Museum of Making Music

This is a small but mighty museum. The musician in your family will love this place. The volunteers are knowledgeable and show pride in the museum. They will tell you everything or let you wander on your own. We had the best of both. The instruments and equipment are well taken care of. The hands-on displays were fun, and the lounge! I highly recommend you take your musician there.

Had SO much fun, and I have no musical training. There’s something for everyone. Brian was an amazing docent, musician, and music enthusiast! Also loved the gift shop and seeing some musicians like Justin Kauflin in the exhibits. What a fun surprise!

Small museum displaying everything from vintage to modern musical instruments. Fun interactive screens to learn all about the history and making of the prices in each section. They have some cool instruments that I've never heard of before, so I learned something. Nice staff. Cute gift shop.

It's an interesting place to visit and learn about the music industry. There are several playgrounds where you can play/practice your music. I wish they had the section of speakers and headphones/earbuds.

It's not the usual tourist attraction. They have a wonderful collection of instruments that are displayed in great visual and immersive displays with many historical pieces. A must see for everyone that will be worth your time.

We visited as a family and had a blast! There are musical instruments on the walls for certain time periods in US history. So first you read the info on the time period, then you go to the touch screen display in front. You can select a number of options that explain the artifacts on the wall, videos of those instruments being played, and various stories. There are also areas where you can play instruments including percussion, stringed instruments, and digital music. The kids area also had accordion and more to try. There were no woodwind instruments to play as that would pass germs. The drums you could play were heard through a headset only. My favorite instrument that I tried to play was a dulcimer. We were also surprised to be able to join the Opera4Kids event, which was a lot of fun and I smiled and laughed at how they reworded opera songs to make them appropriate for children. This kids event pushed our review to 4/5. Overall, the museum is small and does not teach how to read music or anything about musical theory or cover really that much ground - it only covered instruments, who made them, samples of them being played, and the US history around them. I guess I just wanted a bit more, at least posters on how instruments made the different notes or were laid out.... but at the same time we had a wonderful time and met wonderful people with the same love of music. So yes its worth a visit, but it won't take you all day to get through it unless maybe you listen to every single recorded video.

We had a blast!!! I brought my mom and kids here, and we had so much fun learning and interacting with the amazing instruments. The staff was great, and it is clear that they genuinely care about the museum and the history it holds. We will be back. Highly remind making a trip to this wonderful learning center.

We had a great time meandering through the exhibits. There are several options for learning more about the specific artifacts on display as well as videos about the making of the instruments. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable.

Described as a "musical ecosystem" for players and listeners, this museum offers visitors the opportunity to hear many different styles of music through interactive exhibits and view an impressive collection of diverse musical instruments. This includes the slide guitar, cymbals, player pianos with music rolls, an original theramin, wind instruments galore, and some unique ones like the hammered dulcimer and harpejji (which combines the parts and sounds of the harp, guitar, and piano). There were several different rooms and stations for guests to play instruments, so I got to try my hand at the thumb drum, tongue drum, harp, and even the theramin which I enjoyed a lot... though I wasn't exactly playing them the way my bf was. In fact, this was the perfect destination for my musician/music teacher bf to get lost in all of the music, discover the sounds of few new instruments, and put his talents to work, keeping me entertained and all smiles. He was amused by the sound equipment too, as he's also a sound technician. Kiosks were available to learn about the history of the items on display and watch and listen to musicians and performances from throughout the years playing the various instruments. These "musical moments" shown on the screens were awesome! Also, in one of the rooms, large floor-to-ceiling screens displayed clips and videos of famous musicians playing PRS guitars, including Carlos Santana of course, part of the museum's current exhibition, Roots & Wings: 40 Years of PRS Guitars. They have a lovely gift shop too with plenty of quirky music-related items, including books for musicians and aspiring artists, socks and ties with musical instrument designs, and miscellaneous gifts and accessories like a Mozart kitchen timer. Parking was plentiful right out front, adding to the convenience of our visit. Needless to say, we enjoyed our time here.

This place was near our hotel and so glad our kids enjoyed the museum. They were able to play a bunch of instruments at the sit and play area and they also have a kids corner as well. Steve, one of the volunteers here, even mentioned we came at the right time as we had the whole area to ourselves, which is ideal for the kids to have more play time, as the place can get busy with high school tours throughout the day. The staff are so welcoming. Great alternative place to visit for the family if you don't want to go to an amusement park and enjoy the art of music.

