Muscle Shoals Sound Studio Tour in Sheffield Alabama

Stand in the rooms where the Swampers built the sound that rewrote rock and soul

A 40-minute guided tour of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, the legendary recording facility founded in 1969 by the Swampers. The studio has been authentically restored to its original state between 1969 and 1978, with vintage equipment in the control room and the orange carpet in the party room intact. A live English-speaking guide leads the tour. The studio remains a working facility and is wheelchair accessible with on-site parking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

• Enter the iconic recording studio
• Explore vintage control room equipment
• See Swampers' party room
• View bathroom where Keith Richards worked
• Sit at Paul Simon's piano
• Shop studio merchandise

The experience

Forty minutes inside the studio where the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Boz Scaggs, Leon Russell and Rod Stewart came to record. The Swampers (the session musicians who founded the place) built a sound so distinctive that artists flew to Sheffield to capture it. The building looks exactly as it did during those years: the control room upstairs still holds the vintage equipment they used, and downstairs the orange carpet in the party room is the same one they walked on between takes.

The tour is led by a live guide who walks you through the spaces where these records happened. You can sit at the piano Paul Simon played on Kodachrome. You can step into the bathroom where Keith Richards finished Wild Horses. The studio is still a working facility. You might hear music being made while you're there. Merch is available to support the non-profit that manages the operation.

The studio is wheelchair accessible, on-site parking is available, and public transportation options are nearby. Infants sit on an adult's lap. Show your booking voucher at the door as proof of purchase. Masks are currently required and capacity is limited in accordance with state and federal guidelines.

What’s included

• Professionally guided tour led by a live guide in English.
• access to the restored control room with vintage equipment, the party room with original orange carpet, and the spaces where artists recorded.
• on-site parking.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to Saturday6 departure times: the first at 10:30, the last at 15:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Child (under 7)

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 16 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessiblePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

Is this one for you?The studio is in Sheffield with on-site parking, so you don't need a car or a ride arranged: walk in and the guide takes it from there. If you're staying elsewhere in the area without transportation, public transit stops nearby.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 7).

What artists recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio?

The studio produced hundreds of hit records by the Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, The Staple Singers, Leon Russell, Rod Stewart, Rival Sons and Linda Ronstadt, among many others. The Swampers, the session musicians who founded the studio in 1969, created a signature sound that drew recording artists from around the world.

Can I see the actual rooms and equipment where the records were made?

Yes. The studio has been authentically restored to look exactly as it did between 1969 and 1978. The control room upstairs contains the vintage equipment used during those years, and you can see the original orange carpet in the Swampers' party room downstairs. You can sit at the piano Paul Simon played and visit the bathroom where Keith Richards worked on Wild Horses.

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts 40 minutes and is led by a live guide in English.

Is the studio still used for recording?

Yes, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio remains a working facility. You may hear music being recorded during your visit.

Is there parking and how do I get there?

On-site parking is available at the studio in Sheffield, Alabama. Public transportation options are also available nearby. The studio is wheelchair accessible.