 11/2/16 15:55pm]
I asked Prince what he was planning to do. He told me , I'm going to look for the ladder. I asked him what that meant. All he said was, sometimes it snows in April. - book D.M.S.R.
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Reply #407 posted 11/04/16 5:42am

wonderboy

I really enjoyed our tour on 10/28 at 9:20 (3rd tour group after PP had been officially sanctioned as a museum). We did the VIP tour and had a total of 7 in our group (3 of us and 4 other fans).

The staff clearly did not have everything down yet but they were extremely nice. They did not put themselves up to be Prince experts, they communitcated what they knew and fans could fill in the gaps as they wish.

Nothing new to report. Folks have done a good job reporting details here. One thing I will say is that I did not see any clocks. I really lost my sense of time in Paisley Park and I did not want to leave. As it turns out, we finished up 2 1/2 hours after entering the building.

I did have the pancakes and the rest of my party had some other choices. All great.

They are still working on new offerings and I plan to go back next year.

We also went to all the other Prince related sites in the area. Electric Fetus was really cool. I can see why Prince liked that place. Saw a concert in First Avenue which we really enjoyed.

Mall of America had a great display on Prince from Paisley Park. They plan to take it down on the 14th so get out there to see it soon. It's free.

I was disappointed with the Hard Rock in Mall of America. They did have a couple Prince outfits on display but they should have at least a Prince booth.

I would recommend going.
[Edited 11/4/16 5:43am]
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Reply #408 posted 11/05/16 1:53am

givegoodlove

avatar

Glad to see some of you had great experiences on the tours. I wish I could give u a fun story, unfortunately I was completely disappointed with my VIP tour and pretty much gave the tour myself.
Let me start by saying that I was interviewed TWICE to work here and still was not hired. I guess telling them that P inspired me to move to MPLS and even taking a pay cut would hinder me both times from landing a dream job. To talk about his work and listen to his music all day, dream job bar none to me. But apparently they want non-fans to not get us excited and read pre-written scripts unenthusiastically to us was a waste of 2 VIP tickets.
I read someone talking about the egg building being food storage where my tour guide told me right now it's nothing, just gutted out and never finished šŸ˜‘. After three wrong factoids and rushing us along to stand and wait outside of doors that I've already seen on tours when P was alive, I seriously couldn't bite my tongue any longer and just tuned him out and gave my mom my own tour. In the galaxy room there is a picture of Andy allo on the corner, my tour guide didn't know who she was....
There was ONE mention to his name change which IMO is pretty important but not the important album that came from it. No mention of 3121, AOA or hit & run. The environment to me has lost its luster, paying $100 and change per ticket to hear stories I've known almost my whole life and watching clips I've seen many times in the video editing room, I probably won't be back until they offer me a position. But I probably feel a little offended being that my tour guide who was so disappointingly unknowledgeable in employed there giving VIP tours to people like me regurgitating incorrect information.

On the bright side Kirk scanned out tickets to get in, I did get to joke around with his nephew a little bit and talk about some of the PP parties of the past mad I did beat everyone in my group in ping pong in studio B šŸ˜Œ

We weren't even offered any food...

[Edited 11/5/16 1:55am]
[img]https://instagram.com/p/BMXEgBglnkB/[/img]
[Edited 11/5/16 3:12am]
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Reply #409 posted 11/05/16 10:45am

Doozer

avatar

4th day of November - we got a purple high.
.
My wife and I travelled from Texas to Minneapolis for a VIP tour at 10:20 am on Nov 4 and a GA tour at 9:30 pm the same day. It was our first trip together without children in 12 years. So, major deal for us on many accounts.
.
Our morning VIP tour was great. We were greeted at the PP doors by staff very warmly - first questions were "Where are you from?" not "what tour are you here for. Lots of smiles. Our guide had basic information pretty much correct, but like others here have said, don't go to PP expecting to leave with information you didn't already know if you've been on the org for more than 6 months. Just go to experience the opportunity to pay your respects and see where so much magic happened.
.
Prince's remains are in the atrium, within earshot of his doves (which are 24 years old - that was the one bit of info I didn't know). Also in the Atrium and elsewhere:
.
1. Smaller displays for Dirty Mind and Controversy behind glass, including Prince's handwritten early lyrics for Soft and Wet. There are Lovesexy and Black Album rooms coming Spring 2017 off the Atrium, too.

