Museum of Musical Clocks

Museum of Musical Clocks

The Museum of Musical Clocks is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands, facing the tallest church tower in the country—the Dom Tower—across the river. The church is called Buurkerk, the oldest parish church in Utrecht.

The Museum of Musical Clocks is known as the happiest museum in the Netherlands. It displays a wide range of automatic musical instruments dating back to the 18th century, telling the history of mechanical music development. The museum houses the world’s largest and most exquisite collection of automatic instruments, including rare music boxes, hand-cranked organs, coin-operated phonographs, street organs, and orchestrion-style mechanical orchestras. The street organ is a famous Dutch instrument, which features puppets that ring bells and beat drums in time with the music—an extremely entertaining sight. The chattering glass birds are also beloved by both children and adults.

The largest mechanical musical instrument in the museum is a dance hall organ over 2 meters high and 4 meters wide. It includes a pipe organ, accordion, violin, horns, and various percussion instruments, essentially forming a fully automatic mini orchestra. Every instrument in the museum is an antique, not only remarkable for their exquisite craftsmanship, but also for the ingenious design of their original makers.

Museum Speelklok

Must-visit reason: Home to the world’s finest collection of automatic musical instruments

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Netherlands[Netherlands]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Utrecht Province [Utrecht Province]

City where the attraction is located: Utrecht [Utrecht]