Minnesota estate of musician Prince to be opened as a museum

Paisley Park, the estate and studio of the late musician Prince, will operate permanently as a museum after a rezoning request was approved by a suburban Minneapolis city council.

Paisley Park, where Prince died in April at the age of 57, will be opened to the public Friday after a vote by the Chanhassen City Council on Monday night.

Paisley Park Facilities LLC, which operates the property, was previously granted a temporary permit by the city to open it as a museum and gave limited tours this month.

An early-purchase general admission ticket to Paisley Park will cost $38.50 and a VIP tour ticket will be $100.

Over the course of three days of tours this month, the property received between 2,000 and 2,400 visitors, according to city council documents, about 200 visitors per hour.

The city had initially tried to delay plans for a museum, citing concerns about traffic flow and public safety.

As part of Monday's vote, the city council is requiring a study to address traffic issues stemming from fans flocking to the 65,000-square-foot (6,040-square-meter) estate and studio.

Tours would begin on Friday, a website for the property said following the city council decision, and tickets were on sale for tours running through December. Tickets for tours in 2017 were expected to go on sale by mid-November, the website said.

Visitors to Paisley Park will be able to see Prince's flamboyant concert wardrobe as well as his instruments and motorcycle collection, the site said.

The musician blended elements of jazz, funk, R&B, disco and rock in a prolific output of more than 30 albums that have sold more than 36 million copies in the United States alone since 1978. His hits included "Purple Rain," "1999," "When Doves Cry," and "Little Red Corvette."

Prince died from an accidental, self-administered overdose of the powerful painkiller fentanyl, medical officials said in June.

"Prince 4Ever," the first of two albums featuring previously unreleased and unheard tracks from the artist's vault of recordings, will be released on Nov. 22. — Reuters