MEREDITH WILLSON BOYHOOD HOME – Mason City, Iowa
Description – In this 1895 modified Queen Anne Style home, Meredith Willson, who immortalized his hometown in the musical The Music Man, was born in 1902. The house is now filled with family memorabilia and period furnishings.
A home-town boy who made it big, Meredith Willson was born in Mason City, Iowa on May 18, 1902. The performing bug bit him early on, but his first love was always his music. At the young age of 17, he left Mason City to study music in New York. He soon earned a place with the legendary John Phillip Sousa band and then the New York Philharmonic.
After composing hundreds of songs, Willson turned to writing a musical comedy about his state and hometown. Taking over five years to write, The Music Man opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957. The show was an instant hit. A few years later, the movie version of The Music Man premiered in Mason City at the Palace Theater.
Admission – None
Directions – south of U. S. Highway 18
Address: 308 S Pennsylvania Ave, Mason City, IA 50401
Hours – 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Friday – Sunday, May – October, or by appointment
Credit Cards – None
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