2. The letter from the Obamas offering condolences is framed in the Atrium. Really touching.

3. There's a Diamonds and Pearls room off the Atrium with a few outfits from the era.

4. The SOTT room off the Atrium is great - my personal favorite era. The peach outfit from the film with the black tie is there, along with his jean jacket worn during The Cross from the SOTT film, which is playing in the room. The peach drum kit is in there, too. The fur jacket worn in the U Got the Look video is there as well.

5. Prince's office is right off the Atrium and is awesome to see. A small conference table and a surprisingly small desk with a purple phone, and his rolling suitcase is nearby. Family photos (mostly children - his nieces/nephews) are there. The walls are gold in there.

6. The editing suite was nice to see, but they're showing material that you've likely seen before: 21 Nights footage and backstage Musicology tour footage that has been online for a while. It's played from a older Mac setup with Final Cut Pro.

7. Studio B was fun. His piano and guitar are roped off due to the stupidity of others, but it's a good photo op still if you buy the $10 USB drive. We politely asked for a shot together and shots individually and the woman running the camera said yes, but to keep it quiet. Prince's ping pong table is set up as has been reported. Scott, part of the security team, challenged the 7-8 of us on the tour to a match. I stepped up - it was a 2-2 tie.

8. Inspiration hallway with the mural was cool and our guide knew the names of everyone in the mural. Many of the wall graphics throughout the studio could be better quality, though - there are pretty bitmapped photos and lyrics that are very low resolution if you take a moment to study them.

9. Studio A was surprisingly large with a puzzling door 12 feet high on the wall that no one had an explanation for. The guide played a snippet of an instrumental track recorded with Kirk, Crutchfield and Mono Neon. It should really see a release as well. Sounded great.

10. The Purple Rain room is in Studio C, previously used for choreography rehearsal. Prince's personal case bound copy of the script, motorcycle (one of the stunt models) and the baby purple piano that he played Let's Pretend We're Married on during the tour is there, complete with scuff marks on top from his heals.

11. UTCM and Graffiti Bridge are together in one space. The art from the Parade album on the walls is great, along with the drum kit and amps from the Parade tour. The GB display has a couple outfits, his leather jacket and motorcycle.

12. History hall is full of era-specific photos and awards. Loved being right next to him s 1989 American Music Award that he accept saying "I guess I like surprises. I hope you do, too. I can't thank you enough for this." I watched that acceptance live, and there was the award he was holding. Very cool to see.

13. The large performance space has a large projection of his Jan 2016 piano show. They REALLY need to make this show available. It was nicely shot and the sound was superb.

14. The NPG Music Club room is relatively small - playing a mix of music. I heard a redacted "Scarlet Pussy" with backmasking every time the word "pussy" is sung, which flowed into "Mountains."

15. The Super Bowl performance and a small sampling of items left on the fence is really well set up. We watched the entire 14 minutes in silence. A master at work.

