All you need is love for the Beatles. The Penny Lane Beatles Museum, which has operated in Dunedin since 2017, is officially debuting its new and larger home in Downtown St. Pete this summer.
The new museum, featuring more than 1,000 pieces of Beatles memorabilia, will open at 146 2nd Street North on Wednesday, July 29. Going forward, the museum will be open Wednesday-Sunday from 10 am – 4 pm weekly.
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Long a favorite in Dunedin, The Penny Lane Beatles Museum has been a bit of a hidden gem for Beatlemaniacs, Anglophiles, and music lovers alike. The team says the new space will allow them to expand the already sizable private collection of rare memorabilia, one-of-a-kind pieces, and original artifacts. Items on display include everything from signed guitars and old buttons to actual strands of hair from the Beatles themselves.
Penny Lane makes for a fun addition to St. Pete’s growing museum scene, as it marks the first in town to be focused on musical artists rather than visual. Though it should be said, much of The Beatles’ work transcended mere audio. It also adds to the number of spaces focused on single artists, joining icons like Salvador Dalí and Dale Chihuly.
The museum artifacts come from the private collection of co-founders Dr. Robert Entel and Colin Bissett. A Liverpudlian himself, Bissett actually went to school with Pete Best’s brother and was catching Beatles shows long before Beatlemania began.
The museum is an excellent excursion for Beatles fans, of course, but the founders also designed the experience as a gateway to introduce new fans to the Fab Four. Luckily, they didn’t have to go across the universe to bring this dream to life; just a little ways down US 19.
