Musical Instrument Museum Reviews

We heard that we needed two days for this museum, and we most certainly did! An amazing array of instruments and videos awaits travelers, plus a room where visitors can bang or wail away on instruments (lots of percussion!). And the piano in the lobby often offers an impromptu concert, courtesy of talented guests. The cafeteria puts a tasty finish on your visit. Do not miss this! Even if you only have one day, you'll be glad you went.

One of the high points of a visit to Arizona. Spectacular and enthralling. Exhibits for kids and grown-ups. The American wing is fabulous.

Exceptional museum, featuring musical instruments from 200 countries. At the entrance they provide headphones, and in each country you can watch the instruments being played on a monitor and hear how they sound. More than musical instruments, the museum offers an anthropological dive into the countless cultures present on the planet, through music. And our Brazil is very well represented, with its iconic instruments (cavaquinho, berimbau, agogô, among others), and demonstrating different musical and cultural aspects (boi bumbá, forró, samba). If all this wasn't enough, at the end it is possible to try out various musical instruments in practice (banjo, ukulele, harp, oriental instruments, etc.). For those who are more advanced, there is a beautiful Steinway grand piano in the main lobby that can be played by anyone who wants to.

The Museum is very organized. It’s amazing that they have more than 300 musical instrument from all over the world. I love how they have a volunteer tour guide which also provide them a job of what they love. One of our tour guide was great, he is very knowledgeable and passionate about what he’s talking about. Very recommended a world class museum to visit

Wow what a great place!
We had a wonderful time here so much to learn Highly recommended.
We could have spent the day here, The headsets where neat.

Just go. The reviews are correct. It’s one of the most thoughtful museums I’ve ever been to. Every country seems to be represented in music, instrument and traditional celebration garments. The headphones are a must, as they auto play clips when you come within a few feet of the screen. The artist’s room has memorabilia and the experience room allows you hands-on. The small cafe also served a nice lunch. Bonus for the passionate volunteer docents.

I had the pleasure of attending a performance at the museum, where the seating arrangement provided optimal viewing and listening experiences. The museum’s layout showcases its vast historical knowledge and listening experiences. The exterior gardens and water features offer serene and breathtaking views. The gift shop, featuring talented artists music-inspired creations.

Exceeded all expectations. Hands on experience great for grandkids. Performers room is captivating—from Elvis to Hendrix to BB King, etc. amazing. Nice restaurant to relax & reenergize in. Can’t wait to go back. Best to get there early as it gets busy by 11:00 or so.

This museum was amazing in its depth and breadth of exhibits. We went to the special exhibit, featuring Stradivarius and instruments produced prior to that time. After that, we spent a lot of time exploring music from all over the world—and realized closing time was upon us and we hadn’t gotten downstairs! Their self tour system made hearing music at each video screen so easy. Really enjoyed myself and look forward to returning.

A fascinating and beautifully organized museum, a must-see for anyone interested in music. About three hours are needed to fully see and appreciate the museum - we took a break halfway through at their pleasant cafe for lunch. Highly recommend this museum!

The museum was on our list of places to visit in Phoenix since we’ve never been to just a dedicated musical instrument museum.

We ended up spending almost three hours here just for the permanent exhibits. We did not have time to see the Stradivarius exhibition.

We started in the second floor and wandered through the world of instruments. The audio guide was included with admission and connected mostly seamlessly when standing in front the monitors. There were up to five videos and music samples. It added a great perspective on the instrument and being able to hear what is sounded like.

We started in Africa and moved through the entire world ending up in Europe as the final world room. We also found information on how Steinway pianos were designed and made in addition to seeing what a school achieved when they made their own instruments from materials found in the dump and the sound was quite close to the originals!

On the first floor, artists from around the world were featured along with a hands on instrument room.

One could even extend your stay and eat in the onsite cafe.

Really well done multimedia museum experience. Beautiful building and nice vibe. Family including a 14 yo loved it. Spent almost 4 hours and we skipped many areas. Far exceeded expectation

I visited the museum with my 20 y.o. son while on vacation in Phoenix. I was unsure what to expect, but given the impressive online reviews (and that my son is a musician) we decided to give it a try. I had no idea what to expect, but it exceeded any expectation I might have had! The whole second floor is dedicated to the musical history of every country. And, yes, it is a llot of plucked lutes but it is absolutely fascinating. The exhibits highlight the nuances of each culture and you could easily spend hours in just one of the exhibits.

There was also a mechanical music gallery that provided information and history about “self-playing” instruments as well as a demonstration. Again, fascinating to learn about how these operated in the pre-computer age.

Very interesting and learnt a lot about how different musical instruments have come from all around the world and become part of a different country’s culture. Such as the ukulele being adopted by Hawaii

This is a must see for adults and older children with interest in music.Depending on your tastes I would focus on US Canada and Legends section as there is so much here you will envirably go into “museum coma” at some point. Easily spend 4+ hrs here. Went back in evening for concert by Carbon Leaf who I never heard of before. Venue and group spectacular. Don’t miss this one.

The museum provides an amazing glimpse into music from around the world. It is fascinating to wander through the museum and see the instruments. You become immersed in the music as you engage in the videos that accompany each exhibit. We enjoyed taking a break in the cafe as well. The overall experience is outstanding.

Stunning. A world-class experience. Instruments from all over the world, organized by country within continent rooms. Excellent descriptions, and videos of performers playing many of the instruments. We spent about 2.5 hours here; a return visit would be good to take more in. Ample parking. They have an instrument room for kids to bang away; I might have heard a budding Ginger Baker in here.

This museum is awesome. I especially love the room filled with instruments to play with. The amount of different cultures and their music is almost overwhelming, spanning centuries. A must see and hear kinda place!

"If not for music, the soul would have no language."

That quote may not be exact, but it's what I remember and felt from the introductory film that visitors can watch before making their way through the extraordinary Musical Instrument Museum (MIM).

In my former life (before kids), I was a singer/songwriter/rhythm guitarist in a couple different bands. I have always loved music and raised my kids (one of whom is an accomplished musician) to love it, too.

So when we were passing through Phoenix on a last minute trip and I looked up things to do, I was intrigued when MIM appeared at the top of the list! My husband and I made plans to spend a couple hours there but I could have stayed all day. It is a fantastic, interactive, well-thought-out, thorough place containing all things related to music/musical instruments.

After paying the entrance fee, we received the included headsets and made our way to the Orientation Gallery where many amazing instruments are on display, like a custom Beatles-themed Epiphone Casino electric guitar, stringed instruments that looked more like sculptures, and an upright bass whose body was as large as an adult. With the headset on, what you hear automatically changes as you make your way to different video feeds. Pretty cool!

We then went upstairs to walk through the Geographic Galleries to "travel the world through music." It was fascinating to see instruments represented by pretty much every country and also listen to their music! It was fun to see the jazz section and point out that the "old" Selmer trumpet on display was actually newer than the one that we have which belonged to the grandfather I never knew, a jazz musician from St. Louis!

Back downstairs we enjoyed the Artist Gallery which has sections dedicated to artists like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Joan Baez. Very well done! Next to that gallery and with good timing we saw a demonstration of a self-playing instrument that took up the space of an entire wall in the Mechanical Music Gallery.

In between it all, we made a stop at the museum cafe for a quick lunch bite. The food was fresh and tasty and the staff were kind and attentive!

I wish we had more time to spend there! If we lived in Phoenix, no doubt we would go more often and attend some of the live performances they have!

This was the first concert to sell out during early members access in July 2023. This had to be one of the BEST concerts at MIM. The band, vocals, and talent were stellar and over the top. It was one of those wow that was really awesome and entertaining shows. Andrew the no sock Artistic Director gets credit for arranging this concert.

Don Mclean has a new song out called American Boys. It was very good.

Wonderful museum. Allow a lot of time. Instruments and music from all of the world will fascinate you -- nothing like it anyplace else.

Wonderful experience. Traveled the world through music. They also have an area where kids can try out instruments. That was fun.

Was on our list of things to see in Phoenix and did not disappoint. This place is incredible and covers so many countries and music styles. We also went to the special exhibit on "famous" instrument which has some fantastic historical items. We ended up spending 2 1/2 - 3 hours here.

As an instrumentalist, I have been to other musical instruments museums in Europe, so thought this one might be interesting, but didn't have any expectation that I would be blown away by it. It was just incredible! Loved the headphone experience combined with music videos and seeing this wealth of instruments from around the world. We could have stayed so much longer, but ran out of stamina.

Undoubtedly one of the best museums in the world. The range of instruments on show is breathtaking and presentation is outstanding. There is so much to do and see. We had just over 3 hours available to us and barely scratched the surface

Everyone told us to visit this museum, and I couldn't imagine that a museum dealing with musical instruments could be all that great. However, it was fascinating.

They had rooms arranged by continent, showing musical instruments from the various counties there. I loved that they had maps showing where the country was, since my geography skills are a bit lacking. There were screens with video clips of people playing and singing at each display, and we could hear them through the headphones they gave us at the front.

We spent slightly less than three hours there, and didn't see everything, so definitely allow at least three hours for your visit.

We underestimated the time we would like to spend here thinking 2 and a half hours would be enough - it wasn’t!
What a fabulous totally immersive experience using headphones and technology so that when you walk up to an exhibit you hear the music and watch video clips of performances. My favourite part was the hall of musicians - from Elvis to Taylor Swift and everything in between! And instruments from around the world - the exhibits cover 2 floors and there is a gallery where you can have a go yourself 🤗 Just make sure you allow at least 3 hours - and the shop is pretty cool too!

The MIM is one of the best things to see and do in the Phoenix metro area. It is very unique and there are always new things to see. You can spend several hours walking through the museum and listening to the music and instruments. I highly recommend this museum.

What a wonderful experience. I actually found my visit to be emotionally moving. Wonderful to see, hear and move to music from around the world.

We were not expecting anything this elaborate or inclusive. We figured a couple of ours then on to something else. Didn't happen. We should have planned two days. It would take that long just to visit and listen to each exhibit. The demonstrations were fascinating. This place covers everything from archeological finds to synthesizers and beyond. There are conservation spaces with big windows for viewing. If you are a musician, if you ever thought about being a musician, I think you will get a big kick out of this place.

We spent 4 hours and still did not see it all. The displays are interactive, informative, and fascinating. You need to see this museum!

You can spend as much time as you like here reading about, viewing, and most importantly hearing the musical instruments of the world. Just marvelous. I have been hear 2x now, each time for 2-3 hours, and not nearly taken it all in.

Don't be intimidated if you're "not musical." This is an amazing museum, a feast for the hearing AND visual senses. There is so much to see that it can be overwhelming. Each country has an area with representative instruments, folk costumes, etc. As you walk around with your headset on, you hear the music and commentary. It's self-paced -- if you're not interested in what you're hearing/seeing, just move on. Right now there is a special exhibit called "Acoustic America" which will be there until September. The cafe is very good and has fair prices. We had delicious salads.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this place.
It has a huge range of fantastic exhibits displayed in a beautiful purpose built museum.
There is something that everyone will be impressed by, with everything from 15th century Italian violins to Elvis Presley’s guitar.
We’ll worth a visit.
You will spend longer here and look at more exhibits than you expect.

This place is amazing…it’s like the Smithsonian of instruments that are found around the globe. I strongly recommend buying the two-day ticket — it would be nearly impossible to throughly experience the MIM in one-day, and even with the extra day you’d only be scratching the surface. I made the mistake of reading and listening/watching nearly every exhibit within the Africa section, and three-hours later I realized that I had mis-managed my time. The next time we’re in Phoenix we will definitely return…and opt for the two-day pass. Oh, and definitely experience the demonstration of a Belgium-made wall of music (currently noon and 3 pm)…super cool. This place is extremely clean, the architecture stunning, staff very professional, and every exhibit is outstanding. There was a lot of thought and planning in the execution of this gem…great job!

Beautiful display of musical instruments. Amazing collection of so many different kinds of instruments. Some are very old while others are modern including a high tech Yamaha player piano. Worth the time and not boring!

recommended by local family. This is unlike any other museum I have ever seen. The 5 of us spent hours here, including tasty lunch, and managed to cover part of top floor and hands on and a touch of bottom floor. I could have stayed for hours longer. The headphone provided videos are incredible. Music is music the world around and it is amazing the similarities of instruments, but also the vast differences. Appreciated locations to sit, listen, relax. Missed docents. Missed a few of the announcements that came while listening to videos. Plenty of nice clean bathrooms. Pristine building. Will be back to see the rest.

If you have any interest in music, from playing an instrument to listening, this incredible museum is an absolute must if you are visiting Phoenix. Housed in a beautifully designed structure with a vast collection grouped by place of origin (North America, Oceania, Europe, etc.) it is easy to spend hours immersed in the excellently curated collection. MIM has the best electronic guide system we have ever encountered. Admission is $20/person, $10/children, we have found that MIM is a place that requires more than one day to explore. In fact, we became members simply because on our visits we alway go back for a second and third day. MIM also offers a concert series in it's main auditorium that bring in musicians from around the world. The theater seats 300 people and has exquisite acoustics, which means that there really isn't a bad seat in the house. And, because the theater is small, there is an intimacy with the musicians that makes each concert a very special moment. Want to see Jimmy Hendrick's left-handed guitar, or the oldest full-sized guitar in the world, they are on display right now at the Museum. For music lovers of every taste, MIM is an absolute must see.

