A new Tom Petty exhibit will be showing at The Cade Museum of Creativity and Invention starting July 22 and running through January.  

The new exhibit titled, “Tom Petty: Among the Wildflowers,” follows the music journey of Petty through his album, “Wildflowers,” released in November 1994. The exhibit features artifacts that were on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.  

“The Petty Legacy is committed to investing in the new artists, creators, and inventors that will come out of Gainesville,” stated Adria Petty, Tom’s daughter, in a press release. “The Cade Museum is a beacon for this. Our dad was such an unassuming and wonderful man like the late Dr. Cade I know he would be humbled by this honor. The legacy of the Cade Museum uplifts and facilitates this spirit of invention and discovery. We could not be more thrilled that this important exhibition will travel from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to our dad’s hometown in Central Florida.”  
 
Throughout this exhibit, guests can hear first-hand accounts from Tom and the team that made “Wildflowers” about the album’s inception.   

The exhibit space is divided into three segments of artifacts: songwriting, recording, and reception and delivery.  Some of the artifacts on display will be the original guitar and outfit from the 1995 Rolling Stone Magazine cover featuring Tom Petty, original lyric sheets and instruments used during recording.  

The exhibition draws heavy inspiration from the 2021 documentary “Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free – The Making of Wildflowers” directed by Mary Wharton and produced by Adria Petty, eldest daughter of Tom Petty and partner in Petty legacy, along with her sister, Annakim Violette, and stepmother, Dana York Petty.    

“Tom Petty: Among the Wildflowers” will be open from July 22 through Jan. 1, 2024, during museum hours, which are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday to Sunday. Visitors can purchase tickets here.