The Musical Museum
The Musical Museum
5
Friday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The Musical Museum tells the changing story of how people have captured and listened to music over the last four centuries. From tiny music boxes to the Mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ in our concert hall, the collection includes an impressive array of instruments and inventions, including reproducing pianos, orchestrions, self-playing violins, pipe organs, gramophones & synthesizers. Find out how music was recorded and reproduced, see and hear them in action. Located near Kew Bridge, Brentford, we're open on Thurday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays from 10:30am to 4:30pm. Tours with live demonstrations take place at 11am, 1pm & 3pm. Concession discounts and reduced prices for children and families are available. The Museum is open on any day for groups consisting of 20 people or more - please contact us for further details.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • MayMaybe
    Walton-On-Thames, United Kingdom110 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A delightful visit - guided tour a must!
    We went with out 8 year old. He’s generally got a very short attention span but he was engaged throughout the whole tour and really enjoyed the demonstrations of the various pianolas and organs. If you don’t catch a guided tour, it would be far less interesting as the stories behind the instruments are fascinating. My son even got to play on a Wurlizter :-)
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 March 2023
  • Jim G
    Bristol, United Kingdom22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A wonderful step back in time
    It is definitely worth having a tour of this delightful museum. Our guide Adrian brought the instruments to life telling us the history of the pianola along with playing many of them . It was fascinating to hear music performed by original classical composers.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 27 March 2023
  • Freybird
    Shropshire, United Kingdom257 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit
    Very entertaining tour, nicely pitched and timed (just over an hour). Good knowledge from our guide and Wurlitzer man. Only negative was that cafe was closed when we finished, maybe they could stay open a bit later or tour (2.30) could start earlier.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 April 2023
  • Frances P
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The amazing Wurlitzer
    Thoroughly excellent performance by Michael Wooldridge on the Wurlitzer today. Followed by a surprise session by a talented young organist showing his repertoire. Then a privileged peek behind the keyboards to see the Wurlitzer workings. A real treat and much more than we bargained - or paid for. Volunteer enthusiasts made us very welcome. We will definitely be back
    Visited April 2023
    Written 15 April 2023
  • ClareCHS
    131 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This brought me joy! Completely unexpected ! Take the time to go!
    I'm not musical - but I really enjoyed the timeline tour of the instruments from 1890- starting with music boxes. The instruments on display were almost all new to me. The volunteer guide demos many of them. Incredible. We'd booked for a 2.30 on a sunday, and the volunters were keen to leave at 4 ( when our tour ended) . I got the feeling we might have been able to try more instruments if we'd have done an earlier tour. They have a cafe upstairs with sarnies, ice cream and drinks ( closes 2.30 ish on sunday). £12 adult ticket, with 50% off if you live in hounslow. Definitely go. It will make you smile!
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 4 June 2023
  • Jackie N
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great gem in Brentford!
    We happened to stumble across this place on our walk from our Brentford hotel to the train station and we were pleasantly surprised! We are a couple that loves music (my boyfriend is a drummer) so we took it as a sign to stop in. The museum is small but mighty! Our tour guide was Clive and he provided great and interesting history of the instruments. You are in for such a treat with the museum when you stop by! You won’t regret it.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 June 2023
  • MimiLeMing
    London, United Kingdom1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Absolutely worth a visit...
