Musical Instrument Museum Self-guided Tour Ticket In Phoenix

Amazing experience! We had value for the money spent.

Nice museum.. We enjoyed. Hands on was very good. Audio guide is great. Everyone was pleasant. Great facility.

Took about 5 hours to see everything which was perfect as we had a late flight out of Phoenix and this museum turned out to be more than just a time filler. So many interesting items and history to appreciate. They even had live music playing near the entrance the day we went which you could hear while walking around of you didn’t want to sit and watch the musicians.

This museum was surprisingly good! It exceeded my expectations. So much to see--plan on at least 2-3 hours, more if you have the time. I wish I'd had the time and energy to stay even longer--by the end, I was walking past entire exhibits just to see everything. Pick what you're most interested in to see first. No matter what your musical tastes or interests are, there's something for everyone. Exhibits of donated wardrobe and equipment from musicians of all kinds from all eras, a room full of automated music players like player pianos and other machines, special exhibits showing how a piano and a violin are made, and instruments that range from the most primitive drum to the most modern synthesizer and mixing board--and everything in between. Plus, an entire floor is organized by region of the world/country, showing the instruments native to that area. The technology that has the free headphones they give you play the music for whatever exhibit you're near worked pretty well, and was a HUGE element of the whole experience! (Bring your own earbuds with a 3.5mm jack if you prefer, they'll plug right in to the Walkman-size box they give you.) I just wish the music excerpts could have run longer in some cases.

Huge museum with every instrument ever made from every corner of the world! Stayed 2 hours, could have stayed longer. Very well layed out; easy to navigate and the staff are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

So Many Instruments of different sizes, shapes & sounds! It was a Great museum tour to do self guided with head phones for all the information for many instruments and their location and sounds.

MIM is a must visiting if you are in the area. It’s so informative and educational with so many instruments from all over the world. I’d definitely visit it many times if lived in Phoenix because 3-4 hours weren’t enough. My 11yo isn’t a big fan of museums but this one is unique and very interesting for people of any age.

Simply amazing! This is an absolute must-visit place for anyone who enjoys music. Incredibly rich and in-depth collection, require multiple visits to do it justice. If you’re in Phoenix for a short visit, like us, set aside 4 or 5 hours at least!

What a treat! I enjoyed the MIM so much. There is so much to see and take in. Each room is beautifully laid out and the displays are awesome. I really like that they provide you with a listening device that comes on when you stand in front of the display, and gives you a brief description of each display. Going through the different countries was very enriching. I spent 5 1/2 hours museum because I didn’t want to miss anything, and it was definitely worth it.

We went because the TripAdvisor reviews were great - otherwise, we might not have went - I mean, musical instruments, that’s it? But WOW! This museum is one of the best I’ve ever been to! Totally worth every penny - and the price is very reasonable. I took my grandson and my sister’s grandkids (all 8-10 years old). We stayed nearly the entire day. What is so amazing is that they have videos of these rare instruments being played - and they are the exact instruments on display! The headphones automatically connect to audio as the video is playing. Walk away, it disconnects. Walk into another zone, and it automatically connects to that zone. Also has musical instruments memorabilia from many famous artists from all genres. We also visited the cafe - great food at a reasonable price. Then, at the end, the kids played in the Experience Zone making their own “music”. On the way out, we stopped to see the Apollonia Dance Organ in all its grandeur and listen to a couple of songs - amazing! Kids LOVED that.

I brought my twin 12 yo’s who are into now junior high school music education. They are in heaven! The staff is so informative and helpful. Lunch at the cafe was a little pricy but so good. Jax’s new favorite is shawarma. The Experience room is a favorite; trying all sorts of instruments from other countries. Adults as well as kids love it. Off to the gift shop next which has international choices to remember our day. One grandson said this was his Disneyland.

The Music Museum was exuberantly amazing! I took my daughter there since she loves music. That place is extremely large. Towards the end it became overwhelming.

This is a great museum. We rarely visit museums but this one was very interesting and fun. We spent about four hours there.

This Museum is a one of a kind and a spectacular display of musical instrument history. As a drummer for almost 60 years I encourage all other musicians and music lovers to make an extreme effort to visit. The interactive exhibits make the tour especially intriguing and exciting and the way in which all genres and instruments are presented is like nothing I've ever experienced before. This is a must see tribute to all things musical. Do not miss an opportunity to treat yourself to the experience of a musical lifetime. Completely and absolutely impressive.

