People watching orchestra - music history sites

Self-guided · County in Alabama

Music History Sites in Winston County, AL

Opera houses, dance halls, bandstands and studios, the places where the area's music was played, heard and recorded.

History books cover the big events in a chapter each. The places those events touched are scattered across counties like this one. Winston County is one of 67 counties in Alabama.

Musicians playing banjo, guitar, and mandolin outdoors - music history sites — Photo: Brooke Balentine on Unsplash

Group of men playing musical instruments - music history sites — Photo: Austin Loveing on Unsplash

People sitting on red chairs inside building - music history sites — Photo: Kenny Filiaert on Unsplash

On the record near Winston County, AL

The 12 nearest

35 listed sites on the record match music history sites within 200 miles of Winston County, AL, out of 14 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 3 listed sites carry Winston County as their county.

Cotaco Opera House39 miles from the center of Winston County · Building · Decatur · listed 1986National Register of Historic Places
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio44 miles from the center of Winston County · Building · Sheffield · listed 2006National Register of Historic Places
Fort Payne Opera House99 miles from the center of Winston County · Building · Fort Payne · listed 1970National Register of Historic Places
Park and Bandstand102 miles from the center of Winston County · Structure · Gainesville · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
Sterling Holloway 1905-1992124 miles from the center of Winston County · Polk County · marker erected 1998Georgia historical marker program
Medora Field Perkerson128 miles from the center of Winston County · Floyd County · marker erected 1961Georgia historical marker program
Sacred Harp Singing134 miles from the center of Winston County · Carroll County · marker erected 1980Georgia historical marker program
House of David Recording Studio Complex141 miles from the center of Winston County · Building · Nashville · listed 2016National Register of Historic Places
RCA Studio B142 miles from the center of Winston County · Building · Nashville · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
Roland Hayes: June 3, 1887-January 1, 1977142 miles from the center of Winston County · Gordon County · marker erected 1995Georgia historical marker program
Grand Opera House145 miles from the center of Winston County · Building · Meridian · listed 1972National Register of Historic Places
Thomas A. Dorsey: Father of Gospel146 miles from the center of Winston County · Carroll County · marker erected 1994Georgia historical marker program

Distances are straight-line from the center of Winston County, AL. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Music History in Winston County, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Winston County, AL ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Winston County, AL?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Winston County, AL?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Winston County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Winston County, AL the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Winston County, AL are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.