Pop culture is the shared language of generations. From the music we sing to the movies we quote, pop culture reflects and shapes society in real time. For students, it’s a powerful entry point into history, storytelling, and identity. Museums and attractions that highlight pop culture phenomena offer immersive, curriculum-rich experiences that connect what students love with what they’re learning. From Broadway stages to Hollywood backlots, these destinations give young travelers a front-row seat to the forces that have influenced American life and global media.
MIDWEST
Take a deep dive into the history of broadcast in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The Pavek Museum honors the ways in which electronic communication has impacted society over the years. With more than 12,000 square feet of showroom space featuring antique radios, televisions, and broadcast equipment, this unique attraction is perfect for students with an interest in the communication arts and digital media. Collections at the museum include The Mullin Collection of artifacts representing audio and sound-recording history and The Charles Bradley Collection of antique radios and phonographs. Other exhibits focus on the science behind these fascinating technologies, their roles in film and other media, and the ways in which these dynamic mediums have evolved with technology over time.
Groups touring the Pavek Museum also can choose from an array of educational youth programs that teach students about coding, the broadcast process, and electromagnetism.
The Surf Ballroom & Museum in Clear Lake, Iowa, was the site of the final concert of rock pioneers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson on Feb. 2, 1959. Just hours later, the three legends and pilot Roger Peterson were killed nearby in a plane crash, an event that became known as “The Day the Music Died.”
Students can learn that history, as well as the history of this iconic music venue, through guided tours and educational programs now held at the ballroom. Tours also can access the museum’s Music Experience Center Immersive Space, allowing students to explore the science of sound through multisensory and interactive experiences. Even though the Surf Ballroom’s most famous event is many decades in the rear view, the exhibits today prove that the music is very much alive and well for all to enjoy,
Elsewhere, be sure to keep in mind Detroit’s Motown Museum in the future. “Hitsville U.S.A.” is set to undergo a $75 million expansion this October, suspending tours for roughly a year before unveiling a fantastic new experience about this famous American music genre. Don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes!
NORTHEAST
The Northeast offers students many opportunities to engage with America’s storied theatrical and cinematic heritage.
At the Museum of the Moving Image in the New York City borough of Queens, the phrase “movie magic” perfectly describes the hands-on experiences awaiting student groups. The museum’s core exhibition, “Behind the Screen,” reveals the creative and technical processes behind film and television production.
“Our guides share their own background in film and animation as they explain concepts,” says Norah Tyler, manager of school programs and group visits. The space incorporates about 1,400 artifacts, including historic cameras, television sets, sound equipment, costumes, and modern-day examples of moving images.
Through hands-on activities throughout the exhibition space, students begin to see how the iconic moments they see on screen can become part of the American lexicon, shaping humor, identity, and shared memory across generations.
In the heart of the theater district, New York’s Museum of Broadway offers an extraordinary journey through the evolution of the American musical. Its core “Timeline” exhibit features artifacts, costumes, and interactive multimedia displays that showcase more than 500 landmark productions that changed the course of theatrical history. Students can see firsthand how musicals like “West Side Story” and “Hamilton” didn’t just entertain but also sparked conversations, challenged norms, and produced cultural touchstones still relevant today.
These works don’t just live in their moment—they endure. Quoting a line from “Hamilton” or singing a refrain from Rodgers and Hammerstein becomes a kind of cultural shorthand. Students come away with a new understanding of pop culture, not just as entertainment but also as a shared archive of who we are and who we aspire to be.
Credit: MOPOP
SOUTHEAST
They don’t call Nashville, Tennessee, the “Music City” for nothing—it’s a capital of American music history, proudly displayed for all to see.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum offers an unparalleled look at America’s homegrown musical tradition. Inside immersive galleries, students explore diverse artifacts like instruments, stage wear, and one-of-a-kind recordings that tell the story of country music through the lives of those who shaped the sound. “Visitors are invited to attend programs, which include live performances, workshops, and more,” explains Dana Romanello, director of museum sales.
One standout experience for high school performing arts groups is the recording session at Historic RCA Studio B, where legends like Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton recorded. “Upon arriving at this iconic studio, the students are treated to a personally guided tour that not only covers the history of the space … but also the history of recording technology and Nashville’s evolving music industry,” Romanello notes.“After the tour, the students have the honor of making their own recording—and history—in this hallowed space.”
WEST
The West Coast offers student groups opportunities to explore the epicenter of American entertainment production.
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood in Burbank, California, invites students behind the lens of their favorite television shows and films. The experience kicks off in the “Storytelling Showcase,” where students trace the studio’s evolution from early producer of silent films to crafting today’s streaming hits.
Then it’s off to the backlot—10 distinct areas across 110 acres—where students walk the same streets featured in nearly 400 iconic films and shows. From the replicated streets of New York to the sets of the DC Universe and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, pop culture becomes tactile, dynamic, and alive.
In San Francisco, The Walt Disney Family Museum offers a deeper dive into the vision behind one of American culture’s most influential forces. Told largely in Walt Disney’s own voice, the museum weaves his biography with the evolution of animation. With galleries filled with early sketches, concept art, animation cels, and the revolutionary multiplane camera, students witness how innovation and imagination built a brand synonymous with storytelling. The museum’s education team offers both guided tours and school experiences to K-12 school groups, including a variety of activity-based workshops tied to Disney’s legacy and the animation process.
“Our mission is twofold: to inform present and future generations about Walt and, through his story, to inspire them to heed their imagination and persevere in pursuing their goals,” explains Natalie Chan, school and outreach coordinator. “Many students are already familiar with Walt’s films, and our workshops give them the opportunity to learn a little more about the man behind the magic.”
If Disney is the mecca of American storytelling, then Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) is its genre-blending playground. Housed in a building shaped like a smashed guitar, MOPOP invites students to explore how music, movies, games, fashion, and fandom intersect to shape the world we live in.
“Inside, visitors can explore a rotating lineup of exhibitions on topics like music, film, video games, fashion, and fandom,” says Michele Y. Smith, MOPOP CEO. “From iconic artifacts like Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock guitar and Darth Vader’s costume to interactive sound labs and recording booths, each exhibition is designed to engage visitors of all ages through participation and storytelling.”
In MOPOP’s Sound Lab, students can participate in hands-on activities that allow them to channel their inner producer and explore the mechanics of music and audio production. “They can experiment with real instruments, record their own tracks in isolation booths, and learn about songwriting, mixing, and rhythm,” notes Smith. “The lab demystifies the creative process behind the music they hear every day and encourages them to create and collaborate.
From coast to coast, America’s pop culture destinations offer educational experiences that resonate with today’s media-savvy students while providing substantial curriculum connections. By engaging with the creative processes, historical contexts, and technological innovations behind their favorite entertainment, students gain deeper appreciation for the artistry and collaboration that shape America’s cultural landscape.
By Michael C. McLaughlin
Main Image: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville, Tennessee; Credit: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