Not your typical museum! Allow plenty of time to enjoy the videos of music by genre and by country! We "cheated" and started out near the end of the first floor w/ music from more recent years (rock and roll, jazz, guitars) which was great. The acoustic guides are a must and make the displays come to life. You'll enjoy short videos of the musicians/instruments and see the instruments, costumes and a short story about them. The second floor is the 'by country' exhibit which started with Africa and toured the globe. Definitely a place we'll return to. There's a nice cafe with good food to refuel! Recommend coming in morning/short lunch/ wrap up... if you can tear yourself away!

This museum is wonderful, excellent exhibits, of interest to everyone, even non- musicians. Needs many more visits to see all and enjoy. Restaurant is exemplary.

Fabulous museum. Creative presentation of over 7000 instruments and music from around the world. Interactive room allows guests to play unusual instruments also. Don’t miss this museum when you’re visiting Phoenix!

Such a fascinating place! We learned tons about musical instruments but also about cultures around the world. This museum easily rivals the quality we’ve grown accustomed to being so close to the Smithsonian. We spent four hours there with our 7 and 8 year olds.

This is a fantastic full day museum! We didn't get through it all. ;) Also, the onsite restaurant is the best museum restaurant we've ever eaten at.

You will want to allocate enough time to fully enjoy the museum. We were there 2.5 hours and could have spent another 2.5 hours. This museum is extremely interesting. You will enjoy yourself immensely. You wear head phones that will start playing at each individual presentation. The human experience is better with music and you will see how it is a part of every culture around the world.

This is a must visit for musicians & music lovers alike. There were times I practically had to take my jaw off the floor, observing some of these iconic pieces. This is no rinky dink collection of instruments. It is a masterfully curated presentation of instruments from all corners of the globe. I've been to museums all over the world & the quality of this one rivals the collections of the Smithsonian. It is also a great place to beat the Phoenix heat & get your steps in.

Had to walk through most of the time spent there alone, as my husband was having back pain that day but I thoroughly enjoyed it all but wished I would have had more time. He did join me for a tour of the videos of great performers after he had found a place to sit for an hour while I wandered around. Took some great photos of pianos and accordions from the past as my dad played both as his career. Loved the room with instruments to touch where some children had a good time with the drums! Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves and appreciates how music is gifted to us by in so many formats. I followed the rules and didn't use (or need) flash and took only single shots to show my sister.
The building is beautiful and well marked along with a floorplan map so you can go to the exhibits that call to you first.

What a fabulous tribute to the world of music! One man’s collection - for the world to see. Particularly enjoyed seeing Lennons piano, the Canadian section and the CF Martin display!

Absolutely fabulous!! Give yourself and anyone with you a complete day because there is so much to see and experience. This museum covers all music forms from ancient to contemporary, many of the actual instruments, stories of individuals that have contributed to the industry, and so much more. This is a museum for everyone.

We were there for 3 hours and it wasn't enough time. Instruments, historic and modern, from all over the world, with video demonstrations for many of them. There is also a "hands-on" room. This museum is a treasure.

Great museum. The exhibits are amazing very well structure by country to give an insight into the different music cultures around the world. Amazing with teens we were able to get so many insights into different music from around the world. Easily spent 3-4 hours in the museum looking at all the different exhibits. Never would’ve thought there are so many unique instruments.

You could spend a day exploring all the offerings in this museum. There are ancient and current instruments from every country. It is worth buying the extra ticket for the Treasures room. The cafe has very good food for lunch or a coffee break--indoor and outdoor seating. I appreciated the complimentary wheelchair for handicapped persons. Staff were extremely helpful and made excellent suggestions.

My 14 yo son loved the museum, it present music of many countries and regions. Entire experience was very smooth and truly enjoyable.

If you like music then you have to see this museum. Audio devices allow you to hear the instruments in front of you. In 4 hours we could not make it through the entire museum. We will return

We've been going to concerts there for a while now and the place never disappoints. Purchasing tickets is very easy, seats are comfortable, parking is ample and free, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. There isn't a bad seat in the place. We highly recommend it.

I can’t stand most museums, but I was there for 6 hours. Only saw 4 rooms. featured artists, special exhibit,experience, and USA. The visuals at each stop are compelling. The price is a steel and includes your head phones. The food is very good and is not typical museum ripoff…..Don’t miss this museum.

One of the most unique museums I've ever been to! Exhibits on various musical genres from all over the world! Even modern music, like ska.

This place is huge. Give yourself a minimum of 3.5 hours to see almost all of it. Great for adults to do on a hot AZ day. Really educational and entertaining.

Beautifully done. Couldn’t read and watch everything in the time we had. Would definitely go back on another trip. Lunch I. Cafe was great too.

When you live in AZ, you tend to have a lot of visitors, and the Musical Instrument Museum is always on our entertainment list. Friends and family love it, and so do we. We always discover something new too. Few things are better than you expect them to be -- this is one! Just know, you'll want to spend more time there than you think you will, so plan a good chunk of time.

This museum was so much fun! My husband is a huge fan of music and we really went here for him, but I think I enjoyed it as much or more than he did. There are so many videos that make the displays more interesting. We aren’t usually museum people but spent an enjoyable 4 hours here.

This museum was the perfect dreary day activity. We visited on a Sunday and it was somewhat busy but the wait for tickets and information went quickly enough. For $20/person you receive regular admission tickets. We paid the additional $7 each for the special display.

You receive a headset that runs with the videos along the way. We started in the specialty room - unusual and unique instruments. There we saw Prince’s purple piano, and other unique instruments. It was worth the extra money. We next went through the other rooms and displays, the experience gallery for hands on music making; the mechanical music gallery with instruments that play on their own; the artist gallery - one of our favorites, with instruments, concerts, outfits of famous musicians such as Johnny and June Cash, GlennCampbell, John Denver and many others.

Upstairs are rooms with instruments and music clips from all regions of the world - Asia, Middle East, US & Canada, Europe, Africa…. You can spend so much time here exploring.

The museum has a store and a cafe and outdoor seating for snacks and is very handicap accessible. This was a great experience and an activity that kids and adults alike can enjoy.

What an amazing experience at the MIM! We were blown away with the number of musical instruments and the information provided. Admission is a bargain at $20 and includes headphones for a guided tour through the 2 floors.
There were instruments from every country in the world…. and some countries we had never heard of!
We spent almost 6 hours at the MIM. They had an excellent cafe/bistro so we had a very nice lunch. Staff were so helpful. And we booked a concert to see Jimmy Webb (songwriter of ‘By the time I get to Phoenix) in their intimate 300 seat theatre.
Ron & Anne

Three hours was not enough time to fully appreciate everything the museum has to offer. The headphones nicely offer music selections connected to the topic or local being viewed. Without question, many kids (and some adults) enjoyed making their own music with the instrument(s) of choice in the Experience Gallery. The Mechanical Music Gallery was a personal favorite.

I have been telling everyone I know about this museum. The collection of instruments is astounding. The technology used to trigger the videos when you approach the displays is amazing. My family and I spent four hours there and still didn't get to all the exhibits. I'm especially impressed by how the curators collected an astonishing number of instruments from Asia and Africa. No matter what genres of music you like, there is something there for you. I want to go back and devote two days to delving deeper into the history and culture.

This was a weird experience. The lead singer voice (only original left) was strong but he had music lyrics taped to the floor. Several songs were started different than the band. It was obvious they had not practice together. The hired band was very good but played off ipads. The 4 other singers made a valiant effort but with age and dancing a majority of the concert was viewing their backs while they chugged and chugged bottles of water which remained in front of the drum set. They were hot, sweaty and the constant wiping their heads was undesirable to look at. Half the band was introduced in the middle of the concert. They must of been on a timer since the band left the stage abruptly in the middle of a without saying goodbye or thanking the rest of the band. It was a very bizarre situation with everyone wondering if they were coming back out.

The MIM offers concerts in a small auditorium for just maybe 150 people. Comfortable seats with wide aisles. Very easy to move around. All genres of music and excellent examples. We have heard bluegrass, Hawaiian, rock, African drumming, Irish, Latin,etc. We almost don’t care and just go and see what they have. Generally start around 7:30 and done by 9:30. So a very relaxing evening. Small enough venue that you can appreciate the singers and musicians producing their sounds. Always a great evening.

This is a wonderful museum. It is very well laid out. Purchase the ticket that includes the Museum Treasures, The instruments in that gallery are spectacular. (Tickets are for a timed entry.) When you enter you are given a headset. You will want to wear this the entire time. As you approach an exhibit, the headset automatically starts the recording. You don't have to press numbers, etc. You will want to tour both levels of the museum. The upper level has instruments sorted by geographical areas, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, etc. There is also a nice restaurant, with reasonable prices, on site. Adults will love this museum, and kids will like a lot of the museum. There is a hands-on area for kids. While you can go through the museum in a couple of hours, many people will be there for 3 hours or more.

If you find yourself in Scottsdale, a visit to Mim is the best use of your time. The exhibits are kid friendly, as well as informative.
Check out the concert schedule because the acoustics are fabulous and there is not a bad seat in the entire place. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as the floors are very hard.

Excellent experience visiting the Musical Instrument Museum. Beautiful museum that is highly interactive. Multiple levels with escalators and an elevator. You can wear “headsets” they provide to actually hear different instruments and a variety of music from around the world. The MIM exceeded my expectations. Must see/do while in Arizona! They have a restaurant onsite in addition to a gift shop. Highly recommend!

Pretty much all the other reviews were accurate. You get lost in all the instaments from around the world. You watch them on the video screens while listening on your headset and just get lost in the music. Before we knew it 4 hours had gone by. It's realy overwelming how much there is to experience and its a great way to beat the heat.

This place is simply awesome ! It is super overwhelming at the same time you could spend a couple of days here.
Staff was awesome. The celebrity area was cool. As well the ancient instruments.
I highly recommend this place if you enjoy museums.

If you have even the slightest interest in music, you are going to love this museum. We only went to kill a couple of hours out of the crippling heat, but I would definitely buy an annual pass if we lived in the area.

This place is incredible. It is worth the trip to see this. I have never seen such a great display of instruments from all over the world. It is mind blowing. The entire experience is so easy to follow and so enjoyable. DO NOT miss this!!

This is definitely a two day visit with the first floor being one day and the second floor the other. Just too much to see (and enjoy) in one day. Definitely a must see museum, it plan to spend a lot of time.

Excellent exhibits and quality. Nice restaurants. Much to observe and learn. Allow several hours as there is much to enjoy.

Exceptional museum. So much more than a display of musical instruments, although that aspect is incredible. This is a geography tour told through music. The world is explored, cultures are related, history is integrated. A curious mind will require more than one day or one visit. If you have no other reason to visit Phoenix, this is worth it.

I am not a musician, this place is a musical instrument extravaganza. I would say this is as much of a world cultural experience as much as anything. This place is so well done it is unreal. You get a headset with admission and please use it. At most every station you get a video with great audio giving samples of the music. All in all a must do in my opinion.

The Musical Instrument Museum was great. Music instruments from all over the world. When you check in, you are given a headset with a receiver. Each instrument station has a transmitter with information and audio presentation of the instruments. Cost was $20/person, and worth it. We spent 4 hours in the museum, and could have easily spent another hour. They recommend 3 hours, and I would say that would be a minimum time. Plan on a lot of standing and walking to see everything. But there are benches with cushions you can sit down and rest at.

We are a musical family. Really enjoyed the musical instruments from around the world! I’ll definitely be back. I’m a reader of every sign, so it took me a while.

I was pleasantly surprised that I loved this place! So much I gave a $100 donation at the end!
Started off on the second floor first to have an international tour of musical instruments from all over the world!
And then on the first floor, more historical exhibits and the American contributions to music. Although as a pianist I would have wanted to see an exhibit on Liberace! Also got to play all sorts of neat instruments from around the world! Lots of love went into this place.

My husband and I were both blown away. Did not expect to have such a good time. Very inspiring. They give you headphones at the admissions area that you wear through the whole experience and will be able to hear just about every music instrument displayed. So cool. If you're into music or even if you're not, this place has something to offer for everyone. My 5 year old didn't make it long, but he did enjoy the area where you could play quite a few different instruments. I wouldn't recommend bringing really young kids. The grounds are beautiful as well. All in all, great visit. Wonderful experience.

An amazing museum with displays representing nearly every culture on the globe musically is the MIM. You can see some very interesting instruments, ceremonial clothing, see short video clips of several types of music from each country, learn something about each culture through their music, get a small history lesson and more by exploring the various rooms in this inviting museum.