First of all, do not let seriously looking building deter you. Once you get inside those doors, the museum is nothing but fun … comes alive! I’d allow 3/4 hours to visit. We were rushed and missed displays. Plenty of clean bathrooms. Elevator mad escalators Grab your audio friend (headset) and use it anywhere you see a tv and music sign. You can hear many instruments. First floor holds instruments of yesterday. It also displays instruments, music clips and memorabilia from famous stars, past and present .. Taylor, J cash, Roberts flack, etc Upstairs is amazing with instruments from many countries and islands. This is a must see !

If you are open to learning about all kinds of music and the instruments that create them, you will love this museum. Fabulous video explanation and demonstration we spent 3 hours in the gallery. The museum is a distance from DTPHX so a car is best to reach the location. I’ll always remember the experience.

This is an incredible place. I absolutely loved it. Highly recommend it for everyone. The staff is super nice and helpful.

This is a big museum. Lots to look at and hear about. Occasionally the headsets didn't work. Also watch out for school field trips. Thank goodness they only had one hour left and we're gone by 12:30.

Removal of significant and highly relevant cultural pieces in a museum completely defeats the purpose of it being a museum i hope to god to you still have it and fix your thinking

This was one of the best museum experiences I've had. I hadn't known anything about it until a friend who Iives locally suggested it. There are instruments from around the world, arranged by country and by region of the world. Most impressively, the free audio self-guided tour is set so that as you approach each display the audio begins to play, making the experience very easy and enjoyable. In addition to seeing the enormous range of instruments, visitors get to hear samples of the music played on them. There is also a lovely food and beverage area indoors next to a wonderful exterior, partially shaded courtyard to relax and enjoy while taking a break from the tour.

The Musical Instrument Museum was a fantastic place. It was very easy to use the self guided features. The earphones worked by just standing in front of the of the curated displays and there were also written signs to read. The day we toured the was a free 45 minute tour offered that allowed us to get an introduction to how the museum operated and brought us to some interesting displays. Jeff our guide was easy to understand and very knowledgeable. We arrived expecting our visit to last 2-3 hours and stayed for 5 hours. There is still more to see if we are ever in Phoenix again.

Surprised. Great place to visit ! learned a lot.. and had a lot of fun.

This museum is wonderfully interesting. The displays are well thought out.

My wife and I were looking for an interesting stop before heading back to Los Angeles and we luckily came across the Musical Instrument Museum. We arrived around 11am and did not leave until 4pm. The facility is welcoming and the Museum took an interesting approach to displaying the many musical instruments throughout. They don't just display an instrument but supplement the display with video clips of people playing the various instruments. It makes for a more enriching experience. Especially in the room where they display instruments from famous entertainers. You can stay in that room alone for hours. We started on the first floor with the Musical Flute exhibit which will be on display until the end of the year. It is a $7 up-charge but worthwhile if you want to learn about the world of Flutes - it even included a glass flute from Napoleon! In the upstairs gallery you can tour the world and learn of the instruments from the many nations of the world. Very large exhibit. We also discovered Cafe Allegro which offered a nice assortment of fresh food - much of it restaurant quality at reasonable prices. Kudos to the staff for directing us to start in the first floor exhibits - otherwise we would still be wondering around. We visit a lot of museums - this on hit a Note for us!

This was a great self-guided tour. There was a lot more displays and information than I thought there would be. It’s amazing how you get to walk through all the history of music throughout the world throughout time! They have a great little café and restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Overall, it was a beautiful experience and I plan to go back.

This is such an amazing museum! There were so many wonderful instruments to see and it was so much fun to walk around and hear each of them.

We heard good things and if anything that was an undersell. We paid for the special exhibit - the Magical Flutes - and that was well worth it. Fascinating treatment of the various flutes in different cultures, styles, etc. Didn’t realize there were so many. They have a solid gold flute (and talk about its origins, owner, and use) as well as a crystal flute owned by Napoleon as well as a cobalt blue flute owned by his brother. The entire museum is “wired” so that the headphones they give you automatically turn on to what’s playing on a video screen in front of you. That means you don’t miss out on the meaning of what you’re seeing. They show instruments from various countries around the world, but also by instrument type (which we found most interesting). Be sure to look for the signage which indicates special items they have collected (e.g. the very first Steinway ever made, a piano owned by the Czar of Russia, etc.). We spent almost 6 hours at MIM; you can spend less (be more selective in what you listen to), and we could have spent more.