16. The merch is mostly reasonably priced, but sorely missing to me is any music for sale.

17. We shared a Minnesota Grilled Cheese from his kitchen and it was delicious.

We returned at 9:30 at night for our GA tour. We were the last ones admitted in for the night, and rather than send us on a 2-person GA tour since we were the only ones there, they let us join a VIP tour that was already in the Atrium after asking if we'd mind, since they recognized us from the morning. That was a nice upgrade. The 9:30 guide was not nearly as prepared as our morning guide, pointing out "Apple-aye" on the inspiration mural. But, she wasn't pretending to be an expert.
.
We also visited the Mall of America exhibit space which was EXCELLENT for the $0 price. The suit worn at the RRHOF ceremony is there, the teal jacket and guitar from the Super Bowl performance, Prince's personal script from UTCM, the My Name is Prince video chain mask hat, the sky suit from the Raspberry Beret video, the tall chair from the Plectrum Electrum cover and more. There's a small selection of merchandise- not the full selection available at PP. Highly recommend this exhibit and hey - the MOA is pretty cool to see also.
.
We visited First Avenue, saw Prince's gold star, and walked the long walk from there to the Electric Fetus. Cool store. The had two new copies of The Family on vinyl for $13 btw.
.
Very fun and emotional weekend getaway for us. Just sad that we didn't make it when the magic was in full swing.
Check out The Mountains and the Sea, a Prince podcast by yours truly and my wife. More info at https://www.facebook.com/TMATSPodcast/
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Reply #410 posted 11/06/16 7:25am

musicfan77

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Doozer said:

4th day of November - we got a purple high. . My wife and I travelled from Texas to Minneapolis for a VIP tour at 10:20 am on Nov 4 and a GA tour at 9:30 pm the same day. It was our first trip together without children in 12 years. So, major deal for us on many accounts. . Our morning VIP tour was great. We were greeted at the PP doors by staff very warmly - first questions were "Where are you from?" not "what tour are you here for. Lots of smiles. Our guide had basic information pretty much correct, but like others here have said, don't go to PP expecting to leave with information you didn't already know if you've been on the org for more than 6 months. Just go to experience the opportunity to pay your respects and see where so much magic happened. . Prince's remains are in the atrium, within earshot of his doves (which are 24 years old - that was the one bit of info I didn't know). Also in the Atrium and elsewhere: . 1. Smaller displays for Dirty Mind and Controversy behind glass, including Prince's handwritten early lyrics for Soft and Wet. There are Lovesexy and Black Album rooms coming Spring 2017 off the Atrium, too. 2. The letter from the Obamas offering condolences is framed in the Atrium. Really touching. 3. There's a Diamonds and Pearls room off the Atrium with a few outfits from the era. 4. The SOTT room off the Atrium is great - my personal favorite era. The peach outfit from the film with the black tie is there, along with his jean jacket worn during The Cross from the SOTT film, which is playing in the room. The peach drum kit is in there, too. The fur jacket worn in the U Got the Look video is there as well. 5. Prince's office is right off the Atrium and is awesome to see. A small conference table and a surprisingly small desk with a purple phone, and his rolling suitcase is nearby. Family photos (mostly children - his nieces/nephews) are there. The walls are gold in there. 6. The editing suite was nice to see, but they're showing material that you've likely seen before: 21 Nights footage and backstage Musicology tour footage that has been online for a while. It's played from a older Mac setup with Final Cut Pro. 7. Studio B was fun. His piano and guitar are roped off due to the stupidity of others, but it's a good photo op still if you buy the $10 USB drive. We politely asked for a shot together and shots individually and the woman running the camera said yes, but to keep it quiet. Prince's ping pong table is set up as has been reported. Scott, part of the security team, challenged the 7-8 of us on the tour to a match. I stepped up - it was a 2-2 tie. 8. Inspiration hallway with the mural was cool and our guide knew the names of everyone in the mural. Many of the wall graphics throughout the studio could be better quality, though - there are pretty bitmapped photos and lyrics that are very low resolution if you take a moment to study them. 9. Studio A was surprisingly large with a puzzling door 12 feet high on the wall that no one had an explanation for. The guide played a snippet of an instrumental track recorded with Kirk, Crutchfield and Mono Neon. It should really see a release as well. Sounded great. 10. The Purple Rain room is in Studio C, previously used for choreography rehearsal. Prince's personal case bound copy of the script, motorcycle (one of the stunt models) and the baby purple piano that he played Let's Pretend We're Married on during the tour is there, complete with scuff marks on top from his heals. 11. UTCM and Graffiti Bridge are together in one space. The art from the Parade album on the walls is great, along with the drum kit and amps from the Parade tour. The GB display has a couple outfits, his leather jacket and motorcycle. 12. History hall is full of era-specific photos and awards. Loved being right next to him s 1989 American Music Award that he accept saying "I guess I like surprises. I hope you do, too. I can't thank you enough for this." I watched that acceptance live, and there was the award he was holding. Very cool to see. 13. The large performance space has a large projection of his Jan 2016 piano show. They REALLY need to make this show available. It was nicely shot and the sound was superb. 14. The NPG Music Club room is relatively small - playing a mix of music. I heard a redacted "Scarlet Pussy" with backmasking every time the word "pussy" is sung, which flowed into "Mountains." 15. The Super Bowl performance and a small sampling of items left on the fence is really well set up. We watched the entire 14 minutes in silence. A master at work. 16. The merch is mostly reasonably priced, but sorely missing to me is any music for sale. 17. We shared a Minnesota Grilled Cheese from his kitchen and it was delicious. We returned at 9:30 at night for our GA tour. We were the last ones admitted in for the night, and rather than send us on a 2-person GA tour since we were the only ones there, they let us join a VIP tour that was already in the Atrium after asking if we'd mind, since they recognized us from the morning. That was a nice upgrade. The 9:30 guide was not nearly as prepared as our morning guide, pointing out "Apple-aye" on the inspiration mural. But, she wasn't pretending to be an expert. . We also visited the Mall of America exhibit space which was EXCELLENT for the $0 price. The suit worn at the RRHOF ceremony is there, the teal jacket and guitar from the Super Bowl performance, Prince's personal script from UTCM, the My Name is Prince video chain mask hat, the sky suit from the Raspberry Beret video, the tall chair from the Plectrum Electrum cover and more. There's a small selection of merchandise- not the full selection available at PP. Highly recommend this exhibit and hey - the MOA is pretty cool to see also. . We visited First Avenue, saw Prince's gold star, and walked the long walk from there to the Electric Fetus. Cool store. The had two new copies of The Family on vinyl for $13 btw. . Very fun and emotional weekend getaway for us. Just sad that we didn't make it when the magic was in full swing.