I took my cousin who has a passing interest in music and he found it mesmerizing culturally. It was comforting to consistently view similar percussion instruments of hollowed out wood, shells, gourds, some covered with animal hides, etc., stringed instruments that are plucked or strummed and sounds made by blowing and fingering displayed in nearly every single country! These things are architypical of all humans it seems.
We were there nearly three and a half hours before we had to leave for another engagement but easily could've spent more time there.
I highly recommend MIM in Phoenix; one of the best museums I've ever been to.

This place is very unique and different. We had so much fun, and our guide (John) was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information. Please do spend at least more than an hour going through each room to experience everything.

Crazy amount of instruments from all over the world and over a large spread of time. Interesting to hear all the different types of music. Even got to play a few.

The range of instruments from all over the world was amazing. Very interesting artifacts and video presentations of many instruments and musicians. All genres represented!

We stopped on our way to Phoenix, Arizona.

I went there feeling like I was about an hour or two, but it took at least three hours and I was surprised at the amount of exhibits.

There was a special violin exhibition, so I paid extra to go there and it exceeded my expectations.

I had a wonderful experience with instruments played by American artists to folk instruments from all over the world.

The tone of the instruments I hear on the headphones is so different and beautiful that I can't get enough of it all day long wondering if it sounds like this.

This was one of the best museums that I have visited. You would need an entire day, and possibly a 2nd, in order to truly watch, read, and listen to all the different exhibits that they have to offer. This is a MUST do if you are in the area. We loved our visit!

MIM was the highlight of our visit to Scottsdale. Incredible. We spent the whole day there and didn't see it all. Very nicely presented exhibits with instruments from each country, or in the case of the US, genre. Each exhibit plays maybe a 5 minute video showing the instruments being played. Sometimes the video shows them being used in their natural environment - a native dance. Other times it's a professional musician playing an historic instrument. The food is good and reasonably priced.

This museum is a must see. Phenomenal collection of musical instruments from around the world. Truly from countries and cultures from every continent. There are performance venues and the musicians are from a range of artistic traditions. The food at the restaurant is good too!

We spent 2.5 hrs here and only left because we were exhausted and they were closing. Many friends had recommended it and I’m glad we went. The displays for each region, country, and type of music were excellent. There are many examples of instruments. The video screens added to the story. MIM has everything from the simplest string and branch instruments, to beautifully painted, carved and inlayed pieces to Elvis’ guitar to a theremin. Well worth the time. I want to go back.

My wife and I went there while on vacation in Phoenix. This place is amazing. Who knew there were that may different types of instruments. It can be really overwhelming. They give you headphones to wear. Yo approach a tv and there is video of someone playing an instrument. It's more or less broken down by continents. If I had the time I'd go a few times and take in one continent at a time.

This is a fantastic museum and it more than exceeded my expectations. I would advice carving out enough time to see everything. You can buy a two day pass and I think that is a good idea. The food and drink at the restaurant were very good too.

We went to see The BoDeans in concert in late February. It was an intimate setting and the acoustics were incredible. I'll be looking for future concerts at the MIM!

Wow! Instruments from all over the world in one place! We easily spent almost three hours here and only perused one floor! This is an amazing and unique place. I loved it!!

I totally get why this is the #1 attraction in Phoenix. AMAZING.

We happened to be there on "Hip Hop Day," which was fabulous for our teenager, who was an ad hoc entrant in the dance contest.

Every docent, restaurant staff, and museum staff person was friendly, welcoming, and professional. Great meal, fabulous exhibits, and beautiful museum.

Make sure to leave enough time to see it all. We were there several hours and left enough to see on our next trip to town.

My wife mentioned this museum a few months ago. My first thought was sounded dry and rather boring. How wrong I was! The museum is located in a large, modern expansive building built specifically for the showing what started out as a private collection of instruments from all over the world. We spent 4 1/2 hours at the museum including lunch and we could easily have spent another 4 hours. (The admission ticket is good for 50% off the second day.) There were various children groups, families, and couples and it did not seem crowded. An early arrival would allow you to start upstairs with Europe and The United States as well as Asia and Africa without any crowd at all. Everyone is provided with a headset which is tuned automatically to a signal in each exhibit. We loved this as there is no fumbling around trying to figure out which number you need to press. There are numbered short video clips filmed over the last century which explore the various instruments in each exhibit. Very well presented and researched. On the main floor there is a section for trying instruments and a section dedicated to beloved musicians such as Johnny Cash, Prince and Madonna. Memorabilia, costumes and awards are displayed along with clips of the musicians. I am just scratching the surface here as to how in depth one can explore the world and the creation of sound. We have a casual interest and it was absolutely fascinating. The Cafe is also a step above regular museum cafe grub. A world class museum not to be missed. Give yourself at least 4 hours.

This place is amazing, it is such a huge collection of instruments from around the world. There are hands on opportunities to play different instruments, a chance to hear music, and lots of displays on famous musicians as well. Admissions includes headphones and there is so much to learn by listening to the headphones but there are plenty of informational plaques to read as well. There is really so much to learn about. I actually was getting a little tired after 3 hours and skimmed some of the last things, but I'd definitely return. It was so impressive.

This was an unexpected surprise. We decided to go to kill some time. We were blown away by the experience. There are instruments from all over the world and made from anything and everything. The entry fee gets you a headphone set that allows you to just walk up to a display with a screen and it will connect and let you here the video

MIM is a wonderful place to visit and learn about musical instruments from all over the world. It's huge, so if you can, plan on taking 2-3 days to get through it all. The combination of actual instruments, audio commentary and video make it a full-sensory experience. I found it very interesting learning about instruments and music from Africa and imagining how that transitioned to the US and the development of blues and its influence on Rock and Roll. And that's just one example. MIM will take you on a magical tour of instruments and the musical experience like you've never felt before. It's a MUST SEE when in Pheonix.

Wish I had gotten there earlier to see everything! This museum is beautiful. You get a headset and there are stops along the way to hear the musical instruments along the way. They have stops that showcase instruments from all over the world. It was a beautiful experience. The instruments and artistry of them was breathtaking. They had nice tribute to Alice Cooper. They had Ella Fitzgerald's dress. A fiddle from Natalie Macmaster a famous fiddle player from Cape Bretton. Mariachi instruments and a costume from Carnivale. As time was winding down from a room for famous starts. There was things from Elvis Presley, Taylor Swift's outfits, Prince's piano. There so many to list. It was a lovely museum and truly worth the visit.

What an amazing collection of instruments from around the world. We only spent a couple of hours at the venue and it was definitely not enough! However, if that’s all the time you have it will still be worth your time.

They have a Theramin!! Not only that, in the experiential hall one can play a Theramin!! I played a Theramin. This ranks up there with actually meeting Raj. Total fan girl moment.

The MIM is a fantastic place to visit. There are numerous exhibits and displays of musical instruments and celebrity performers. My wife particularly enjoyed the Experience Room, where she could try to play various instruments, including several HUGE gongs! A great 3 hour visit!

Fantastic! My husband wasn't too interested in visiting this museum, but we had a spare afternoon and decided to visit. It's huge, so well done and very interesting. The audio tour worked flawlessly (it automatically starts when you approach a screen), and added so much to the experience. You could easily spend all day there if you looked at everything carefully. Good value for the $20 admission fee.

Very interesting museum highlighting various music instruments over time, as well as country specific instruments. Definitely worth seeing if you appreciate music and how various cultures musically evolved. Reasonable prices as well.

Went with a group of about 10 ladies. We had a tour which was excellent! My first time there & I thoroughly enjoyed. Also had fun afterward in the area that allows you to play the instruments- you definitely want to go & try your skill.

We were able to spend about 5 hours exploring this wonderful museum. It felt like we didn't even scratch the surface of all that was there! We'll have to return someday to spend a full day (or more!) seeing and studying all the exhibits. This place is also great for kids. Our 6 yo daughter loved the 1 hr class we signed her up for where she made a pan pan drum. She also loved the Experience Gallery. This place is the best attraction in Phoenix by far!

MIM tip-- downstairs is priority with musical artist's room and the hands-on instruments. Upstairs priority: see Canada and US exhibits and work toward Africa (that felt overwhelming with so much to view).
ALSO-- eat lunch there at Café Allegro with burger a great value.

I was blown away at the size of this museum. The displays are thoughtfully arranged with so many instruments and rich history. A definite must see.

Lotsof instruments but not enough interactive things. The room where kids can play instruments has all of them in one place and gets ridiculously loud. It would’ve been great if the instruments that you can play were throughout museum in soundproof rooms. We did spend about 2 hours but one of my kids kept wining to leave about 30min into it. Great idea but please add more interactive activities

An informative and fun trip down memory lane. With unique instruments from the early to the newest, there is so much to see, hear, and enjoy.

The MIM is a gem. They have an outstanding collection of musical instruments, and the way you can listen to relevant music as you walk up to each exhibit is brilliant.

However, there is a flaw that jumped out at me this visit: there is something quite disturbing about their displays from Africa. I hope their collections department will think long and hard about the way they are portraying the people of Africa and will do some major updates. Unlike exhibits from other regions, these ones exclusively present a very "primitive" view from these nations, while the modern reality is a richly vibrant music scene, often performed in gleaming modern concert halls. So, the MIMcan do better.

Still: highly recommend.

This place was fascinating! I didn't quite know what to expect and my husband brought me here after he saw part of it on a business trip. What a great experience!
First of all, the museum itself and the grounds are beautiful. Upon entering, we received a sanitized headset and a receiver. When you approach the various displays in the museum, it plays sound in your headset. This is a nice touch as blaring TVs throughout the museum would probably be overwhelming and with a museum that deals with sounds, it was a great idea.
There are many things to see in this museum. A selection of cool guitars (the D'Addario display) - this appealed to my husband, who plays. There was also a downstairs exhibit that displayed musical instruments from notable musicians of all genres - everyone from Elvis to Buddy Rich to Stevie Ray Vaughn to Celia Cruz. I really enjoyed seeing actual costumes/on stage wear from various notable people.
There was also a special temporary exhibit downstairs (we opted out of that exhibit, but it was a reasonable $7 fee to see it) with rare and valuable instruments - if you're into that, it was probably incredible!
There is also a music lab downstairs where you can play some instruments displayed in the museum - and I found that really entertaining. When do you have the opportunity to play some of the chimes, gongs or drums you see in the displays?
Upstairs is a huge gallery with instruments from just about every country in the world. It's vast and you can spend hours and hours up there. It's divided into continents (N. America, S. America, Europe, Africa, etc) and that's where most of the museum's magic is.
Not only is it fun to find the native instruments of your ethnic background, it's really interesting to see the continuity of music instrument invention/use among various continents. There are also displays by famous musical instrument manufacturers like Steinway and Martin (it was especially fun to see Martin guitars because we live right near their factory).
We very much enjoyed our visit and I could have stayed even longer. It can be a little bit of sensory overload listening to music for hours.
There is a nice cafe with a terrace outside that makes a pretty good latté if you need a break or a snack (they also had sandwiches and salads and the like).
Highly recommend to spend some time here! If you are a musician, it's a must, but even if you just enjoy music, it would be fun. I think kids would like it too - but I think some kids would tune out (literally) after a shorter period of time.

I get museum'd out by about 2 hrs., whether Louvre or others. Not this one. The immersive experience has both non/musically oriented folks interested. Headsets are mandatory for this experience, so do use them here (unlike many where it is just too much info). Definitely would re-visit this one.

This was a wonderful surprise. I never knew so many instruments existed!! This is well worth your time and money and a jewel in the crown of Phoenix.

This was so much fun. I was expecting a small walk through and a few instruments, if I was wrong. We spent about 2 hours walking the entire place. It was amazing. They give you headsets to listen to the different music from around the world. There is a spot for kids and adults to play some instruments and have fun as well. There are a few demonstrations to watch. The bathrooms were clean and there is a little cafe that had a good selection.

Impressive place for music lovers of all kinds. Easy access. Excellent exhibits. Approach to exhibits was straight forward and informational. You can tailor by your interest—history or culture—or just look for the music you love. Pretty good food in the cafe to boot.

You could spend a week in here and probably not read every statement. The place is huge, covers just about every spot known to man on earth. There is so much to see and read. We got too tired to continue after two hours, but we are in our low 80s. Great day.

The 5* reviews are legit. Instruments are categorized by country and a wide variety are shown. The headset given provides personal audio when at the different exhibits, so there’s no competition of one area over another.
Hubby plays bagpipes and we were amazed at the variety of bagpipes from European countries. After Europe and United States, our brains were overloaded with information, so we skimmed the rest of the world.
The cafe was clean, friendly staff and our chicken tikka was amazing.
Only downside was that we couldn’t bring our water with us as we wandered, but the front desk held it for us. I’m sure there’s a reason for this, but I wanted to hydrate as best I could that day.

Never knew there were so many instruments in the world! Spent 4 hours and not nearly enough time. If you read everything and listen to all the videos, I think you could spend 4 hours in just one continent. Fun time, worth the visit.

