Lainey Wilson – Tough as Nails: Everything You Need to Know About the Newest Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit

In just one more step in the whirlwind of Lainey Wilson’s sparkling career, an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame exploring the country singer’s ascent to stardom has been announced.

The museum is set to open the exhibit on July 18, with it being aptly titled ‘Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails’.

The Nashville-based organization surprised us with news of the upcoming exhibition on social media, and it sounds like it’ll be digging into the 'Watermelon Moonshine' singer’s life, journey and music.

Tough As Nails has been curated to explore the Louisiana native’s ascent to stardom and her identity both as a pragmatic farmer’s daughter and the free-spirited originator of “bell bottom country”.

A look at some of the exhibition’s highlights on the Country Music Hall of Fame website gives a glimpse at what’s to come in July.

Wilson's known for her bold, fun Western style, and the exhibit is going to be home to some of her best looks, including her 2023 CMA Awards hat and jumpsuit and the funky outfit she was wearing when she made her Grand Ole Opry debut in February 2020.

We know that Wilson is endlessly proud of her homegrown country roots, in fact, they might just be what’s made her Tough As Nails, so it’s no surprise that the exhibition is also the new home to gems like her childhood saddle and her high school cheerleading squad outfit.

Her journal she kept when she was just sixteen is giving us an impression of how ambitious teenage Lainey was: “My dream is to become a country singer/songwriter. I know I can do it,” she wrote. She’s always had faith in herself, and this new celebration of the country star suggests that Music City has a lot of faith in her, too.

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The Louisiana hitmaker has taken the country world by storm the last few years, but there's much more to her story than you might think.

With countless more gems to be seen, stories to be heard and secrets to be told, this exhibit is a must see for any fans of the 'Somewhere Over Laredo' songbird.

The exhibition will be running until June 20, 2026, giving fans plenty of time to head over to Nashville and learn just a bit more about what made Lainey Wilson the legendary bell-bottom-wearing queen she is.

Maybe some fashion advice will be on offer, too?

It follows on from the Luke Combs: The Man I Am exhibition that explored the North Carolina singer’s roots, and will be sitting alongside the Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker exhibit, meaning Wilson is in very good company.

For more information on Lainey Wilson: Tough As Nails, including dates, tickets and exhibit details, head here.

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Lainey Wilson

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