Musicians are prompt to travel a lot, and when visiting new cities, to try to discover places, bars, stages, and even museums related to music! In the US alone, there are over 100 museums dedicated to instruments and music history, so if you´re a musician who likes to travel, there ought to be something for you!
But with so many options, where should you start looking? Here are our three top picks that are worth the visit if you ever are in these cities:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Website: https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/musical-instruments
The Met is not just a world-renowned art museum but also an impressive collection of over 5,000 musical instruments from all over the world. From ancient Egyptian harps to modern electric guitars, the Met’s collection covers many periods and cultures.
The National Music Museum, Vermillion, South Dakota
Website: https://www.nmmusd.org/
The NMM is home to over 15,000 instruments, making it one of the largest collections in the world. The museum’s collection includes early keyboard instruments to iconic rock and roll guitars. The collections account for various musical instruments, from accordions to zithers. All of the musical instruments are available not only at the museum but also online in their eMuseum exhibition; visit it here: https://emuseum.nmmusd.org
The Museum of Making Music, Carlsbad, California
Website: https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/
This museum is dedicated to the history of American-made instruments and the people who made them. The museum’s collection includes rare and historic instruments from some of the biggest names in music, such as Gibson, Fender, and Ludwig. The galleries are pleasant and walkable, with a lot of story information on their walls about music production, types of equipment, and the industry in general. You can even try some musical instruments yourself!
These three are, without a doubt, our favorite ones, but if you are going to travel to another city inside the US, don’t miss out on visiting any local museum there might be. Just search on google for “musical instruments museum in X city,” and you’ll get information about their location, opening hours, and details.
No matter which museum you visit, you’re sure to have a musical experience you’ll never forget, even in other cities. So grab your tickets and get ready to rock!