The museum is such a great place to go. Coming from a music teacher, there is so much to do and see. Worth the visit when you visit.

We have been to MIM ("The World's Only Global Musical Instrument Museum"!) twice before in the past years and because my husband and I are both musically inclined, we never seemed to get our fill of this absolutely wonderful musical instrument museum! We have started in different areas at each visit, and because we didn't allow as much time in certain areas in the past, we chose to start this visit in the upstairs USA/Canada section followed by the European section right next door which we were so glad we did! After the USA/Canada and European sections, much of the remainder of the museum seemed to be a little repetitive, so we were able to move a bit quicker and see everything by the time the museum closed for the day at 5 PM. Also the second floor seems to be the largest and main area of the museum, and starting there is highly recommended. We took most of the morning from when the museum opened at 9 AM (we got there 15 minutes prior to opening which helps to get a great parking space as well as to beat some of the crowds!) to get our fill of the displays there on the 2nd floor, then after eating a quick lunch on a shaded bench outside (which we brought in a cooler and kept in the car as the cafe was closed), we returned to see the remainder of the world sections right across the hall which included geographical galleries of Asia, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, Oceania, etc. All are so well done and we love how the ear phones begin to work as one walks up to each display. One of my favorite displays every time we have come here is the "Recycled Orchestra" display where the dumps yielded revamped musical instruments of all kinds after they were changed from garbage into violins, drums, and other orchestral quality instruments! Amazingly beautiful sounds came through these kids' musical abilities as they played them!! The other favorite area is the video of how a Steinway piano is made!! Love that, also!
The lower level has an artist gallery and some hands-on areas. Due to COVID, some things were not available to see or do. It was disappointing to not see the Steinway grand piano that was always in the foyer for visitors to play when we visited the other two times. At our last visit a few years ago, I had sat down to play and was quickly joined by several young students from Japan including a sweet and shy little girl who sat down next to me on the piano bench and whispered in my ear, "I am learning how to play the piano!" REALLY fun since we'd lived in Tokyo for a couple of years and I taught ESL classes at an all-girls school!! I was right back at home with these sweet kids!!
Highly recommend this museum! We have finally gotten our enjoyment tanks full with this visit!!

This is the most amazing museum I’ve ever been to, and I’ve been to the Shedd Aquarium. Every single instrument you could ever possibly think of is there. Parts of it are interactive and such an amazing aural experience. One day is not enough to truly get to everything in that museum. Make sure you budget a good deal of time before you go- you don’t want to miss anything!

This is a wonderful museum that is not just about instruments, but the culture and people who played them. They cover the world and have an emphasis on America. The displays have musical clips so you can fully enjoy the musical experience.
I thought 3 hours would be enough, but it wasn’t. I need to come back to finish.

The museum is larger than I expected it to be, so that made for an amazing experience. The number and diversity of instruments on display is staggering. The exhibit rooms are based on different areas of the world, so you can focus on what might interest you and skip other areas. Expect to spend 4 to 5 hours for a thorough visit.

Be sure to visit the Artists room with displays of various musicians. Also take notice of various displays around the museum and that many musicians have loaned their instruments. This lets you see actual instruments used at various times and in various styles of music.

One thing that the museum conveys is that music and musical instruments are a common part of people around the world and throughout history. It was interesting to see how common some instruments and designs are among different areas of the world.

This wonderful collection could more aptly be named the Museum of Music.

Large, well curated and beautifully maintained collection, housed in a stunning and highly functional building, the collection includes exhibits from all cultures, and benefits from an excellent series of brief talks delivered by an automated commentary - adds enormously to the experience.

Never disappointing, always find something new to deepen your understanding of musical instruments and history. MIM is an absolute must if you're in metro Phoenix

I really loved this place- more than I expected to. It is huge and has an incredible display of musical instruments and video samples of many different music types. My daughters loved the hands on area where you can play lots of different instruments. Well worth the cost of admission.

This museum is a bit out of the way, but well worth a stop. Even if you aren't that interested in musical instruments, this museum presents music in the context of the culture and history. The automated headphones make the museum feel immersive. A great way to spend several hours.

Fascinating is all I can say. The variety of instruments is astounding and the way they are presented is unique, educational, and fascinating!
And if you like concerts - this place is truly unique. Small venue (comparatively), groups that represent every genre from hard rock to jazz to Ladysmithh Black Mambo, performers from all over the world, ones you know and ones you don't but need to. You need to go!

This museum is absolutely fabulous! We were lucky enough to see and hear the Stradivarius Golden Age of Violins and Guitars exhibit, as well as as much of the museum as we could take in during our one day there. We will have to come back and want to, to see the rest of the museum. The system for listening with headphones works well as long as the battery is good, otherwise, check in with a staff member for a new unit - was quick and easy. The Cafe was a tasty and convenient place for lunch so we could continue our musical adventures. Staff were cheerful and informative! THANK YOU! We will be back!

The Musical Instrument Museum exceeded our expectations, and we had heard great things about it before we visited! The exhibits are engaging, and we loved the videos and cultural information. We enjoyed listening to visitors play the Steinway piano while waiting to enter the special exhibit. It's obvious why this museum is rated 5 stars and the #1 attraction in Phoenix! I'm sure we will visit this museum each time we are in Phoenix as we could spend days there and enjoy every minute of it!

You must do the audio tour. it is not even a third as good without the audio guide.

You can spend the entire day here…they have decent lunch food in the inside diner. Great place.

Upon first hearing of a museum of musical instruments I tried to find a way to get out of it.
I am so happy I went and only wish we had gotten there earlier and stayed later.
It is an immersive experience into the great variety of music in different countries and genres. So much fun!!
My advice..get there when it opens and leave when they turn off the lights.

The museum experience is worth taking the time to really appreciate it. We were there for about 3 hours and didn't see all of the exhibits because they are all so detailed and interesting.
Definitely plan to spend some time when you go.
Also, the coffee shop/cafeteria has good food and lots of options.

A musical instrument snd retrospective of genres from all over the world
What a sensory experience. The exhibits were fabulous. Loved our day long visit.

All workers are very passionate and knowledgeable. They have some volunteers but you wouldn't know they are volunteers. Everyone is really passionate about the music.
The setting and technology are heavily emphasized in customer experience. All displays are very organized. Also, they have a very organized team.

If you have any interest in the world and/or music or musical instruments, this museum needs to be at the top of your list of places to see in the greater Phoenix area. Our three hours there was no where near enough to take in all that can be seen or to do. This could well be one of the best museums in the US celebrating music. There are several rooms each displaying instruments from around the world (this was a lesson in geography, human engenuity, cultures, music genres, history, I could go on). Just covering the areas of the world (several very large rooms) takes a half day or more. Then there are special exhibits and experiences. It is a massive, very modern and chique museum, well staffed, well organized and well laid out. We will be going back as we only could scratch the surface of everthing offered. It looks like they also have special events, with both a nice outside entertainment area and a large auditorium.

You can easily spend hours in this museum looking at the musical instruments from around the world and their origins. In some ways the number of instruments that are available are mind numbing. The headsets that give you access to lots of musical information are an outstanding feature.

We spent 3-1/2 hours at MIM today. Fascinating displays, beautiful musical instruments, and your headset automatically plays audio and music as you move to various exhibits. It became addictive — we wanted to see what was coming next. Also live demonstrations of unusual instruments, both old and new.

Great partitioning of sections that you may want to see. Like others said, it really is overwhelming, especially if you have only two to three hours to spend here. Videos and audio were great!

I can't say anough about this museum! It was the highlight of my trip to Arizona. So many amazing instruments from all over the world! Included is an audio tour that lets you hear interviews, demonstrations, and clips of performances at each display. There is a room where you can try out all different kinds of instruments - I got to noodle around on a Martin guitar, bang a gong, and play a real theramin! There were live performances throughout the day. We spent almost 5 hours there and there was still more to see! Highly recommended.

We were surprised. Y the sheer size of this place and the amount of musical instruments on display. Be aware if you go on a school day there could be a lot of kids moving about. I’m not musically inclined at all but found enough here to keep me interested for more than two hours.

We were expecting a great experience based on the recommendations of a friend, but we weren’t prepared for the over-the-top quality of each display we saw. We could have stayed much longer. I posted 70 pictures on Facebook and can’t quit talking about all we saw. It’s a museum everyone would enjoy!

Plan to spend at least 4 hours in the exhibits. Loved the interactive self guided tour, where the headphones play the regional music in front of each display regardless of which direction you go. Highly recommend even if you aren’t in to music, there will be something for you at MIM

I was blown away at all the different types of instruments in the world. The museum was laid out by regions and countries. You had headphones that connected automatically and you could listen to the videos on the screens. This is a place you must visit if you enjoy music.

What a great way to spend a day. Actually, two days if you can manage it. Lots to see and enjoy at a reasonable entry fee. Loved the displays about various musicians as well as the world music areas. Highly recommended.

What a great afternoon we spent here! My adult daughter, her husband, and I really truly enjoyed the museum (and especially the hands-on program where you could play a variety of different instruments ; drums, ukulele, xylophone, harp). I only wish my elementary aged grandsons had been with us! There was an area that showed music by Country and how Music evolved there and another area where it showed music in the US and the various groups that have had major impact to where we are now. An adult price was only $20 and it was well worth it! Don’t miss this place if you make it to Phoenix.

This is a hidden gem of a museum m. Wonderful 5 hour visit with a delicious lunch outside in the courtyard. One of my favorite highlights was listening to two pianists perform on the grand piano which is available to any visitor. If you enjoy music, this is a must visit in Phoenix area.

Wow! This was such an wonderful experience. Whether you are a musician or music lover, there is so much to see and hear in this amazing museum that explores music from all around the world.

The current special exhibition, Rediscover Treasures, features historical and notable instruments like the first ukulele and Prince's grand piano. The Artist's Gallery has instruments and memorabilia from the likes of everyone from Elvis to Celia Cruz.

At the heart of the museum, though, are the geographic galleries. Seemingly every country on the planet is represented with instruments, audio, and video. I spent over five hours exploring and could have stayed longer. Highly recommended!

wow! what a well thought out museum. Well worth 2 or 3 hours for anyone. Very educational, and visually stimulating, besides hearing music all over the world.A bonus the headsets change automatically from exhibit. A must see when in phoenix! Even for golfers!

The experience was amazing! The displays were incredible and the staff was very friendly. It was also very reasonably priced.

Really great museum. The headset and player that comes with your ticket is good tech….basically every exhibit you go up to has video (mostly musicians playing relevant instruments) which you automatically connect to when standing in front of it. Place is huge and amazing variety / world coverage.

We've been here twice and the display changes each time. We brought my almost 80 year old dad here and I was happy to see how many cushioned benches there are throughout the exhibit. They have instruments from EVERY country on display here.

MY FAVORITES: the America section has an AMAZING display of the grand piano and how they are made, The Experience Room downstairs is always a trip, you get to actually try the instruments but note that usually you're competing with the kiddos (they do have sanitizing stations throughout)

GIFT SHOP: Don't skip the gift shop! If you have ANYONE that loves music they have so many cool/unique gifts here.

DURATION: Our first time here we actually ran out of time. So, if you're on a schedule, just make sure you ask where the main things you want to see are - our first time we didn't make it through everything. The second time we made it through everything we wanted, but it was helpful that we had been here before.

WATER BOTTLES are NOT allowed. Which, is a personal frustration of mine, especially living in the dessert. I have to drink several ounces of water a day - and really everyone should be, so I hate that they don't allow this. I understand it is to preserve the instruments, but there aren't really water stations throughout the exhibits and I saw another customer walking through the exhibit with her water bottle. They pitch that you can get water at the cafe, but that's downstairs. They will take your bottles at the front.

Excellent modern display and interaction with different musical instruments. 100 year old Organization. Strange industrial address. They get over 100 kids visits s day. You can play some of instruments. Organization is built by Instruments makers.

Really can’t say enough about this place. I’m not even a Musical person, but I was just blown away by this museum. Way larger than I expected, with absolutely beautiful grounds that can be enjoyed when the weather finally breaks! Not only will you see a vast variety of instruments, But also outfits and costumes worn by stars. So many historical instruments, beautifully arranged by region, as well as by instrument type. If I, as a non-musical person loved it, I cannot imagine how much a musical person will enjoy this place.

Fantastic Museum!!! Comprehensive collection of musical instruments from all over the world...every country. They have over 10,000 musical instruments including some very famous pieces. Totally exceeded my expectations. Easily good for 3 hours or more.

What a fabulous museum! It was overcast out so we decided to go for an hour. We ended up staying for three hours! It is that good! They give you a headset and you walk around and get to enjoy the experience at your own pace. The headset automatically engages with the screen you are in front of. One area is all different countries. They have maps to show you were those are in the world. The museum is large, clean, beautifully arranged to enjoy yourself. The workers/volunteers are all top notch. So helpful, friendly and engaging. This is a museum not to be missed!

