The Musical Instrument Museum: Phoenix's World-Class Secret

The Musical Instrument Museum opened in 2010 in North Scottsdale and has since become one of the most consistently excellent museum experiences in the American Southwest — and one of the most underattended, despite international recognition. The museum's permanent collection contains over 16,000 instruments from 200 countries and territories, organized by geographic region in galleries that combine physical instruments with audio and video of the instruments being played in their cultural context. The experience is built around a wireless headphone system: as visitors approach exhibit cases, the corresponding audio activates through their headsets. This technology transforms the experience of viewing instruments from a visual exercise to an auditory one. Understanding how a Mongolian morin khuur or a Ghanaian kora sounds changes the encounter with the object in a way that description alone cannot. The Experience Gallery on the lower level provides hands-on instrument playing available to all visitors. The drums and percussion section is where most visitors spend significant unplanned time. Admission is $20 for adults. Allow three hours minimum.