Musical Instrument Museum
4.9(10K)google
4.7(917)yelp
Music
Overview
The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix is an unparalleled cultural global treasure, ranked as the largest museum of its kind in the world. MIM displays an extraordinary collection of over 8,000 instruments from approximately 200 countries and territories. Utilizing state-of-the-art wireless audio technology, visitors wear headsets that seamlessly activate authentic video and audio recordings as they approach each display, hearing the instruments played in their original cultural contexts. The Artist Gallery features instruments used by music icons like John Lennon, Elvis Presley, and Taylor Swift. It offers an exceptionally immersive, interactive, and universally moving journey through global human musical heritage.
Practical Info
Mon9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tue9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wed9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thu9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Fri9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sun9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Suggested Duration3-5 hours
Best TimeYear-round. Because the venue is extremely grand with an enormous amount of information, it's highly recommended to enter before 1 p.m. and leave at least 3 to 4 hours to immersively listen to the world with your ears
Getting ThereLocated in northern Phoenix, right next to the Loop 101 freeway. Because it's in an upscale northern community, it's about a 25-minute drive from downtown, and there's a huge, completely free surface parking lot outside
Travel Tips
- This is the world's largest musical instrument museum, holding over 8,000 ancient and modern instruments with distinct ethnic characteristics from more than 200 countries and regions worldwide—widely recognized as a "top-tier" must-see attraction in Phoenix
- On entry, each visitor receives a free set of advanced wireless sensing audio headphones (the MIM GUIDE); when you walk up to any country's or instrument's display, the headphones extremely smoothly and automatically play the live original audio and video of that instrument being performed
- The Experience Gallery in the museum is an absolute highlight, where adults and children alike can personally strike huge gongs, play unique harps, and try all sorts of amazing percussion instruments
Reviews
Positive
- Stunning beyond words! Put on the headphones and walk around, and the music automatically switches with your steps—this immersive viewing experience is a perfect combination of technology and art. You could spend a whole day here and not want to leave
- Not only ancient instruments from around the world, but also a hall dedicated to displaying the instruments and stage costumes of superstars like Elvis, John Lennon, and Taylor Swift—music fans will absolutely scream with excitement
Heads up
- It's so big inside it's like a maze; carefully seeing every country's instruments will make your feet sore. Because the amount of information is truly enormous, after a while your ears and brain develop a degree of 'music fatigue'