Yesterday we took a group of approximately 50 friends that dance with us in Mesa, AZ for a behind the scenes tour at the MIM. It was absolutely fantastic. Cannot say enough about how great it was. Ida had organized everything to a T with absolutely no wasted time. She had set up multiple guides (ours was Myra & we loved her!!!) & we all got incredible tours both of the behind the scenes and a general overview of each of the galleries. We all enjoyed lunch on our own (great food & excellent service!, even got to sit outside in the garden area!) and then continued to tour on our own. Ida had set up a scavenger hunt for those that wanted to participate & that added to our afternoon enjoyment. Highly recommend a visit either on your own or preferably in a group with the added VIP tour! Well worth the price. World class exhibitions. Kudos to all the MIM staff! Thank you all very very much!

Management requests no photos with flash, no videos, dimmed phone screens and use with discretion.

Doesn’t work. Folks don’t know how to turn off their flash nor dim their screens.

Videos? People in front of me took videos of most of the performance.

Management needs to find a solution.

The absolute best venue for a concert ruined by their phone policy.

Suggestion. Their entrance tickets have a barcode. Management could provide photos of the concert on a link that’s accessible by scanning it from ones phone.

I located this museum in Things to Do in Phoenix. So this is a combined post.
My first event was a Jazz Concert featuring Kevin Eubanks (Former The Tonight Show Band Leader) and Orrin Evans at the MIM Music Theatre, currently on tour. It was a large auditorium, comfortable seating, large well lit stage accompanied with great acoustics.

There are ongoing season concerts.
During my visit, there was a COVID requirement to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID 72 hour test prior to the performance.

I sat on the front row. Enjoyed every minute of performance. Pictures with no flash were allowed. Albeit, I didn’t get any of them onstage due to a low cell battery.

The Music Theater is only a section of this vast museum. Cafe Allegro offers hot entrees as well as another section for snacks when cafe is closed. Get a great night’s rest, bring your best walking shoes, and be prepared to be engulfed in musical history for 3-4 hours. That’s no understatement either.

There are two floor levels divided by regions of the world. Upon entry, you’ll be provided with a set of headphones and a recorder that is activated with a recording when aimed at each display QR code. Videos play throughout and you will discover years of musical history, learn of craftsmanship, vast creativeness and innovation within each culture.
There are museum benches provided for breaks in the halls. A great friendly staff also leads tours throughout and is available for questions.

Every range of musical genre you can imagine and many you never heard of is represented. Some special historical pieces are encased and on loan. Jimmy Hendrix’s left handed “Black Widow” Fender Stratocaster is perched in its case waiting to meet you.
There are two of Elvis’ concert outfits, an Army fatigue jacket, and one of his guitars on display too.

This museum has a vast collection of cultural costumes, instruments….we are talking some of the first ever made in the world.
I wonder whether there is a “Night in the Museum” happening when everything is closed.

Highly recommend this jewel.

What a gem. We only had a couple of hours here but could have spent the whole days here, easily. Instruments from around the world, and also there are specialty exhibits. My husband and I both loved it.

The museum definitely is a must see.

This amazing Musical Instrument Museum has exhibits from all over the world, including those played by major artists of every genre, some of them have dedicated display of their signature instruments and stage clothes as well.
Spanning two whole floors and tastefully separated by regions of the world ..........one can spend hours wandering through the various rooms and see many personal instruments that were played by iconic musicians both current as well as those who have passed on.
A rarity is the huge " Orchestrion" ........which features numerous musical instruments that are computer controlled and play a number of select tunes twice a day.

Whether you are a professional musician, novice or a mere " let's take a look" person ........this museum is indeed something to see and experience.
They also have a large cafeteria / restaurant on site with a good selection of food freshly prepared to order

We were staying in a timeshare for seven days in the Scottsdale area and a friend recommended that we visit this amazing museum. We spent at least three hours visiting the upstairs rooms that have displays of music and culture from every country in the world. I was particularly interested in Micronesia as we had visited those remote islands about three years ago. All the details were covered in each area. There is a beautiful café where you can dine inside or outside and The next day we returned and we’re allowed to enter at no charge to have lunch in the restaurant patio!

Wow!! You will not be disappointed with this incredible and massive collection of instruments from all over the world. If you’re not into music much, you will enjoy the presentation. If you are a musician, you will absolutely LOVE your time here! Very reasonably priced admission. A must see if you are in the Phoenix area!

If you have any interest in music, this is a fabulous and fascinating museum. It's well balanced with instruments from around the world, antiques that show the evolution of our present instruments, artifacts from famous musicians, and insights into how music is made.

Amazing museum with instruments from all over the world! I learned so many new things during the day-long visit. The country-based exhibits were so interesting. And then the artist-based gallery was a pleasant surprise too. The mechanized music room was fun. I especially enjoyed trying out the many instruments in the hands-on gallery. What a priceless treasure this place is for Phoenix!

Well done museum. Lots of interesting instruments and the building itself is very nice architecture.

The museum is amazing. The displays and the electronic narration is very well done and very informative. You could spend multiple days there.
Their food cafe food is good but service very wanting. We were 2 couples who ordered 2 sandwiches, chicken and a hamburger. The chicken sandwich arrives after about a 15 minute wait and the hamburger shows up 15 minutes later and way undercooked. There was no apology for the delays When we asked about the burger earlier was told rudely, it’s coming. Both sandwiches were ordered and paid for as a single order.
It was a Tuesday at 1:30pm and was anything but busy.
Just not acceptable.

A very enjoyable activity for both musicians and music fans alike. Give yourself 3-4 hours to get the full experience here. Two thumbs up...

This was just incredible. From the first Ukelele ever to Elvis' guitar. But what really impressed me was the musical instruments around the world, organized by continent. It was well researched and kept my interest and attention. The way the headphones worked was new for me but I really liked it, and it worked well with a music theme. But the star was the instruments, not the music.

The sound on this small theater is magnificent! The seating is exceptionally comfortable and the size is cozy. We have thoroughly enjoyed every production we’ve attended here. The variety is astounding.

The amount of musical instruments in this museum is overwhelming. You could stay here an entire day looking at everything and reading all the info. Very interesting even if you just walk through and look at the stuff and don't read the information. My kids absolutely loved the interactive room with all the instruments you could play. Definitely worth a visit even if you just breeze through the majority of the museum and visit the interactive room to play the gamelan and the theremin!

Best museum , great food and wonderful service, the cleaning lady was very polite. Beautiful musical instruments. Love it!

This was a fantastic experience and I can highly recommend. Over 10,000 musical instruments on display from almost every country around the world. Nicely sectioned off by areas of the world. Headsets allow you to experience a short visual and audio of the country named. One of my favorites was the Recycled Orchestra. Just a totally fabulous experience. Wear comfortable shoes. It took me 3 hours to get through it.

We joined as members on our first visit because we were so impressed. This is the largest museum of its kind in the world. Visitors receive a headset on entry. The headsets switch on when wearers get close enough to each exhibit.

The diversity of instruments and musical styles displayed is phenomenal. Visitors receive a cultural and historical education as well. Don’t miss the Allegro Cafe—great food in a lovely setting!

So much to see here! You probably should save a couple hours to really see it all. The audio tour is set up to play what's on a screen when you walk up! There's a little bit of everything!

I had been skeptical of this choice, but was really impressed with the wonderul displays of international musical instrumets, Each country is labeled and there are videos running you can listen to of the instruments in each display, There's a hands-on area where kids and adult kids can try out instruments, which is really fun! Plan to spend several hours to see it thoroughly, We had a guide for an hour, then an hour on our own, and really coudn't do it justice this way. There is a nice courtyard to sit and eat or drink something as well.

What a wonderful museum this is. The presentations are really extensive and well-researched. There is an incredible variety of musical instruments on exhibit, one for each continent. These range from objects that date back more than a millennium to those that are more contemporary and well-known.

This museum is fantastic. The displays are amazingly well researched and thorough. Every continent is represented with an astonishing array of musical instruments of every kind on display. These include items over 1000 years old, to those that are more modern and featured in popular culture.

Each visitor is issued a headset that automatically activates when you’re near a video display. So, it’s still quiet even though it’s about music!

We particularly enjoyed the artists gallery.

The facilities and whole venue is sparklingly clean. The staff were friendly and helpful. We ate in the cafe and the food was great.

There is something at this museum for everyone.

First off: this place is enormous. We allotted 2 hours and were lucky to walk past everything, much less stop to read the exhibits. You could spend all day here.

Secondly: this is the most globally equitable museum I have ever seen. Every country in the world had an exhibit, and very few were scant on instruments. Furthermore, the sizes and treatments of the exhibits were consistent across continents.

Thirdly, get ready to see some WEIRD instruments. From bizarre takes on familiar instruments to objects you would have been lucky to identify as musical, this museum has it all.

Logistics: You are not able to take food and drink, even bottled water, inside. They will coat check these things for you at no cost. You also get headphones, which you wear as you move through the museum. As you approach any of the hundreds of tv screens playing videos of the instruments in use, your headphones pick up that screen's audio. Attached to the museum is a cafe offering hot and cold food.

I wish we had more time to spend here. This was the best museum I have visited in a long time. I was with my husband and two teenagers (19 and 16) and they loved it. You get a headphone set with admission and each section plays the instruments from that section. They have instruments from all parts of the world and an artist section as well. You could easily spend several hours here - unfortunately we got there an hour before closing. This museum is top notch. If we are ever in Phoenix again we will go back!

We needed a rainy day activity and this filled the bill. The Museum was thorough on every type of instrument for every country and continent. We easily could have spent another 1-2 hours.

They have super nice tour guide, understand what we need. They use such an amazing technology that can detect the sound of each tv that you are close by with. They have tons of musical instrument from all over the places. The experience gallery was my favorite.

I thought I could tour this museum in the three hours prior to going to the airport. I arrived when the museum opened and spent the first two hours just on the first floor! This is a highly interactive museum and you will need more than 3 hours. I will have to go back. I love music and the instruments. This collection didn't disappoint in any area. You are given a headset when you start your tour which makes the museum nicely quiet. There was a kids class going on during my visit so that helped liven up the first floor. I would love to catch a concert here on my next visit.

Parking was abundant. Museum was easy to get to.
Food smelled good through I didn't have time to partake.
Gift shop had lots of items from what I could see as I was running out the door with zero minutes to spare.

This is a really cool place if you have any interest in music or musical instruments at all. I was not keen on going but glad I did. Instruments of all varieties from around the world. From the plain to fancy, famous or just bizarre. An interactive area to play with many instruments. Fun for young and old alike.

The museum was fabulous. the exhibits were clearly displayed and identified, Even if you aren't a music buff, it is amazing to see so many varieties of instruments in so many countries.
the only spoiler was the cafe. The service was very slow. The sandwich & fries we did get were cold. My friend never got her lunch. The staff was rude, didn't seem the least bit concerned about their service (or lack there of). Good news - they did refund our money.

I didn’t really think i would enjoy it as much as I did. But it was fun. The headsets auto connect to each tv display. My only complaint is they need more benches to sit and view the video displays.

What a museum!! It would be easy to spend hours and hours here though after 2 or 3 hours things sort of start to run together a bit. The displays are comprehensive and the technology involved in each exhibit is amazing. The displays are set up by country so if you have limited time, choose which countries interest you the most. With several musical selections provided for each country, it pays to stop and listen to more than just the one that happens to be playing when you pass by. Not only do you learn about the music and instruments of a particular country, but there are other displays including one which shows the "layout" of an orchestra, complete with the sounds of the instruments in each section - e.g. 1st violins, oboes, bassoons, etc. This is a worthwhile stop for any music aficionado.

This is such a find and so well done. If you love music or learning about cultures of the world this is a must see. Recommend starting upstairs where galleries of instruments from many many countries are shown and include snippets of video showing them in use(head sets provided) . Then you can move downstairs for a gallery featuring memorabilia of numerous music names from Elvis Presley to Prince. There is also a nice cafeteria with outdoor seating and a gift shop. We spent about 6 hours here including lunch and felt it was well worth our time

I wanted to visit because I was told that it was the largest musical instrument museum in the world. Upon arriving we saw banners announcing a Stradivarius exhibit. We were given a device with headphones that would play as we approached each section of an exhibit. It was tricky at times finding the right location in which to stand to get the audio to play.

Never having been to a musical instrument museum, I did not have a specific expectation. We started our tour at the Mechanical Music Gallery where we saw a variety of mechanical devices that played music. There was a humongous Apollonia orchestrion that spanned the width of the room. Coincidentally, there was a woman there who claimed to have written the digital version of the music that the orchestrion was playing.

From there we went into the Artist Gallery where we could see musical instruments from artists from all over the world. The exhibit was not unduly filled with American artists. It has a good mix of artists from everywhere.

We took a break to grab some lunch at the coffee bar. The Grilled Ham, Apple & Brie Sandwich looked good until we realized that it was in Walnut Bread. Both of us are allergic to walnuts. Given the number of people with nut allergies, it would be prudent for them to have alternatives without nuts and to put warning labels on the items with nuts.