The food is excellent...... especially, the kale chips. The chocholate mouse cake, the sampler is delicious. The only thing missing with the pancakes, is I don't think they were made with lavender so I would inquire about that. You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy the food. It is really good.

fan for life
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Reply #411 posted 11/06/16 8:43pm

oliviacamron

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givegoodlove said:

Glad to see some of you had great experiences on the tours. I wish I could give u a fun story, unfortunately I was completely disappointed with my VIP tour and pretty much gave the tour myself.
Let me start by saying that I was interviewed TWICE to work here and still was not hired. I guess telling them that P inspired me to move to MPLS and even taking a pay cut would hinder me both times from landing a dream job. To talk about his work and listen to his music all day, dream job bar none to me. But apparently they want non-fans to not get us excited and read pre-written scripts unenthusiastically to us was a waste of 2 VIP tickets.
I read someone talking about the egg building being food storage where my tour guide told me right now it's nothing, just gutted out and never finished šŸ˜‘. After three wrong factoids and rushing us along to stand and wait outside of doors that I've already seen on tours when P was alive, I seriously couldn't bite my tongue any longer and just tuned him out and gave my mom my own tour. In the galaxy room there is a picture of Andy allo on the corner, my tour guide didn't know who she was....
There was ONE mention to his name change which IMO is pretty important but not the important album that came from it. No mention of 3121, AOA or hit & run. The environment to me has lost its luster, paying $100 and change per ticket to hear stories I've known almost my whole life and watching clips I've seen many times in the video editing room, I probably won't be back until they offer me a position. But I probably feel a little offended being that my tour guide who was so disappointingly unknowledgeable in employed there giving VIP tours to people like me regurgitating incorrect information.

