Music House Museum
Music House Museum
4.5
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
About
The Music House Museum is located on US31 just north of Traverse City, Michigan. Now in their 30th year, the museum presents one of the most unique music museums in America. Ninety-minute tours demonstrate fully-restored mechanical instruments dating from 1870 to 1930.Guest will also see Models of buildings from Traverse City 1930’s era. Music boxes of all sizes, a mechanical street organ, one of largest dance organs built in Belgium in 1922 , Weber Duo-Art reproducing grand piano,1924 Wurlitzer theater organ used to accompany silent films.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles154 reviews
Excellent
120
Very good
28
Average
2
Poor
2
Terrible
2

freedml
Los Angeles, CA156 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
One of the best music museums in the world, and we've seen lots of them. Beautifully restored and working self-playing instruments. Pipe organs, Nickelodeons, and music boxes of all kinds driven by drum, disc, roll, and book. Hear them all, including a performance of Rhapsody in Blue recorded by George Gershwin on the piano used to make the recording. Currently open Sat and Sun. We were there 3 hours and could have easily stayed another hour or two. The docents were great! Their technicians are very talented.
Written October 23, 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.

Bonkos
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
This is a wonderful, interesting, amazing place to visit!! Our tour guide, Doug, was wonderful!!! He was knowledgeable, informative and very good explaining all the instruments, etc. This is a hidden treasurer and is very well worth the time and effort to visit!! All the staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and seem to truly care about this Museum! The player pianos are awesome! I would absolutely go again and again!!!
Written August 16, 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.

candace c
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Friends
A musical gem! If you like music and history it's a must-see. Only 8 minutes from Traverse City. Our tour guide Tom was wonderful!
Written May 27, 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.

Marcia B
Bloomfield, CT150 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
The Museum has a collection of rare antique instruments and music-making machine dating back to 1870. When you visit you get a guided tour with a demonstration of the workings of some of the instruments. The
Written October 5, 2022
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.

AnnArborMHT
Genoa, Italy1,681 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
Because this is in Acme and not Traverse City, we nearly missed seeing it when trying to find fun things to do in TC. Highly recommended! The tour docents give a fantastic tour, providing interesting history (not too long, not too short!) then set many of the musical machines and boxes and massive organs to music. All set in a large, atmospheric barn with a recreated TC bar as a center piece to store several music boxes. The tours are given upon arrival, so you never have to time your visit, just arrive! The Docents will demonstrate several of the music boxes. You even sit down, relax and watch a shore silent movie set to music provided by an organ. Really fun!

While most of the musical boxes are on the ground floor as well as the museum some ability to climb steps is helpful and can be difficult for visitors with mobility issues, but not necessary to enjoy the museum and the music. Would not recommend for very young children (under 4.) Nice gift shop and clean bathrooms.

This was our rainy day activity but it was so much fun, its not to be missed even on a sunny day!
Written September 30, 2022
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.

KCfromKCNY
New York City, NY298 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022 • Couples
A hidden gem. Hear the history of player pianos and music boxes. A wonderful presentation and fabulous staff working there.
Written September 27, 2022
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.

MidMichFam
34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
When you arrive, you will find out that the guided tour is part of the entry fee and is essentially required. But, don't let that put you off. The tour is needed to get the full experience and was wonderfully done. My family and I love music and we completely enjoyed the museum. We arrived near the end of a tour and were allowed to join and start a new tour. There are some fun juke boxes, radios, and victrola type items after to self tour. The finale music machine was a great end to the tour. Don't miss it.
Written July 22, 2022
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.

LynneS
Chacmuchuch, Mexico11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
Very interesting - more than I was expecting! Docents were a little cool at first, but once they saw we were actually interested and enjoying the museum, they got super friendly and trotted out all of the speciality things and started them up for us. We had quite a party going by the end, and any new guests that wandered in joined.
Bring cash for the gift shop and entrance to help them save money (processing fees).
Museum is mostly staffed with volunteers, so please keep that in mind (eg, things may not be as "perfect" as you are expecting from paid staff).
Written October 19, 2021
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.

michigander311
Midland, MI506 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
We arrived right at their listed opening time, the parking lot had just a few cars in it, and the door was unlocked and we walked in. The man behind the counter didn't really greet us, but rather asked if we were with the tour bus group. No, we weren't and had no idea that there was. He then stated that they were late and looked quite confused that we were there. Okay, we still wanted to see the museum. The only other employee, a woman seemed equally perplexed about our presence and stated that they had a tour of 51 people coming through and didn't know what to do with us. Well, that tour wasn't there, and we suggested that we pay their entry fee ($16 per person) and we could get in front of the tour. More, confused looks from the employees. "Well, we just don't know what to do with you" Again, I mentioned to take our money and allow us to enter......more stunned silence and confused looks. By this time, their unwelcoming attitude completely turned us off. Clueless, snooty, unwelcoming.......to heck with them. We'll spend our money elsewhere, we won't return. No apology desired.
Written September 1, 2021
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.

married96
Fernandina Beach, FL632 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
Wonderful collection of memorabilia of musical instruments -- several of which were only 3 or only 6 still in existence. Everything from pianos, violins, accordions, juke boxes, etc. We watched an old Laurel & Hardy silent movie with live playing of piano for sound. Big moment was the Gershwin
Rhapsody in Blue from the recorder/player piano on which he originally recorded.
Written August 22, 2021
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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MUSIC HOUSE MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Music House Museum

Music House Museum is open:
  • Sun - Sun 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
  • Sat - Sat 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM