Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix

I was a little skeptical about this museum. My parents told me about it, and raved on and on. So we took our young family and gave it a try. So glad we did! This is a multilevel museum in what appears to be a very modern and new building. There are several rooms (all interconnected) that focus on different themes. We started in the North America display. After about 2 hours of fascinating discovery, we realized we should probably speed up the pace! We had only viewed one room among many. The displays are well done, with new (to me) and interesting information. There are headsets you get at the entrance, and listening to each display is very enjoyable. I was fascinated with the drum display in the North America room. As well as some of the artist profiles. And some of the history behind our instruments. The other rooms were just as good. You will probably see instruments you have never heard of before. Listening to music from other cultures was a great way to learn about the people and practices of far away places. Like all good museums, this one goes beyond its stated and overt purpose and begins explore our world, our varying cultures, and our history as humanity, all through the medium of music and instrument. Very well done. Depending on your perceived interest, it would be easy to spend all day here. We had two younger ones, 8 and 10, and so we spent a good 4 hours. For families with younger kids, they have a room dedicated to experimenting with different instruments. Our kids loved this room! They got to tinker around on actual instruments, and it was a good way to end our time here.

Make sure to reserve the whole day for this event. It is so worth the time and money if you are interested in music. They have video screens all over explaining the displays. Music and celebration from all over the world... It was outstanding! I will definitely be going back! This time I'm going to stay all day! Staff was very friendly and helpful too.

One of the best museums I've seen. There's an audio tour with videos of performances by famous museums and of the more exotic instruments being played. Some hands on exhibits. A huge number of instruments from all around the world. One of the best things was the drum circle for very young kids and their parents. Well worth a whole day.

We got to the museum around 10:40am. FOUR hours later, we finally left. I have a music degree and have learned a lot about so many instruments and even had the opportunity to play many of them, but seeing them on display with video recordings of proficient players was such an incredible treat! This is truly worth the price of admission. I should say that we spent 4 hours in the museum and were not part of a guided tour. This was us experiencing the sights and sounds all on our own.

A wonderful experience. More to see than you can do in a day. So well worth it. Start with the building itself. Wonderful architecture and grounds are lovely. The history of the instruments is a fascinating journey.