If you happen to find yourself in Phoenix Arizona (as I did last month), here’s a place you should definitely visit: it is the Musical Instrument Museum. Established in 2010 on the north side of the city, it is a treat for music lovers pf all kinds, especially those with an interest in world music and the anthropology of music.

I spent over three hours at the museum, and barely covered half the exhibits. The upstairs is arranged by continents and regions and has displays of instruments from almost every country in the world. Not only are instruments on display, but every place has videos of the instruments being played (and in some cases, being built!). Downstairs has an “Experience Gallery”, where you can touch and play the instruments; there is also an Artists Gallery, where you learn about a variety of musical artists (from Elvis to Taylor Swift to King Sunny Ade) and see artifacts from those artists; a Mechanical Music Gallery of instruments that play themselves; and a couple other galleries. There is a performance space in the museum – there are live shows a few times a week (those performances require buying a ticket for them). There is a good cafe on the ground floor, and even the parking lot is prettily landscaped.

The Musical Instrument Museum is located at 4725 East Mayo Blvd in Phoenix, Arizona. Its phone is 480-478-6000, and its website is at http://mim.org. It is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving, from 9am to 5pm. Admission is $20 ($15 for teens and $10 for children).

Flute Saxophone Bongo Display Banjo Banjo Wind Instruments String Instrument Banjo Wash Your Hands