ABOUT THE JIM IRSAY COLLECTION

Jim Irsay’s passion for rock music, American history and pop culture led him to assemble a robust collection of historic and culturally-significant artifacts over several decades that together make up The Jim Irsay Collection.

The collection is highlighted by musical instruments and items owned and used by the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, The Edge, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and other icons, as well as signed photos, handwritten lyrics, and other historic music memorabilia. In 2022, his collection of guitars was highlighted as “The Greatest Guitar Collection on Earth” by Guitar Magazine.

Irsay, owner & CEO of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and an active philanthropist, regularly loans items to museums, nonprofits and other organizations for display and research. Items have been displayed at the U.S.’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), The Lincoln Memorial, the world-famous Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Indiana State Museum; as well as at The Centre Pompidou (Paris), the British Library (London), Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome) and other locations around the world.

"Over the years, some remarkable guitar collections have featured in the pages of this magazine. But, in terms of owning historic instruments with rock ’n’ roll credentials and sheer spending power, nobody can top Jim Irsay." READ ARTICLE

"The list of items [in The Jim Irsay Collection], spanning centuries, is extraordinary. And regardless of your area of interest, there will be something there that will blow your mind." READ ARTICLE

"As much of a spectacle as the cover sets might be—with Irsay backed by members of John Mellencamp’s band and R.E.M., among others—they’re simply a warmup act for the main attraction, Irsay’s massive and still-growing collection." READ ARTICLE

Smells like team spirit: Billionaire Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay shares his collection of rare guitars at a free exhibition after splurging $4.4 million on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's Fender Mustang READ ARTICLE

"Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is displaying his world-renowned collection of historic memorabilia to the public for the first time in the Big Apple. Irsay joined Cheddar News to talk about why he's bringing artifacts from the Beatles to Jerry Garcia to light now." WATCH VIDEO

"Bloomberg caught up with Irsay in advance of the [concert and exhibit in New York]. He talked about how much putting together a world-class collection costs and what it would take for him to part with it." READ INTERVIEW

"The focus [of the collection] is on powerful people who changed the world. 'I have JFK, his rocking chair, Jackie Robinson's bat that he hit a homerun World Series with, Muhammad Ali's shoes from the Thrilla in Manila against Joe Frazier,' Irsay said. 'It's so eclectic because it's everything.'" READ ARTICLE

"To call Irsay’s collection breathtaking would not do it justice. Items on display ran the gamut from historical artifacts — such as letters from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth and the Atlantic Charter signed by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt — to pop culture items such as Hunter S. Thompson’s “Red Shark” 1973 Chevrolet Caprice convertible." READ ARTICLE

"[Irsay’s] objective is not to pursue items that are merely expensive... It's also not enough that an item simply be rare. Rather, Irsay seeks items of significance that are tied to seminal moments, the kind that occur once in a lifetime." READ ARTICLE