The Musical Museum

“If you're fascinated with the history of musical playback technology (or even an audiophile), you must visit! To truly appreciate the museum's collection, it's essential to attend a tour. During the tour the staff play the antique machines so you can hear them instead of just look at them from behind glass. During a tour, you'll hear (and see) how music reproduction in the home evolved from music boxes to player pianos to Orchestrions (player pianos with integrated drums, violins, horns, etc) to gramophones. The museum has many different models of each type of machine, so you'll see how each technology progressed and improved before it was made obsolete by newer tech. The end of the tour finishes with a demonstration of a fully functioning Wurlitzer. My favourite part of the tour was when I heard the most sophisticated player pianos play back songs that were recorded onto paper rolls directly by the composers (who played their songs on an 'encoding' piano). The paper roll 'copies' sounded just like the artist intended. Hearing a 'recording' that was over 100 years old that perfectly recreated the notes, timing, pace and dynamics of the composer's intentions was astonishing and gave me goosebumps! I love stereos and have spent a lot of money trying to recreate a 'live sound' in my home, so it was comforting to see that people have been trying to do the same for literally hundreds of years. The museum also has silent movie nights where their Wurlitzer is played to accompany the films (music and even subs effects!), and they even have player piano 'concerts'. The only thing I wish this museum had was a modern stereo that included some of the best electronics available. It would be great to hear some of the very best modern digital recordings played back on world-class amplifiers and speakers (such as Benchmark, Cyrus, Monitor Audio, Rega, ATC, PMC, etc.). It would also be interesting to hear recordings from the 60s (including how Dolby noise reduction revolutionised studio recordings in the mid 60s), 70s, and 80s. I honestly can't recommend this museum enough!”

“We visited the Musical Museum on Saturday and had such a wonderful experience. Our guide, Marcus, was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, and his companion Alex was equally brilliant in bringing the history of the instruments to life. A real highlight was seeing the magnificent Wurlitzer come to life on stage, absolutely breathtaking! The whole visit felt special and full of charm. We’re already planning our next trip back, especially to catch one of the silent cinema screenings. A true hidden gem, highly recommended!”

“We spent two hours at the Music Museum in Brentford before heading to Kew Gardens, and it was absolutely fantastic! The collection is fascinating, and the guided tour really brings everything to life — highly recommended. So many wow moments seeing and hearing the instruments in action. A real hidden gem and well worth a visit!”

“Brilliant experience with expert tours on both the early mechanical instruments (pianolas etc) and a room full of synthesisers. Finished with a concert on the in house Wurlitzer complete with rising from lower floor.”