lurker316 said:

Astasheiks said:

The first day after his passing? What day was it?

No, it didn't open to the public until October 6th, 2016, about 6 months after he passed.

Prior to his passing, there were no public tours, so they had to get everything set up: rope off certain sections, hire and train tour guides, create a gift shop, and as previously stated, get permits. They needed to find an experienced company to handle all of that, so they hired the people who provide tours of Graceland. I believe that contract eventually expired and now the Estate manages the tours directly.

sorry about that I didn't word tht correctly, meaning I knew it was some months after his passing but wasn't sure about how many months....

kudos to the Estate...

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

5 - Nights during the June 2000 Celebtraion

7 - Nights during the 2002 Celebration

1 - Drive by to put my drawing on the fence and pay respect a week after his passing

1 - PP tour in 2017.

13 times inside. A handful of other times just driving by, stopping to look/take pics.

You was a Jamming in 2000 and 2002

lurker316 said:

LoveGalore said:

lurker316 said: Yes! FA still does group tours (you have to have a group, can't go as individuals obv). First Avenue is incredible too, it's like the movie but... Not? There is something very surreal about being IN the thing you view on a screen. It's a completely different but familiar feeling!

When I did the First Avenue tour, it was supposed to be a group tour, but literally no one signed up for that particular time slot except me and my friend, so it was just the two of us on the tour. Might have well have been a private tour.

CandaceS said:

lurker316 said:

After I'd bought my tour ticket, plane tick and booked the hotel, the Chanhassen City Council started threatening to not authorize a permit for them to operate tours. Thankfully pressure from the mayor and the public changed their mind. The compromise was that guests couldn't park at the building -- we had to meet up at a strip mall down the street and be bused there.

Ah yes, all that last-minute drama! For awhile, it seemed like all tours on all dates would be cancelled. There was even some question whether refunds would be issued if the tours didn't go ahead. But fortunately, for the little group I went with, things worked out and we were able to switch dates and get in.

I did the VIP tour on October 13. During it, I had my pic taken at the purple piano (actually an electronic keyboard in a grand piano shell) in Studio A. And also saw the urn when it was on full display on the ground floor...definitely very mixed emotions about that.

That was actually my first visit to PP. I returned for the 2017 Celebration, but haven't been back since, even though I've been in the Twin Cities to visit family!

I bet that was surreal seeing that Purple urn...

id love to go but its expensive to go from the UK.

also, dont hate me, but i cant help worrying it might be a bit underwhelming after reading and hearing about it for so long.

how could it possibly live up to the hype (of my own mind)?

Astasheiks said:

Only the Deep Prince Fans/Fams still come on here so I was wondering how many of you all have been to Paisley Park?

I live up the road, so yeah. Many times, but never since he died. I'll never step in that place again.

jasopig said:

Astasheiks said:

Only the Deep Prince Fans/Fams still come on here so I was wondering how many of you all have been to Paisley Park?

I live up the road, so yeah. Many times, but never since he died. I'll never step in that place again.

Why ?

I just went for the first time about a month ago. It was great. I had the 3 hour tour and I found it to be great.

Astasheiks said:

CandaceS said:

Ah yes, all that last-minute drama! For awhile, it seemed like all tours on all dates would be cancelled. There was even some question whether refunds would be issued if the tours didn't go ahead. But fortunately, for the little group I went with, things worked out and we were able to switch dates and get in.

I did the VIP tour on October 13. During it, I had my pic taken at the purple piano (actually an electronic keyboard in a grand piano shell) in Studio A. And also saw the urn when it was on full display on the ground floor...definitely very mixed emotions about that.

That was actually my first visit to PP. I returned for the 2017 Celebration, but haven't been back since, even though I've been in the Twin Cities to visit family!

I bet that was surreal seeing that Purple urn...

That was the craziest part of the tour. It started by letting us into the atrium to mingle and check out the displays on our own, prior to the guided part of the tour starting. The urn was sitting right there, but no one knew what it was. It was shaped like PP, so people thought it was just a scale model to show off the architexture of the complex. When the guide finally started addressing us, so pointed to it and explained it was the urn. A hush went over the crowd. It was a weird feeling. The guide explained that they intentionally started with the urn, rather than end with it, because they didn't want to end on a down note.

I've been to Paisley Park.. for the first Celebration in 2000..

I don't really feel any need to go back there now that he isn't here anymore, it's just another building.. I just see it as a soulless concrete and glass structure, no matter how much PPE want us to believe otherwise.

FunkyStrange said:

When Prince was here, I had always thought it would have been cool to go to Paisley Park, First Avenue, or basically any other Prince related place in Minnesota...But ever since he's gone, I don't have any interest in seeing these places, they are just tinged with too much sadness. Perhaps one day my perspective will change.

LoveGalore said:

FunkyStrange said:

I've been to Paisley Park.. for the first Celebration in 2000..

I don't really feel any need to go back there now that he isn't here anymore, it's just another building.. I just see it as a soulless concrete and glass structure, no matter how much PPE want us to believe otherwise.

I mean, all his shit is still there. That was his home. Doesn't matter if he's alive or not. Not like the place became something else when he was on your. U really are funky AND strange.

Yeah I know the stuff is there, but it's just 'stuff' now. Stuff I've already seen (mostly).

He'll never play any of it again, I just feel there is no soul there anymore and it's just a corporate enterprise now. Not saying people who have never been shouldn't go, that's up to them, but I have no urge to go back there.

My family and I went in summer 2019. We drove from Detroit, with a weekend stop in Chicago first.

We toured Paisley Park, saw First Avenue and the Purple Rain house, the Schmidt music mural and a handful of other "free" Prince-related things. We also went to Electric Fetus.

Around that time, I read/heard a rumbling that Paisley Park might close down due to taxes/etc. and at that moment we planned our trip and got our tickets. Luckily, it still has not closed down!