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Musical Instruments Museum

Brussels, Bruxelles-Capitale, Belgium

The Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) is a "museum" located in Brussels. It's really more of a display of musical instruments (and the sounds they make) than a museum. There aren't very many informational displays, and they don't discuss anything like the "science" of music, or musical composition. It's just an exhibition of various musical instruments.

As part of the admission price, visitors are given a headset to wear during their visit. Many of the instrument displays transmit music to your headset (wirelessly) when you are standing near them. That way, you can enjoy music from the instruments you're looking at without disturbing anyone else.

Instrument Displays

Some of the instruments inside the musical instrument museum

The museum was four floors. Each floor contained a large collection of musical instruments. They were loosely grouped according to type, although there were instruments from all types on all floors. The largest collections were probably of more "modern" instruments (violins, pianos, saxaphones, etc), although the museum did contain a number of more exotic instruments as well (organs, and even a theremin).

Interactive Room

Inside the musical instruments museum

Part of the bottom floor was an "interactive room" that tried to demonstrate a couple of musical concepts to visitors. For example, there was part of a piano hammer that visitors could press and see all the complexity involved in striking a string. Visitors could also see the difference between a harpsichord and a piano, and play with a very small organ (a couple of keys) to see how different notes were created.

Cost

Adults pay €5 for admission. Students pay €4.

Estimated Visiting Time

We spent approximately 90 minutes at this attraction. We saw all the instruments, but only listened to the music that we found pleasing (approximately half the instruments).