    What an awesome afternoon at the Musical Museum watching 3 fabulously funny silent movies with musical accompaniment by the talented Donald Mackenzie on the Wurlitzer. Great entertainment for all the family, laughter from children through to Grandma's. Not often that happens these days. Just brilliant...and not a smart phone in sight.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 June 2023
  • Alastair M
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience for adults and children
    We had very little idea of what to expect before arrival. What an incredible experience - Peter gave us a private guided tour of the amazing musical inventions from music boxes to enormous musical machines the size of a house. The children loved every minute. We will definitely go again, perhaps for one of their silent movie cinema evenings complete with priceless Wurlitzer which is build into the fabric of the museum. Couldn’t recommend a visit enough.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 July 2023
  • Fwadey
    Taunton, United Kingdom2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    What a fantastic place
    I went with my dad for the tour around here. It was amazing and loved every minute of it. Our tour guide I think his name was Alistair he was a pleasure to listen to, he demonstrated the different instruments and his knowledge was very thorough. Highly recommend this hidden gem of a museum.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 25 July 2023
  • bgks
    Leeds, United Kingdom44 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic visit to an extrmely interesting museum
    We weren't sure what to expect from a trip here and it turned out to be fantastic. The automated musical boxes and instruments were fascinating. The tour was excellent and we even got chance to try some things out for ourselves like a pianola and the Theramin. We'll be coming back for another go!
    Visited July 2023
    Written 6 August 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles919 reviews
Excellent
829
Very good
79
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FarAway24602199902
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
What a fabulous place, with such enthusiastic guides. We weren't sure about going in, but are so glad we did. You need to do a guided tour so you can see things working. It is a fascinating look into our musical past to the modern day
Written 26 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

robert
London, UK3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
Absolutely wonderful and captivating experience, but make sure you see the museum via the free tour where they start up and play most of the instruments starting from the 18th century right up to modern times. There’s also a small cafe on the first floor. Very interesting and thoroughly recommended.
Written 18 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christiane T
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Off the beaten track but a wonderful museum for everybody who wants to be amazed by the ingenuity that went into mechanical instruments to entertain without the need for musicians. Edward was an excellent guide and brought all the machines to make surprising music. An unmissable experience for young and old.
Written 11 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Neil W
Harrow52 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
We visited the Museum and were lucky to have Clive giving us a 75 minute tour. It was brilliant. He showed us so many of the old musical machines, but also played them as well, so that we could hear the sound they made. There were pianolas which were great fun. Also an organ that had previously been at Buckingham Palace. It was facinating just watching how all the instruments worked.
Written 9 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VLS999
30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
An amazing museum. What a treat.
We don't generally do conducted tours, but we did here, it was incredible. Our guide was knowlegable and delighted us to the sounds of some very old music machines as well as some not quite so old. We were spoiled with a recital from the astounding Wurlitzer
If you have never heard one play, you will be mesmerised by what it can do and how clever the people were who conceived it.
Please support the museum and enjoy.
Written 27 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alan C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
So many wonderful exhibits, from 200+ year-old music boxes, to mobile phones, via self-playing pianos and, of course, the Mighty Wurlitzer! And many thanks to our enthusiastc and very knowledgeable tour guide.
Written 26 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Phil E
Chesterfield, UK1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
Fantastic place to visit, wasn't sure what to expect but it was really interesting. History of self playing musical instruments over the last few centuries plus a few other music related bits and bobs. From wind up music boxes to huge German made music machines like orchestras in a wooden box. Finishing with some Wurlitzer action. Definitely worth visiting.
Written 16 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helen G
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
Our NHS Retirement Fellowship visited this great museum last week. We were made very welcome with excellent coffee and biscuits before our tour. The tour was so interesting and informative, our guide was excellent telling us about musical boxes and how these led onto the pianolos. Highly recommend.
Written 4 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Richard B
London, UK20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
Unpromising from the outside, but inside a magical cabinet for the curious! A must to take the guided tour and experience demonstrations of the incredible self playing instruments. The Wurlitzer upstairs a highlight, especially if you get a chance to play to the theatre. This place really should be better known. Well done staff and volunteers. We’ll be back for the silent movie with organ accompaniment event at Halloween!
Written 10 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tandiwe80
Hong Kong, China17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
I was expecting a rather static display of musical instruments but fortunately we took the guided tour. Our guide showed us and demonstrated a whole range of pianolas etc and was both very knowledgeable and entertaining. Definitely worth visiting!
Written 6 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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THE MUSICAL MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about The Musical Museum

The Musical Museum is open:
  • Fri - Sun 10:30 - 16:00