On the bright side Kirk scanned out tickets to get in, I did get to joke around with his nephew a little bit and talk about some of the PP parties of the past mad I did beat everyone in my group in ping pong in studio B šŸ˜Œ

We weren't even offered any food...

[Edited 11/5/16 1:55am]
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[Edited 11/5/16 3:12am]

That's why I'm not going VIP. I would want my tour guide to love Prince and know everything
I asked Prince what he was planning to do. He told me , I'm going to look for the ladder. I asked him what that meant. All he said was, sometimes it snows in April. - book D.M.S.R.
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Reply #412 posted 11/13/16 7:04pm

michiganfan04

So Iā€™ve been lurking here since Princeā€™s passing and on Oct. 29 visited PP with my husband. Somehow he found out about the Paisley Park tours before I did! Anyway, in late August on the day tickets went on sale I bought two VIP passes. Like most here I was freaked out the tour wouldnā€™t happen (we had non-refundable, non-changeable airline tickets), but fortunately five days before our tour PP was approved as a museum and we were on our way to Minneapolis as planned!
Our first stop in town after picking up our rental car at the airport was the 78th Street Caribou, which Prince frequented. We used to have Caribou in Michigan and miss it so much. Their hot chocolate is the best!
We stayed in the small, quaint town of Excelsior about 5 miles north of PP. I canā€™t really recommend our B&B, as it was in rougher shape than I was expecting and quite chilly during our stay, but the town is adorable and well worth a walk through. It also has some great eateries.

After chilling at the B&B for a few hours we drove over to PP.
When you get inside they ask if youā€™re General Admission or VIP as there are two separate lines. We had GA and VIP tickets, for two reasons: 1. I was freaking out Oct. 24 after the city council meeting, unsure of whether previously purchased tickets would be honored. I thought Iā€™d cover us by buying GA, which are cheaper. 2. I wanted more time in there than 1.5 hours, and didnā€™t want to dawdle and slow our group down or delay other tours.
When we showed our tickets at the desk, my phone was too dim and I had to brighten the display -- a good reason to print your ticket out if you get the chance. A lady scanned the code and she took our phones and locked them in this little pouch that we kept on us. Weird, but I guess they donā€™t want to be responsible for holding onto peopleā€™s cellphones.
There was a guy there not in the uniform (the purple tunics) who was asking people if they were on the 2:10 tour. It was well past 2:10 so I figured they were running behind. Then they said, ā€œ2:10 and 2:30 tours this way,ā€ so I guess grouping groups is their way of keeping things on track. And our group was quite large, probably 25 people. Definitely bigger than what Iā€™d been reading sizes were.

As our tour began I immediately understood the criticism of the guides I had been reading about here. Our guide, while a nice lady, was shaky on details. Her spiel was not flowing easily and she had a soft, non-commanding voice. Most people were ignoring her and just moving around in the atrium, which is what I thought the GA tour was to begin with (no guide, wander on your own). She did get a few things right, like saying the doves were 24 years old. Our VIP guide, who was 99% great, said, ā€œWe donā€™t know. We think 20.ā€
The point where she said, ā€œPrinceā€™s ashes are in this replica of PPā€ or however she phrased it was rote and non-emotional. I didnā€™t see anyone crying, although I see there is a small loveseat and boxes of tissues nearby in case anyone needs them.
I believe just beyond that loveseat is the disguised elevator. There is a cutout piece of wall with a lock on it.

