Jimmy Buffett’s Key West recording studio will be recreated inside a new permanent exhibition opening this fall in Mobile, Alabama.
The Jimmy Buffett: Son of a Son of a Sailor Experience opens Sept. 12 at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf. The 6,000-square-foot installation will explore Buffett’s music, travels and lifelong connection to the Gulf Coast.
The recreation of Shrimp Boat Sound will feature personal items from the original studio. Buffett opened the Key West studio in 1986 and used it while recording music with members of the Coral Reefer Band.
The exhibition also promises an immersive concert theater, previously unreleased performance and recording footage, personal photographs and interviews with Buffett’s relatives, friends, bandmates, crew members and business associates.
More than 130 artifacts will be displayed
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More than 130 artifacts will be displayed, including handwritten lyrics, clothing, scrapbooks and other personal papers. Many of the objects have never previously been available for public viewing.
One highlight is Buffett’s 12-string Martin guitar, which he used to write and perform “Son of a Son of a Sailor.” The museum describes the installation as a living exhibition that will continue changing as additional stories and artifacts emerge.
The Mobile location connects to Buffett’s family
Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, but moved to Mobile as a young child. His family had strong connections to shipbuilding and the region’s maritime industry.
The waterfront museum sits across the Mobile River from the former Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co., where Buffett’s parents worked. Its collection also contains artifacts related to his grandfather’s maritime career.
Opening weekend includes concerts and a new statue
Opening festivities begin Sept. 11 with “Margaritas and Memories,” featuring Mac McAnally and Scotty Emerick at Mobile’s Saenger Theatre. Weekend events also include live music, food trucks, a mural festival and the unveiling of a larger-than-life bronze Buffett sculpture.
Adult admission costs $19 and includes both the Buffett exhibition and the rest of the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf. Advance tickets are currently available online. The museum is located at 155 S. Water St. and will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.