Musée des Instruments de Musique (MIM)

Musée des Instruments de Musique (MIM) Review

If you've ever been curious to know what a gamelan or Tibetan temple bell sounds like, here's your chance. In addition to seeing the more than 1,500 instruments on display, you can listen to them via infrared headphones, and you can hear musical extracts from almost every instrument as you stand in front of it. The more than 200 extracts range from ancient Greek tunes to mid-20th-century pieces. Paintings and ancient vases depicting the instruments being played throughout history enhance the experience. The four-story museum features a complete 17th-century orchestra, a precious 1619 spinet-harpsichord (only two such instruments exist), an armonica, a rare Chedeville bagpipe, and about 100 Indian instruments given to King Leopold II by the rajah Sourindro Mohun Tagore. Head to the rooftop café for fantastic views of the city, and call for information about occasional free concerts.