We wandered around, into and out of the SOTT and D&P rooms and peeking in the tiny kitchen. Like many, I was surprised that PP wasnā€™t bigger. I pictured the atrium as being three or four times the size it actually is. Ditto for the studios.
I wonā€™t go through everything we saw, but suffice it to say I loved looking at all the memorabilia and like someone here mentioned I found the lack of his music or videos playing constantly a glaring omission. It made the GA tour feel a little blah to me.
We wrapped up our GA tour without buying anything, including food. Big mistake as I was really hungry by the middle of the VIP tour.

Anyway, we got our phones back and walked around to the front door only to turn them in again as we had our tickets scanned for the VIP tour at 4.
I saw our guide from the GA tour back in the lobby and freaked, thinking sheā€™d be giving the VIP tour, too. Fortunately I was wrong and we had a great guide, a guy named Mitch. He had a loud voice and a commanding presence and mostly knew his stuff (see previous estimation of dovesā€™ age). He got us all talking as we waited for an earlier group to exit the atrium, asking us where we were from. Fyi, we had folks from Dallas, Maryland, Thunder Bay, Ontario (!) and a couple from Denver who saw Prince on his very first tour (!!). There also were some locals who drove by PP all the time, but never had been there.

Because of Mitchā€™s command of the group, the moment with the ashes had the gravity it should have and folks gathered around the urn and were quiet and respectful.
After, he let us wander around the atrium and into the SOTT and D&P rooms, as well as the office. Just want to mention both our times in the office there was staff in there, which I think was a suggestion I saw here in this thread. The second time I asked what the white object was at the end of the table (answer: lightbox) and the guide stood more in the center of the room than near the exit door.

The video editing room was an extra bonus for VIP guests. A relative of Kirk's (Sean?) was in there answering questions. He worked at PP, as did his mom he told us. He said about eight current staffers were there when Prince was alive. Anyway, he played us footage from the Musicology tour in Detroit, which was one of my earliest dates with my husband. I believe he prefaced it by saying it was exclusive footage, but of course we know it's on YouTube. Still it was a cool moment.
Then we saw again the PR room, UTCM and GB room, but this time saw both studios and I had my pic taken in Studio B. I was a bit PO'd that because my husband didn't want to appear in a pic with me I had just one shot. The couples had multiple photos taken, three or four. Next time I'm twisting his arm and he's getting in the pic.

We saw another room and as I'm writing this part tonight, I can't remember what he called it. The meditation room?? There was a pic of Andy Allo in the corner. No one but me knew who she was.
Unlike our GA guide, Mitch knew everyone on the 3121-era banner. Our GA guide called Apollonia "Apple-ina." Oy.
We went again to the soundstage (where Mitch impressively noted the purple Yamaha piano is on loan, not owned by PP) and the NPG club, this time sitting down in the latter and relaxing. After two hours standing it felt great to sit. The local couple reflected on the fact they always intended to come to see Prince play at PP, but never did. Mitch noted he himself had been there 10 times while P was alive.

Tour finished with the Super Bowl video, which mesmerized most guests, us included. We looked at the fan memorabilia from the fence again, and then went and ate in the tent. I really wanted kale chips but they had none that day. Sob! I settled for a cowgirl cookie and a spicy apricot and avocado smoothie. Both were incredible and I want the recipes!

The rest of our weekend was awesome and included visiting F. Scott Fitzgerald sites in St. Paul (my husband is a huge fan), going to Mall of America to check out the third floor PP store (awesome, some really cool stuff here like PR storyboards), going to a First Avenue, driving through Uptown and Calhoun Square to get to Electric Fetus, eating at People's Organic in Eden Prairie (so-so, better cowgirl cookies at PP) and driving to the Kiowa Trail house site. We loved PP and the Twin Cities area, but will wait until summer and more to be added at PP. Apparently Prince's garage may become another stop on the tour, in addition to the Lovesexy room.
[Edited 11/13/16 19:05pm]
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Reply #413 posted 11/28/16 1:09pm

AudioErotica

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[Edited 11/28/16 13:12pm]

[Edited 11/28/16 13:13pm]

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