We attempted to see the Stradivarius exhibit only to be told that it needed its own ticket. No one told us this when we purchased our tickets. Had we known, we would have purchased a ticket.

We took a peek into the Conservation Lab but there was no one actively working. Next we hit up the Experience Gallery and my partner tried out different instruments from around the world. Most of them were instruments that we had never seen before.

Upstairs was where we spent the majority of our time in the Geographic Galleries. There were literally instruments from every country in the world and often multiple regions from a particular country. It was the most extensive collection of musical instruments from around the world that I have ever seen. What impressed me was the research that went into the instrument and the role it played in the local culture. I was struck by the common thread that music plays in cultures around the globe for storytelling and for various rituals.

Another thing that I learned was the pervasiveness of African musical influences. Almost every continent represented seemed to have an element of their musical culture that was influenced by African culture.

This was definitely a treat. I would give myself at least 3 hours to visit the museum.

So well done!! Didn’t have time to see it all. Cafe looked good too. Friendly staff. Nice gift shop. Beautiful, interesting place ! GO!

For being the number 1 on TripAdvisor I expected a lot more. There is only one section of interaction. Otherwise you walk around with earphones on and wait to hear something at each county, region, etc. I felt like once you had seen one thing you saw it all. A music enthusiast would love it especially if a guitar person. I appreciate they wanted you to experience music/culture for every region of the world but was overdone.

This is at least the third visit to this amazing museum. We also paid for the Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars. We were not disappointed. The staff were excellent. Very helpful and informative.

We had lunch at the cafeteria. The food was good but ordering was a bit unorganized. I don't know if it was because it was busy, but confusing nonetheless.

Regardless, this is an exceptional museum. Definitely not one to be missed when you're in the Phoenix area.

What an amazing place! Worth driving out of town to visit! Beautifully curated exhibits with auto sound recordings as you pass by. Friendly staff, allow a full day!

This place is amazing! If you do only one thing in Phoenix, make it this. Meticulously curated and very engaging. You get to learn about history and many cultures & vast expanse of genres. There is a room where you get to play various instruments. You have to wear their headphones the whole time to be able to get the full immersive experience. Make sure you have at least 2 to 3 hours here, as there is a ton to see, and you don’t want to miss any of it. Nice cafeteria on premises. I think this is one of the coolest museums I’ve ever been to.

The concert was excellent and he is a genius piano player if not a prodigy. He was accompanied by a singer and Tracie Silverman who is also a prodigy on the violin. How could one be so lucky to have these two in concert. Ji was also an excellent entertainer with the audience. This a must return to next year.

MIM is a must see if you are in the Phoenix area. The museum is well maintained and easy to navigate. Allow at least 2.5 hours to tour all of the halls to experience music from all parts of the globe. If possible stay longer to truly absorb each county’s exhibit.

We spent two hours at this museum. For those with extensive musical backgrounds, it would be easy to spend an entire day here. For the price of admission, you receive a receiver with headphones that allow you to listen to musical demonstrations of various instruments as well as excerpts of performances by famous musicians. It is difficult to imagine a place with more different examples of instruments from around the world than this museum. It was almost overwhelming for a non-musician. The quality and uniqueness of this place are difficult to overstate.

A "must see" if you like music. Calling it a "Musical Instrument Museum" is misleading. It's really about music, musicians, and the instruments they use, and it's global in scope. In addition to the instruments, informative materials, and some objects connected with great musicians like stage outfits, it's filled with videos that "magically" start playing when your headphones are in range. There's also a room filled with mechanical music-making devices, including a wall-sized complete dancing band called Apollonia that they demonstrate twice a day.

Make sure you allow enough time to browse this unique museum. Many are "dragged" only to be "dragged" out. It tours the world of musical instruments.

It is easy to spend an entire day in this very special museum. The upper floor is devoted to musical instruments from countries all over the world. The lower floor is a series of special exhibits. My favorite was the Masters Exhibit--memorabilia from artists, bothpast and present, are the feature here, not to mention their music. The audio tour that comes with the entry fee is brilliant. Multiple AV are located throughout; as the visitor approaches them, they begin to play the music or an interview with an artist. A lunch area and coffee bar are available.

This place is a real gem of musical amazement. As a musician, I felt like I could spend all day walking the museum. My 4 year old wasn't as happy, but that might be why they were free! My 6 year old and wife also got into the various demonstrations and trying out the instruments. Highly highly recommend.

I’m glad my cousin suggested this museum. Very well organized by countries. There were extremely old instruments, one drum set was round and the size of a hot tub. A Pacific drum was around 10 feet tall. There was a piano that was built for the Worlds Fair in Paris in 1889. An added bonus is clothing displayed that was Johnny Cash’s—black of course. Elvis’ army jacket too.

Wow! Very nice museum! Loved the headsets, which automatically tune into whichever exhibit you're currently in front of. We didn't have a lot of time, so didn't see it all. I'd definitely visit again when in the area.

OMG! One of the Best Museums I've ever been to.

First off, my wife and I are both teachers and got in free. It's $20 admission and is worth every penny.

You receive an audio tour cell phone which is activated and plays at each station as you approach the various music displays.

Music and Instruments are represented from all over the world. Also, music and instruments from various "hall of famer" musicians are displayed...including Elvis, Johnny Cash, Maroone 5, etc.

Absolutely loved this place! We spend 4 hours there and only covered about 3/4's of the museum. Plenty of parking. Nice gift shop!

Would highly recommend for all audiences!

It is a treasure of a museum. Just imagine 10,000 musical countries from all countries in the world, fascinating displays of local musical rituals, dances, stellar performances of classical music, rock, jazz, country, blues… all genres, all types of instruments, professional famous performers and unknown small village musicians, Elvis’s guitars, exhibit dedicated to famous Cremona violin makers, ritual shofars from Israel, bright dresses of flamenco dancers from Spain, musical festivals in the Alps, musical instruments in the US and Canada, old and new, endless variety of guitars, pianos, demo of orchestra groups of instruments… it is so hard to name everything we had seen in just three hours. All I can say we have seen a miracle.

This museum was a surprise, very nice,very interesting and very good organized.
A place to must go in Phoenix for all ages.

Went with 2 other 60+ friends. We spent about 6 hours there with lunch. So much to see and explore. Beautiful historical instruments, artist room, mechanical instruments, and music from around the world. Very good audio system that started when you got to each exhibit. If I lived locally, I would get a membership and go multiple times. There is a lot to see. Plann at least 2-3 hours, depending on the interest and ages.

Very interactive audio tour, and this place goes on endlessly showing music and instruments from, well, everywhere. I happen to have some acquaintance with classical Cambodian dance, and darn if CAH Madam Sam-Oeun Tes wasn't represented. Fascinating room with 19thc mechanical musical instruments - rivals Nethercutt at least in breadth. Not cheap, worth every penny for the music lover, and an expansive extensive survey for even those even just casually interested. You will see/hear things you probably haven't even thought of.

The self assured, pompous songstress with extraordinaire vocals was passive aggressive with the audience. Her conversation bordered on narcissism and deep rooted family issues. A majority of the comments were insulting to the audience.

The unannounced opening act was Megan Danielle. Her vocals were excellent considering she sang without drums or keyboard. Maddie asked her to join her tour and it was her first touring act. This would justify her being humble, sweet, thankful manner.

The night was long and why do the younger musicians feel the need to tell the audience who they are dating.

This is an absolutely amazing museum! Repeatedly encouraged by relatives in the area to see, no one explained anything about it. On a free afternoon we decided to head that way. By the time we got there many of the school groups were boarding buses to leave. That was good! Still very crowded, we happened upon the calliope room that was just starting the demonstration, Lucky us! The docent was terrific in her explanation, demonstrating the workings and the history as well as answering questions. It just got better from there: rooms where children and adults could try out any instruments; rooms where musical groups and singers through the ages where alive again by favorite music and songs. Musical instruments from all countries and ethnic groups! Don’t miss it! Dick and Joan, Oak Park, IL

I couldn’t fathom how the Musical Instruments Museum was rated the no. 1 attraction in Phoenix…. that is, until I visited it. It was truly amazing and I have never seen such a collection of musical instruments and memorabilia in my life. My favorite gallery was the Artists gallery which was filled with different displays of so many artists. There were little TV monitors at each one and when you approached the display, with the headphones provided by the museum, the TV monitor’s sound could be heard in the headphones. The museum is very large. Allow at least a couple of hours to visit it. There is a café there, so one can go through the galleries, have lunch, then continue. We missed the musical performance that happened at noon, so plan to be there at noon if possible. The Congo masks exhibit was good too. I learned so much about these African tribes of the Republic of the Congo. Great Experience!

This is a one of kind museum of musical instruments presented geographically around he world with glass cases for countries and as you stand before them, the traditional instruments are played

I have been here a few times and they really bring in some diverse artists. It is a small venue and a great opportunity to see many different often international acts. There is not a bad seat in the house. But I do tend to prefer sitting in the third row middle.

We had a wonderful visit to this unique museum with both regular and special exhibits. The staff was welcoming, friendly and informative. The wireless headsets added to the experience. If you have limited time in Phoenix this is a must see.

This museum is state of the art! It displays musical instruments current, and from the past, and highlights famous artists through video, using personal earphones. Every country group is given attention. I love music, and it is the BEST museum I've ever seen! Good food too!!!

This museum is one of my favorite musems ever. If anyone is visiting Phoenix I would recommend it because it is so much fun and I have had such a good experince here.

This was one of the most enjoyable museum visits I have had. We went twice during a long weekend vacation. The easy to access exhibits tell the stories of instruments, people, cultures and countries. It is a beautiful campus too. I will highly recommend to friends.

If you like music or instruments at all, this museum will amaze you. Strange and wonderful instruments and carefully curated exhibits by country and then by music type: video, audio, costumes and instruments. Recommend for music and history students. You could spend days here before you see everything.

This was my 2nd visit to MIM and hopefully there'll be a 3rd. This place is massive and it's collection of musical instruments from around the world mind boggling! It's both educational & entertaining. New since my last visit in 2016 are headphones that allow one to hear narrations & music throughout. Be sure to check out the gift shop at the end of your day ~ some truly unique items.

This museum is almost overwhelming. There is so much to see and listen to and watch. It is a must visit site in Phoenix! It is not cheap to visit, but well-worth the cost. My husband and youngest son are both musicians and they were fascinated with all of the instruments and testimonies of musicians on video. We were there at least 3 hours and only got to about 3/4 of the place. It is very tiring after a while to try and read all the information and watch the videos. But please go--its worth it!

This place is so huge and fascinating, you may want to consider buying the 2-day pass to see it. We saw the special exhibit first (Legendary Musical Instruments), which was well worth the extra money, then tried to work our way through the rest of the museum. Most of the exhibits there have an associated video and the sound for that video will automatically start playing on your headset when you walk up to the video. Needless to say, the videos were enthralling (often showcasing master musicians like Jiji Kim and Jake Shimabakuro), and it’s very easy to lose track of time. I would probably still be there wandering through the museum except my feet started to hurt after about 4 hours.

Don’t miss the museum’s restaurant either, Café Allegro, which has great food and a lovely and huge outdoor dining area.

Everything about this museum is world class. It is the only global musical instrument museum that has instruments, videos, regalia, and related items from over 200 countries and territories. In the 80,000 square foot exhibit space, there are additional exhibits that illustrate how thumb pianos, gongs, Martin guitars, Steinway pianos and violins are made. Enjoy a reasonably priced and tasty meal in the cafe. A hidden gem in the museum is the 300 seat MIM Music Theatre that has superb acrostics in a beautiful and intimate setting. Around 300 performances a year are available with the genres including jazz, country, rock, Americana, classical and global. A fantastic place to spend a day and finish with an evening show.

This museum's exhibits are very well done. You can tell a lot of time and effort were spent. The information that's provided is interesting and well displayed. It covers so many genres as well as cultures. Definitely worth going to if you're a music lover.

Worth seeing for when you’re in Phoenix! Fascinating to see different kinds of musical instrument on one place.

Spectacular wide-ranging exhibition of musical instruments from all over the world, with hundreds of videos illustrating the many types of music

Excellent museum, well organized and immersive with hundreds of displays of live performances from all over the world and musical genres

Concert was put on by Arizona Music. Roseanne has such a blues, soulful smooth voice. The band and concert were exceptional. She inherited her fathers talent a million times over. The talent was over the top.

At the recommendation from friends who live locally we decided to go to this museum. OMG! It was amazing. We signed up for an early entrance time as we were told it would be difficult to see everything in 1 visit. We had no idea what to expect but what we were told was 100% accurate. There is no way possible to explain the amazing things displayed on both levels of this building. As a musician I was overwhelmed with joy and wished for my grandson who plays multiple instruments. Standing in front of each display, listening to the description of origins of the instruments from countries around the world was magical. How people in countries I didn’t know existed and see the instruments they made out of oil cans, strings & sticks, etc., and the music they played & sang was mind boggling. This place should definitely be on your bucket list. Oh, and don’t miss lunch in the cafe. We had the soup of the day & shared a BLTA sandwich. It was delicious.

