Visiting the Museum of Musical Instruments
Housed in the Old England building, a former Art Nouveau department store in Brussels dating back to 1899, the Museum of Musical Instruments has occupied this space across four levels since 2000. Violins, bagpipes, bells, pianos, drums, and trombones are all here, organized by family.
One of the world's largest musical collections
The site itself is a piece of history. The architecture is a pioneering blend of iron and glass, a style once popular for train stations, finished with stylized plant motifs. Originally a department store frequented by an affluent clientele looking for quality clothing, the structure underwent restoration in 1990 to become the Museum of Musical Instruments. A restaurant with a panoramic terrace was added to the sixth floor, providing wide views of the city. Today, the museum features a workshop space with workshops for children, a gift shop, and a specialized library. The building also contains a concert hall with 200 seats on the eighth floor. These intimate performances are recorded for use by the museum's educational department and the artists themselves. More than 130 musical events take place here every year.
A musical experience
This institution holds a collection of more than eight thousand instruments spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. Over 1,200 of them are on display across the museum galleries. The museum lives by its slogan, You will see what you will hear. Every visitor receives an infrared headset that provides access to some 200 audio clips and presentations of the instruments on display. The layout allows you to trace the evolution of instruments across the globe and time, including how social classes influenced their construction.
On the first floor, you will find the Traditions of the World section, featuring instruments from Europe, Asia, and Africa. The second floor is dedicated to Western art music, showcasing instruments from antiquity through the 19th century. The basement level, Music Mechanics, covers mechanical, electric, and electronic instruments.
I admit I didn't actually go inside the museum.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, it's worth making the trip just to see the splendid Art Nouveau building that houses it!