MINNEAPOLIS _ Minnesota's ultimate Prince fans will have a unique opportunity to work inside _ and preserve _ Paisley Park when daily tours of the music legend's Chanhassen complex and studio begin Oct. 6.
To prepare for thousands of visitors from across the globe seeking a Prince pilgrimage, operations managers will hold a job fair Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. Full and part-time work is available in food service, security, marketing and tour operations, among other positions.
Paisley Park staff will showcase the private music sanctuary and archive the vast collections of recordings, costumes and artwork housed on-site. Experience in the tourism and hospitality industry and knowledge of Prince's legacy are beneficial, but not required, organizers said.
"This is going to be a new day for tourism and hospitality, a new part of the brand for the region: entertainment tourism," said Kevin Kern, a Paisley Park spokesman. "It will definitely revolutionize the experience for the visitor to the area."
Anyone interested in becoming part of the opening team should bring a completed application and resume to the job fair. Applications can be downloaded at officialpaisleypark.com, under the JOBS link. For those unable to attend the job fair, applications can also be sent to jobs@officialpaisleypark.com.
Fans snapped up hundreds of tickets for tours of the 65,000-square-foot complex after they went on sale late last month.
Trustees for Prince's estate are partnering with Graceland Holdings LLC, which has been involved with the operation of Graceland, Elvis Presley's home in Memphis, since 1982.
Paisley Park sits on just over 9 acres of land and opened in 1987. It contains recording studios and a soundstage that was formerly rented to other artists, as well as Prince's private apartment, which will not be part of the tour.
On the tour, fans will have the chance see Prince memorabilia ranging from his concert costumes to his seven Grammys and instruments.
General-admission tickets cost $38.50 for a 70-minute self-guided tour of Prince's recording and mixing studios, his video-editing suites and concert hall. The $100 VIP experience includes an expert guide, a 30-minute longer tour, photo opportunities and a peek at more of Prince's personal archives.
Tours will run seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fans will be kept on a tight tour schedule. Ticket holders will be allowed inside the parking lot only 20 minutes before their tour and have 10 minutes to leave after their tour.
Tickets can be purchased only at officialpaisleypark.com. Fans can buy tickets for tours up until Dec. 31. Tickets for 2017 will be sold at another time.
An official Prince tribute concert will be held on Oct. 13 at the U.S. Bank Stadium.
