Musical Instruments Museum
A collection of nearly ten thousand instruments in an Art Nouveau department store, with audio at every case.
Updated 18 October 2026
The museum occupies the Old England building, an iron and glass Art Nouveau department store of 1899 by Paul Saintenoy, and holds a collection of nearly ten thousand instruments from across the world and across several centuries, of which about a thousand are displayed on four floors. Its distinguishing feature is the audio: infrared headphones trigger recordings automatically as you approach each case, so the instruments are heard as well as seen, which for a collection of this kind changes the experience completely. Strengths include early keyboards, Adolphe Sax material since he worked in Brussels, non-European instruments from the Congo collections, and mechanical instruments. The rooftop restaurant has one of the best views in the city.
History
The collection was founded in 1877 at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels to show early instruments to students, from a hundred Indian instruments given to Leopold II by Raja Sourindro Mohun Tagore in 1876 and the collection of the musicologist François-Joseph Fétis, bought by the government in 1872. Its first curator, Victor-Charles Mahillon, built it up to 3,177 instruments by his death in 1924, its growth slowed after the First World War, and from 1957 the curator Roger Bragard revived it with new funds; since 2000 the museum has been housed in the Old England store of 1899 by Paul Saintenoy and the neoclassical building beside it by Barnabé Guimard (Wikipedia, Musical Instruments Museum, Brussels).
What to look for
- Automatic audio at every case - instruments heard through headphones as you pass.
- The Old England building - an 1899 iron and glass Art Nouveau store.
- Adolphe Sax instruments - material from the saxophone's inventor in Brussels.
- The rooftop restaurant view - across the lower town from the top floor.
When to go
Year round. Two to three hours; the audio makes it slower than a normal museum. Closed Mondays. The rooftop is worth booking at lunchtime. Weekday mornings are quiet.
Good to know
The headphones fail intermittently and some cases have no audio. Only an eighth of the collection is displayed. The building has many small level changes. The rooftop restaurant is expensive and busy.
Nearby
The Magritte Museum is uphill; Mont des Arts is at the door.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q1131318, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Musical Instruments Museum
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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