I spent over 4 hours going through the museum. It was a lot of fun as well as educational and entertaining. I liked how they have the headphones and screens all around so you can experience the sounds and cultures of the instrument and learn some of its history. Well done.

The cafeteria was nice too and had a lot of food variety.

What a special hidden gem! Anyone who enjoys music should explore this museum. There is so much to see; from musical instruments early beginnings to more current memorabilia. I learned so much and enjoyed playing in the play room. A must see for sure!

MIM is so much more than a collection of musical instruments. And it's not just for folks who are musically inclined. It's an immersion into world cultures, a history of many different peoples, all united by the love of creating music whether by shaking a gourd or playing a Steinway piano. The museum is overwhelming in the number of exhibits. There are instruments from all countries and cultures with short videos showing examples of the music of each country. My friends and I stayed until closing time and still did not see everything. MIM makes you realize that no matter what far flung corner of the world you come from, we are all united by our desire to make music.

This is a world class museum. That is not to be missed. Enjoy guided headset tour throughout the space. It’s aircondited and has a cafe so it’s good to do if it’s raining or too hot. No matter how much time you devote to seeing this museum it will not be enough. You will want to visit multiple times.

Wonderful museum, it’s allot to take in as there is so much there. Instruments, music, videos from most countries of the world. Spent 2hours and could have easily doubled that.

The MIM was recommended to us by local friends and we’re glad we changed our plans to go.

The museum is well designed with historical and cultural elements highlighted. The instruments on display are interesting but the videos running continuously alongside (silently but immediately linked to your complimentary headset as you walk by) bring everything to life.

There is a large area dedicated to well known musicians with videos of performances and interviews running.

Overall, a great experience you’ll want to have yourself.

Lots of fun and very interesting. Could have easily spent a full day. We went in the afternoon after lunch and spent approximately 3 hours and didn’t see everything. Loved the automatic headsets.

The Musical Instrument Museum, or MIM, was a fantastic experience. We stopped in on our way back from Cave Creek to Scottsdale, and ended up here for a few hours because it was so interesting. It was larger and more extensive than we expected, with exhibits from all over the World and covered all types of music. They even have an interactive room where you can play some of the instruments. The theramin was especially interesting and fun to try, (this makes the spooky music you hear in old horror movies). So many countries and all continents are represented. I am recommending a visit to everyone I know going to the Phoenix area.

Not that this gem of a museum needs another review but ... I am not a musician, I don't play an instrument, but I appreciate those who are and do. I loved this museum. It is really a museum about music making and those who make the music. Its collection of instruments is breathtaking and beautifully presented. Even more impressive is how the museum uses videos to let you hear how the instruments sound and are used to create art. The global part of the museum is an incredible look into the cultures of the world. As others warn, allow a lot of time for the visit. I did 3.5 hours and needed more.

The review posted says to0 allow 4 hours. I would suggest going before midday and including a stop for lunch, then continuing. There is far too much to see for only 4 hours. This is a beautiful building, comfortably air conditioned and there was plenty of parking.
I have never been to a better or more informative museum. This is really an all-day task to see it all.
The exhibits are well organized, with great explanations and samples of music audible with headphone that are free of charge.
If you only have a half day, plan ahead by getting a map to make sure you see the things of most interest to you. Most people would probably go to the Artist section first.
We went to the instrument section as I went with members of my family have played instruments and loved that section as well.
There is also an entire secion devoted to music genres of the world.
I will never forget this experience.

The entire museum was amazing. So interesting. It’s overwhelming to see everything in one day. Would definitely recommend a 2 day pass if you have the time. There are so many videos to watch that correspond to the instruments. Probably the best museum I’ve ever been to. We spent 4 hours here and didn’t experience everything. A must see.

We were blown way by this fantastic museum. If you are a music lover of any genre, you will find outstanding exhibits to suit you. This gem of a museum is expertly arranged with outstanding artifacts, instruments, and the opportunity to be hands-on with some instruments. You will find musical instruments you never even heard of from all over the world. Truly an outstanding museum.

This is a very interesting musical Instrument experience...You walk through various rooms, with headphones on and see various instruments and costumes of almost every country in the world...This is very interesting ..for music fans,musicians,or,anyone interested in world culture...Awesome

Amazing overview of world music via the instruments used to make it.
The site is large, the museum spacious and modern. The overall layout is well designed, by area, by genre, by instrument type. Each exhibit has its own fascinating details, and most are paired with a video (audio headset included with admission) allowing you to hear the music. It's a broad and deep survey of world music.
The fun sections include an antique mechanical player gallery, and a collection of famous instruments. Loved seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan's guitar, the drum set used by the Who at Woodstock, Pablo Cassal's cello... The list goes on.
Highly recommended for any musician or music lover. You could spend an entire day here.

Such an incredible place, not only for musicians, but for anyone interested in music and the huge variety across history and the world.

The 2 hours we left ourselves wasn’t nearly enough, we could have spent 4 hours there!

So much to look at, hear and read.

Musical Instrument Museum is created to be a musical world-experience, housed in an inviting, modern building. As classical musicians we spent all of our time in the special exhibit (a slight cost but well worth the money and a welcoming introduction to the Museum) and South and Latin America, Middle East, and African sections. We visited none of North America, Canada, or Europe. Learning about and hearing music from parts of the world with which we were less familiar was gratifying. (In the future we look forward to learning and experiencing what we missed!) For representative countries, videos are available to hear indigenous performances, recorded on site. Headsets automatically adust from station to station when you move from country to country and are distributed when you enter the MIM, by welcoming, informative staff. Displays show local instruments and the prerecorded performances. (The MIM apparently did some of the recordings. Others are videoed by independent professionals.) The automatic transfer from one station to another works fairly well, and it is a pleasure for this to occur without having to manipulate buttons. The staff researchers, as presented in videos in the Special Exhibit, are communicative, positive about their work, in awe of indigenous musicians and artistry, and exuberant about instruments and local music. Their presence is felt and communicated throughout the Museum by scholarly and attractive presentations. Being able to watch and hear local performances from each country individualizes the country. MIM does well at highlighting performers famous within their country, as well as typical national culture within the country. I felt that MIM was successful at this, even when some countries share similar types of performances to neighboring countries. Anything unique to a country is highlighted. Food and comfort facilities are readily available. My cohort and I enjoyed playing the superb Steinway & Sons Model B, as we were invited to do by the staff. You can move at your own pace. Friendly, helpful docents are placed throughout the rooms. Anyone who is interested in music will find something of fascination in this world-class museum of world music!

My 14-year old son & I went and had a really good time. I was initially mildly interested but we spent 3 hours! Highly recommend.

We came here because it was open on Christmas and we needed something to do. It is AMAZING. You could spend a whole day in there easily. We didn’t stop to read many of the detailed explanations and we were still in there 3 hours! It is really well done.

Upstairs there are instruments, traditional clothes worn during performances, and videos of natives of a region playing some of the instruments….for EVERY country (well, not every country, but it seems like it!). The rooms are silent…you wear provided headsets (part of admission) and as you get close to an exhibit you can hear the music that accompanies that collection. You can change the volume a LOT. You don’t have to go in a specified order around the exhibits….it only plays when you walk close to an exhibit… it plays music, not a commentary, so it is relaxing.

The rooms are set up by area of the world (Asia, Europe, etc) with each country having their own collection. In addition to each region’s collection, there are collections by genre (jazz, mechanical, automatons, etc). There are even collections from different countries that have instruments made out of brake drums, oil cans…whatever they found to use. One of the country’s instruments are made of bamboo…tuba, trumpet, trombone, etc all made of bamboo!

There is a room with collections of clothes, instruments, and recordings of prominent artists in all genres… even the therimin! Next to it is a room with instruments you can try…gongs, theremin (totally cool), xylophones, bells, percussion instruments, stringed instruments, etc.

There is a room with mechanized musical instruments…player pianos, calliopes, music boxes, etc. Really fascinating!

I like music and history and learning about different cultures, and this was a wonderful museum if you only have ONE of those interests.

There is also a cafe and grab and go place to eat inside or outside. The outside is well landscaped with cacti and other succulents. I can’t say enough about this museum. Best spent $20 in Phoenix!

Very interesting! Better than we expected! It had so many facts and fun videos to watch and listen! Definitely recommend to anyone!

Wow! What an amazing collection of musical instruments! The headset audio tour was excellent. As you approach the TV displays, the headphones pick up whatever is being presented. So interesting to see the instruments organized by countries and to see the different materials used to create their instruments. Then in the United States gallery, displays were organized by types of instruments. Don't miss the Artist Gallery! Everything was neatly organized and sparkling clean. Lots of space for people to spread out. So much to feast your eyes upon and listen to... I found myself dancing along on many occasions!

So good. Instruments spanning history and the globe. I spent hours there and could have spent hours more. A real highlight in Phoenix.

We stopped by randomly and wasn't sure what to expect. It was a surprisingly good time. We spent 2 hours at the museum and only left because it was closing. The headset that automatically plays as you walk through really make the experience immersive. I typically do not like museums and found this one fascinating.

Wonderful musical museum. GREAT for families and kids (of all ages, --blah blah). But you will be amazed at The World's ways of making music.
Do be prepared for 4 or 5 hours here, more if kids go nuts and listen to every instrument.
Just a fantastic museum

If you have only one thing to do in Phoenix and you like or love music, this is where you need to go. We had no idea about the scope or size of this museum and it was utterly fascinating. Not only did you get to see the instruments, but you were able to listen to some of them. Our biggest mistake was that we did not allow enough time for ourselves, but if and when we get back to AZ, this will most definitely be on the itinerary. Make sure to allow more time than you think you may need because it is phenomenal.

Roseanne Cash was exceptional. Her voice is soulful, bluesy, smooth and she inherited her fathers talent a million times over. Her husband was her other half that fronted the show and the band was over the top. The concert was promoted by AZ Music fest.

An unexpected delightful surprise! We were in Phoenix during a rare “rainout” day & looking for interesting indoor activities. The exhibits are extremely well done: nice blend of focus on the musical instruments themselves juxtaposed with backgrounds on some of the musicians including video/pictorial perspective. We loved the Congo mask exhibit as well as the live performance in the mechanical instrument exhibit room.

A wonderful musical journey for anyone who has even the slightest interest in music. Some wonderful displays of modern contemporary music, manufacturers and world music. The headset is comfortable and the transitions between displays comfortable on the ears.

Some of the displays were very emotive, such as Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix and my personal favourite was the air guitar! Wonderful to see things such as vintage guitar string manufacturing and some of the greatest players instruments!

It was a wonderful show at MIM last night with Paris Chansons. The musicians were amazing with delightful singing from 3 different singers. The audience was even singing along in French invited to join in by the band.

This was amazing with instruments from every corner of the world! I was surprised at the amount of instruments they had. They also have lots of videos of people playing the instruments they had available. They also have a gallery where you can play some instruments! Highly recommend!

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) offers an awe-inspiring journey through the diverse musical traditions of the world. Its collection of instruments from across the globe, combined with cultural dress displays, is truly impressive. What sets MIM apart is the audio portion of the tour, which allows visitors to seamlessly walk from country to country while hearing the instruments being played through videos. This immersive experience adds layers of depth to the visit, creating a unique and captivating atmosphere for music enthusiasts. Be prepared, though, as the exhibits are surprisingly vast, and it's easy to lose track of time once engrossed in the museum's treasures. If you have a passion for music, MIM is a must-visit destination. Additionally, one of the highlights of the experience is the opportunity to witness live instrument restoration, which adds an extra level of appreciation for the craftsmanship behind these musical treasures.

Overall, the Musical Instrument Museum provides an exceptional and enriching experience for anyone who appreciates music and cultural heritage. The combination of its extensive instrument collection, the immersive audio tour, and the live restoration demonstrations make it a haven for music lovers. Whether you're interested in exploring the diverse sounds of different cultures or simply enjoy losing yourself in the world of music, the MIM is a captivating destination that promises to leave a lasting impression. Don't underestimate the size of the exhibits and the amount of time you can spend here; it's a place where you can truly indulge your passion for music and revel in the artistry of musical instruments from around the world.

The self guided tour with the audio tour was great. So informative.
The way the museum was organized by countries was great. You could see the instrument similarities to regions.
It was amazing to see the collection that has been gathered from all over the world.

Lots of videos of people playing music, Audio headset (included in admission price) automatically plays soundtrack when you're right in front of the screen. It's a very easy way to enjoy the music. Videos include dance, singing and ethnic costumes as well as instruments. Very extensive exhibits.

Best musical museum around! Great staff. We’ll put together. Huge selection of Instruments and staged so well, instruments from every decade. We’ll scripted signage and stories.
Great for any age. Accessibility good for those who require it. Beautiful setting. Easy to park.