This was an indoor activity chosen by our tour group during the heatwave. I was blown away by all the instruments from across the globe and the vignettes of musicians. We did the self guided tour using the headphones so we could hear how the instruments sounded. I’d give this a 10 if I could because of the uniqueness and quality of presentation. Make sure you leave enough time to get through the whole place

This is a comprehensive look at musical instruments throughout the world and across time. Well narrated using the self-guided boxes. They offer instruments we didn’t know existed. Well organized by regional, country, genre and speciality. We were fortunate to happen upon The Magical Flute special event-amazing is all I can say. From Napoleon’s crystal flute to Sir Galway’s diamond encrusted gold flute-it was all there. We spent a little over two hours at the museum and barely touched the surface. Great museum shop with interesting and unique souvenirs.

There was so much information to see, read about and listen to while strolling through both levels of the museum. We’ll come back next year as we got tired after three hours; still so much more to experience. $20 admission fee was affordable and well worth it!

There was live Irish music in the Courtyard and a speaker while we were there over St. Patrick’s Day. That’s in addition to their two floors of music from around the world. MIM offers headsets to listen to a narration of the exhibits playing on digital display. They also provided free water hydrating stations.

This museum is well done. To see the instruments from all over the world as well as hear them being played by the local musicians in their native environment was fantastic, via AV at each display. There is a lot to see and take in in one day, give yourself plenty of time and enjoy the variety of music.

The Musical Instrument Museum is located at North of Phoenix, near route 101. The cost of entrance is $20 per person, with an additional $7 for the Flute special exhibit. Each visitor of the Museum is given a Bluetooth audio device with headphone, which is automatically activated when you are near an exhibit. The device will play whatever exhibit is showing. This is particular interesting in a Museum about Musical Instrument, as you can hear what each instrument/music/song sounds when you are visiting the Museum. We have found that the Flute special exhibit worth the extra cost, as it has a better curated Flute collection than the general exhibit, which is organized by region, and is not particularly well curated (e.g., a small country or tribe often occupies the same exhibit space as a major country, which is not very justifiable). We find that the special galleries of the Museum have a better curated collection. E.g., the Artist Gallery showcase noteworthy artist and his/her performance, the Mechanical Music Gallery showcase the Mechanical Music device collected by the Museum. There is a special play of Apollonia at 12 and 3pm. Apollonia is a huge Mechanical Music Device with a compute-controlled scroll input, and plays wonderful tune such as the “Star Spangled Banner”, etc.. (There are 300+ tunes that are available to be played). We have found the Musical Instrument Museum to be the highlight of our visit, and it is well worth the time (3-4 hour) to visit the museum.

First impression was poor. I asked a woman at the ticket desk if they had a senior discount or AAA discount and she seemed quite rude in her response to me. Almost shouting “no discounts!” The museum has large numbers of musical instruments from every country in the world organized by region. As you approach a section, the local music plays in your headset. The brain dead wokesters have unfortunately gotten to the curators of this museum as they have almost everywhere else. Lesser Antilles gets more airtime than creating their cacophonous prehistoric music than England!!!??? As if their contributions have been anywhere close. Oh well…

This is the most fun I've had at a museum ever! I highly recommend making the time to stop at the Musical Instrument Museum!

We hadn't been to the Musical Instrument Museum for several years. It was over 90 degrees outside, so we decided a return visit would be a good way to spend the day. The MIM is bigger and better than ever! The exhibits are spectacular and will appeal to young and old alike. Whatever you do, don't think that you only need an hour for this museum. You'll want as much time as possible. We especially enjoyed the artists exhibit on the first floor which features the music and artifacts of important performers from Elvis to Taylor Swift to Santana and dozens more. There's also an exhibit of mechanical music machines on the first floor, along with a great view of the conservatory work space. The second floor contains exhibits from the various parts of the world. Well worth the time!

Fantastic display of musical instruments from around the world. Well done! Enjoyed the headphones to listen to the music.

It's a unique and amazing place for anyone with a love of music. In 5 hours we lightly covered the whole museum

Excellent way to spend an afternoon reading details and seeing instruments from 200 countries. Very immersive and thoughtfully designed. The gift shop has neat gift ideas.

An absolutely stunning museum experience. The way music, culture, and history are woven together is both moving and immersive. Every gallery tells a story. This is a must-see, even if you don’t consider yourself a music lover. Give yourself at least 3 hours to truly explore and enjoy everything the museum has to offer.

This is the third time I’ve been here + the first time I mostly took my time and checked out all of the kiosk videos where I could and listened to the instruments. That took me almost three hours! There’s so much to do here and absorb. Definitely with the $20 entry for sure. The staff are great and there’s so much to see!

Unique and Impressive! Very well organized. It's large place and takes more than 3 hours to walk through...

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!