INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Paisley Park Museum Open Despite Zoning Issues, Prince’s Ashes On Display In Atrium

By Merry Strong
Published on: 12:58 PST, Oct 8, 2016

The Paisley Park Museum opened to the public on October 6, despite major zoning and overall safety concerns. According to CBS Minnesota, until the issue is resolved by the Chanhassen City Council, tours will only be available for a limited run. Council members plan to further discuss the problem sometime next week.

As you might guess, scores of anxious fans are more than a little upset with this unexpected turn of events. However, due to a temporary three-day zoning permit, tours of Prince’s amazing compound will be held as scheduled today and on October 14. Ticket refunds are available for those who cannot visit the museum on either of these days.

If and when you do tour Paisley Park Museum, leave your camera at home. A separate CBS Minnesota report indicates that taking photos is strictly prohibited. Posted signage warns guests that violators will be barred for life.

You may or may not be aware that Prince had his own plans to open up his home as Paisley Park Museum one day. Joel Weinshanker, the managing operator of these tours, recently talked to KARE 11 about the singer’s wishes and the tours set up to accommodate thousands of visitors each day.

“What people are going to see here is really all about Prince and what Prince wanted, each and every exhibition, if it wasn’t there already, was actually laid out in detail. Rooms… were taken from emails, texts and messages that Prince had given people who worked there.”

Many fans were surprised and some were even quite shocked to see the urn that holds Prince’s ashes among the memorabilia (in the atrium) on display at Paisley Park. The legendary musician’s office is part of the tour as well. The room remains just as it was on the day he died, complete with important papers on his desk and his briefcase sitting next to it on the floor.

The Purple Rain room seems to be another favorite stop on the tour. It’s home to, among other things, the costumes, keyboard, and motorcycle from the classic movie.

A previously published Inquisitr report indicates that Prince loved his hometown. It’s one of the reasons why he always came back to Paisley Park to live and to work. The 65,000-square-foot compound, which took approximately three years to construct, cost Prince a hefty $10 million. Today, the property is worth much more.

Bret Thoeny was still a young architect when the music icon asked him to design the yet-to-be-named residence. Up until that point, 23-year-old Bret had never attempted a project of that magnitude. But, obviously, the collaboration between the two turned out to be a complete success.

After Prince’s death, Bret was asked why he thought Prince stayed in Chanhassen even though he could have lived anywhere in the world. This is the architect’s response.

“He didn’t want to do it in LA or New York, he wanted to do it in his hometown. Being there to creatively support and give back to his town what it gave him, I don’t think he’d ever want that to change. We really lost a generous, artistic genius today.”

Currently, there is no word as to when Paisley Park Museum will adhere to its original tour schedule. To receive up-to-date information, visit the official Paisley Park website and sign up for email updates. It’s the best way to ensure that you continue to receive all of the the correct tour-related news.

Do you have plans to visit Prince’s Paisley Park Museum? If so, it looks like you’ll have to wait until sometime in 2017. But, don’t panic. It simply means you have more time to plan a fantastic trip. Now, get packing.

[Featured Image by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images]

Share this article: Paisley Park Museum Open Despite Zoning Issues, Prince’s Ashes On Display In Atrium
More from Inquisitr