This was our first time visiting the Scottsdale/Phoenix area and we wanted to take in unique experiences to beat the heat during the day . As a professional musician by occupation, this museum was a must see for me. It did not disappoint!

First piece of advice...the museum is HUGE. Prepare well by wearing comfortable shoes because you will walk a lot!

Second, there is a lot of information to take in, so be prepared to spend hours there if you really want a immersive experience. My POV, this is not a casual stroll of a museum, it's a learning experience. There are so many instruments to see and even more information to read. If you're a lover of all things musical and have the time, it would be worth buying the 2 day pass since there is so much to see. Break it up if you have that luxury.

The vast collection of instruments from around the world is mind boggling. It seems every corner of the globe is represented with some sort of musical instrument and the accompanying videos & recordings are priceless.

Highly recommend. Will try to plan more in advance on the next visit to the area and see if we can take in one of the concerts they offer throughout the year. Locals highly recommend the concerts!

I highly recommend this specialty museum. We saw the Treasurers exhibit - outstanding narration. Also saw the rooms on Europe - organized by country.

They have done such an amazing job presenting instruments from around the world. The videos and related audios bring each display to life. I was surprised how much I learned about the country, their instruments and the history in a single visit. You definitely need multiple visits to see the whole museum. The museum itself is beautiful, bright and well spaced. They have a very interesting cafe with an ever changing menu.

We visited this museum planning g on staying only 1-2 hrs, we stayed all day! Everything was arranged by continent and then by country. It was fascinating to see and hear the ingenious ways people of these countries made their instruments. Each country had a musical video so you could hear and see the instruments played. Highly recommend this place for anyone who is interested in music, travel, history or just learning. They even have a room so you can try playing some of the instruments, great for children.

If you're trying to figure out whether this museum is worth your time, it absolutely is! When I told my boyfriend I wanted to go to the "Musical Instrument Museum", he gave me a funny look, but he kindly humored me. We arrived at 2 p.m. in the afternoon and stayed until they kicked us out when they closed at 5. We hadn't even seen half of the museum! We loved it so much that we went back another day before our evening flight home so that we could see what we had missed. We were there another 3 hours and still didn't get to see everything. You will not regret visiting - just buy your tickets already!

Oh, my! If you enjoy ANY type of music, domestic or international, make this a 3-4 hour stop. The place is huge, and has instruments and displays and videos of many, many types of music. There are hands-on rooms for the kids to try out lots of instruments (I was impressed that there were 2 "Little Martin LXM" guitars for anyone to play - and those retail for $400!). They have rooms with certain styles of music. They have rooms with music from different countries. They have rooms with brass instruments. Rooms with percussion instruments. Rooms with guitars. Rooms with stringed instruments. You get the idea. Put this place on your "stop here" list!

Wow! A great display of musical instruments from around the world. The audio guide was a great source of music and descriptions of the instruments. You can easily spend 2-3 hours and not see everything. I plan to return someday to re-enjoy the experience.

I enjoyed looking at the different instruments and seeing what goes in to making them. The lyrics recommended to wash your hands in the bathroom were a nice touch. Great way to end my second experience in Arizona before hopping on the flight home with my parents.

This is a must for everyone, even if you don't play an instrument. Our family of 11 got a tour with a guide, but honestly with their audio tour it's a treat to wander from gallery to gallery. Each area is well marked, with information available both visually and by listening and watching videos of the various instruments. Over 200 countries are represented! We spent 2 hours there and the entire family will be returning next time they are in Phoenix. Don't miss the interactive gallery!

An impressive museum that you can spend all day exploring. Detailed exhibits about instruments from all over the world with audio supplements to hear samples. It’s probably the one thing at minimum you should visit during your stay in Phoenix.

This museum is a real destination. Unfortunately, they need to update things - For some reason they spotlight only three classical musicians (Ypes, Casals and a slight tribute to Bernstein). The American and European exhibis are definitely lacking, but the African, Asian and South American sections are comprehensive

Great place to visit if you have any interest in music - popular or folk - from around the world. So much to see. We spent a whole afternoon there and didn't get to see everything. Ask about the evening concerts too - we lucked out on our visit and got to see a great band play that evening.

The absolute highlight of our trip. We learned about this special museum on a food tour from two other couples.
To hear world renowned musicians play the exhibited instruments from around the world was incredible.
We only had three hours and that was not enough time.
Jim Brickman was playing at the venue while we were visiting but already sold out.
This a world class museum and will be of interest no matter your age.
We will be back

WOW what an incredible museum. If you like music, this is the place to visit. You learn about tons of instrument from all around the world. You also have information about great musicians. You can even test some of the instruments presented. Really a fantastic place to visit.

This museum is around 25 minutes from the sky harbor airport. There are two floors with instruments from all around the world, you are given a listening device from the front desk and once you stand in front of a monitor at the displays you're able to listen to four different examples of the instruments being played. The desk attendant said it takes about 3 hours to view all of the exhibits. It is a very long and rewarding experience and very interesting.

Incredible experience both times. First time we went in February we spent 4 hours and did not see everything so we took friends this weekend and did the same thing. Well worth the $20 admission fee.

Give yourselves a few hours to go through this museum. It is self guided with a headset. As you approach the many exhibits, your headset will turn on automatically. We stayed for 2 hours on just the first floor.

The Bo Deans band has many albums but I was not familiar with their music. The 4 member band provided 90 minutes of rock from the heart. The lead singer was hiding behind glasses but his guitar playing was exemplary. The sold out show was brought to their feet by the end of the show. This was one of those nice surprise shows.

Surprisingly creative, large and varied collection of musical instruments of all types. They give you bluetooth earphones and you stroll around past screens representing all aspects of music around the world. When you stop in front of a screen, you can watch the film and hear the narration. Depending on how much you're into it, you can spend anywhere from 1 hour to a whole day wandering around.

Mom and I went to the museum in June. We had tickets for the treasured instruments
also. It was fantastic. The ladies at the front were more than helpful. Mom can not walk a distance so we got her a scooter. It was great. We enjoyed every minute of it. We are going back one day. You just cant take everything in. It is very interactive. IWe did not eat at the cafe. If you have not been there make it a point to go.

What to do on a rainy day just outside of Phoenix? Head to the Musical Instruments Museum.
Just tremendous displays of world wide instruments can be enjoyed on a self guided tour. Many interactive displays and plenty of history and information that bring hours of enjoyment. My wife and I spent nearly 4 hours there and didn't see everything. Displays for the whole family including a great hands on room for the kids and grandkids.
It was a fascinating museum and reasonably priced. If in the area it should be high on your list to visit

It’s a hidden gem! The layout is amazing and they have musical instruments and history organized by the part of the world that it’s from. One room is devoted to musical icons like Elvis, Madonna and Taylor. Don’t skip that room. Your ticket includes an audio set that tells you what each exhibit is.
You can pay half price to attend a second time within 7 days.

We were in town from the East Coast and visited the museum with my parents (in their 70s who live nearby), and my kids (early 20s). The headphones were a bit heavy around your neck but necessary to hear everything in the museum.
Walking through the different sections divided by countries upstairs was nice but also a little confusing as there were also sections separated by regions. However, I’m a huge music fan and loved that I could play the banjo in one room and learn the history of string instruments. So much to see and I didn’t have a chance to experience every room. Would love to see more country and rap exhibits.
I would highly recommend it to everyone in the area and would love to go back and spend 5 hours, we only spent 2.

I thought I would spend a couple of hours here, killing time while my husband was at a convention. Five hours later, I left amazed and grateful for the MIM experience! There is so much to see, and thanks to the headphones that automatically play as you approach different monitors, lots to HEAR! It was uplifting, too, to see how music unites us. Music truly is “the language of the soul.”

Wow!!! Did not know what to expect and I was blown away. Wish I had longer than 3 hours to spend here. Interesting and engaging. Interactive exhibits appeal to all ages. Exhibit were amazing and the audio tour was really good. From the special exhibits to the music around the world, each section was well curated and immersive. Cannot wait to go again and spend the entire day there.

Can't say enough good things about this museum! If you're a musician, don't miss this. It is a bargain for the price, and has so many exhibits - it's like the Smithsonian for music!

This was my second visit, and my wife's third visit, and we still stayed about 4/12 hours! If you have the attention span and interest, you could spend a whole day or two looking and listening.

The special exhibit going on now about the golden age of guitars and violins was also fantastic!

They said two to three hours... We spent over four and felt would could have stayed longer. Even on a weekday it was busy, and worth every penny of the entrance fee. They give you headphones that activate when you approach and area. This made our visit so much easier and more interesting.
I got to sit at a Stienway piano, and actually play it!!
Yes there were school groups there, but with the headsets we did not miss a word. Worth the time and money!

The museum is meticulously organized by country. There is a huge variety and collection of instruments. The “playroom” gives everyone a chance to play instruments that they would not normally play. It was nice to play the grand piano to hear it resonate throughout the building. We loved the headphones and the narration throughout. There is an option of a 2-day pass - it may be a good choice! One day was not enough!!

This museum is large. It has 2 big wings and 2 floors. The depth of the collection is pretty astounding. It is organized by continents / regions / countries. Within that, it is organized by instruments. We did not even have time to visit at least one continent's exhibits. To do this place justice, you'd probably need to spread out a visit over 2 - 3 sessions (maybe as a local with an annual pass?).

We happened to start with the Asian rooms upstairs. These were interesting, though I lacked any deep cultural attachment to most of the exhibits. We then circulated through South America and into the Caribbean, which I thought was more interesting. I liked the video about how steel drums are made. The opposite side of the wing has Europe and North America, which has a log of sub-exhibits. Being from this area, I found this the most immediately interesting. It was hard to linger too long at any one exhibit, given the volume of other areas to explore.

I thought the bits about how pianos are made, the composition of a symphony orchestra, and the guitar section were particularly neat.

We got back to the first floor in time to see the 3 p.m. demonstration of a large mechanical 'orchestra in a box' contraption. It was really interesting to watch. They apparently do this daily. We then peeked at the restoration lab (behind a large glass wall) and then checked out the 'hands on' section before we left.

This facility also has a performance hall, though we did not see it. If you are passing through (or live in the area), this is highly worth checking out!

My husband and I excitedly visited the MIM on a weekday afternoon to learn about musical traditions around the world. Our enthusiasm was diminished a bit by MIM greeter who said it was obvious we were first timers that did not allow enough time for the museum. Perhaps the museum should not sell tickets beyond 2 p.m. then? We enjoyed three hours of MIM’s many galleries of impressive instrument collections and relevant/inspiring videos with corresponding summaries. We especially enjoyed the Artist and Experience galleries on the main level. The MIM experience deepens our appreciation for those who have and continue to make music possible.

It was way more incredible & interesting than expected. Instructions from all over the world, and times. History at it's finest. Learned so much and saw so many beautiful instruments and heard an infinite amount of sounds. It was truly a bucket list experience.

MIM was a great memorable experience. The artist collection was amazing. Took my 6 year old who really enjoyed seeing and learning about music in a different setting. Seeing instruments from every country around the work was extraordinary. Easy to lose track of time and spend s day in there! We can’t wait to come back!

Our outdoor activity for the day was cancelled, so we decided to give this a try. We really didn’t know what to expect. Because of COVID-19, we wanted to limit our indoor exposure to people, so we got the earliest timed entry. It was empty when we arrived, but by the time we left about 2 hours later, it was getting pretty crowded. The museum is really well done. You are provided with sanitized earphones that connect automatically with a large number of video screens that are playing music of the various instruments that are being displayed. The museum is organized mostly by geography, but there are also displays about instrument construction, specific musical styles, sound, etc. We were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed this museum.

Wonderful experience. They have a headset you wear with tvs around all the instruments so you can see and hear some of them being played. We only had about 2 1/2 hours here and were rushed. They recommend 3 and I would say at least that if not more. Still a great experience. Also at 12 and 3 pm they play one of the instruments live and that was awesome. They also have a hands on area great for kids and adults both to play with some of the instruments.

Very good exhibits, volunteers and staff.

Display's from country and artist.

Audio info which added to tour.

Does anyone know what my photo is of from the museum?

Always something new to see. This is a one-of a kind place to visit. Go early. You can always leave early if it’s not your thing but twice we’ve gone with friends who thought “Museum? Yeah, right. A few hours is fine.” In both cases we stayed til the end, and they said they’ll be coming back.

Advice… start on the second floor, continents, then go to Africa first as that represents the beginning of music. The exhibit is divided into continents, then by country… except the US. That’s by genre… jazz, hip hop, classical, rock, etc. we’ve visited about 5 times and always find something new. We live in Oregon so are only here once a year. The current special exhibit is worth the extra few bucks - violins and guitars, very old ones.

Enjoy.

Even for a non-musical person this is a very interesting museum. Plan on a half day to see the whole thing!

If you love music, this is a must!
World class museum, well-organized, entertaining.
My brain wore out before I could experience it all!