"I can hear music Sweet, sweet music Whenever you touch me, baby Whenever you're near" (Beach Boys) A lot of folks were involved in the creation of that song you just listened to on Spotify or whatever. Someone had to invent, modify, and manufacture the guitars and drums and synthesizers, and keyboards used on that song. Someone had to write, publish and print the sheet music. Someone had to manufacture the microphones used in the recording session. Someone had to know which knobs to twist and which levers to slide on the mixing board. This wonderful museum traces the contributions of those men and women involved in the making, selling, and using musical instruments, products, and equipment across the decades from the marches and rags of the early 1900s, through the evolutionary sounds of jazz, folk, rock 'n roll and pop, and world music. There were interactive galleries where you could bang away on a drum set or shred on a guitar or be a producer on your own mixing board or operate the stage lights during a live concert. My personal favorite exhibit was a shrine dedicated to four instruments -Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum kit, Paul McCartney's Hofner Bass Guitar, John Lennon's Rickenbacker Rhythm Guitar, and George Harrison's Gretsch for his lead guitar work. Seeing these together in an exhibit brought me right back to their 1964 American introduction on Ed Sullivan show. If you love music, you have to swing by on your next trip to Southern California.

Really nice museum! Great for all ages, learned a lot and I love they have the instruments out to try and play with. I'd for sure take my family again!

Very cool place, and a nice change of pace if you're in Carlsbad visiting the nearby LEGOLAND. An amazing collection of instruments, you can see how they are made, their evolution and interactive videos to learn more about their history. Also a fun opportunity for kids, adults or musicians to come and play a variety of different instruments from theremin to drum to harp etc.

this is such a cute museum! they have a lot about the history about music and how all instruments are made. I took my 4 year old daughter here and she enjoyed seeing all of the instruments on the wall, as well as the sit & play areas they have around the museum. A lot of those have headphones so you can hear the music better, but it can get pretty loud in the free play rooms. They have one room for adults and one for kids with instruments you can take down and play. It isn't clearly marked which is for adults vs kids though and there were several kids in the adult section playing with very heavy guitars. The kids section is SUPER cool with everything from drums to DJ sets for them to play music on. That area is extremely loud lol. The staff was extremely nice and helpful, and the front area has the cutest little musical gifts/books. The one thing I will say is there isn't really much to do for the little ones outside of the play room so my daughter got bored pretty fast and we were only there for around 20 minutes. At $15 a ticket it can be a bit pricey if you aren't there to actually enjoy the history but for others I see the draw!

Plenty to keep our young grandchildren amused for quite awhile. They had a good time.

Awesome place! We had a field trip here and the students loved it. Staff was very helpful and paid close attention to our students. Lots of opportunities for students to play instruments in their "instrument room", and the tour was fun. Staff works well with children! They even had a video to teach students about music, and a short musical presentation in the beginning & the students were able to participate in a drum circle. We all loved it! Book a field trip!

Great learning on the music instrument industry and music history with hands on to boot!

I literally left this place like 10 minutes ago but what else am I going to do on the car ride to downtown? We stopped by the Museum of Making Music thanks to it being part of the San Diego Go City pass and it was such a cool little experience. This place has some of the friendliest staff I have ever encountered and although not huge, is a really cool walk through. This walk through music history shows you history of guitars, pianos, saxophones, and literally every other type of instrument you can think of and not only does it teach you about them, but this place has actual stations throughout the museum where you can pick them up and play them! I enjoyed trying to (I have no musical talent) play guitar, tried some DJ equipment, and even got to play some drums before winding up back in the gift shop which had some of the best prices you'll see anywhere for souvenirs. Overall, the museum of making music is a fantastic experience that should be had by everyone. Come check this place out and help a great cause when doing it!

I loved the place super fun and enjoying it really recommended for u or anyone to come very cool place to have fun and chill

I could be biased since I have a musician in the family, but this museum was the entire reason we rented a car while visiting San Diego. We wanted to be able to drive up from where we were staying to get here-and I'm so glad we did! At first, it's a little strange-the museum is tucked inside an office building, but parking is free and plentiful. Inside, you'll pay at the gift shop and one of the nice museum volunteers will begin a short video and give you some instructions on how to make the most of your visit. There are lots of instruments on display, along with interactive screens that allow you to listen to them and learn more about how they were made, where they come from and who has played them. Sprinkled throughout, there are instruments that you can play yourself. The museum volunteers wander around and answer questions and encourage visitors to try out the instruments. My son was eating it all up! The gift shop is full of music-themed souvenirs and had so many things that we wanted to take home. We were very pleased with our visit and encourage anyone that has an interest in music to add this stop to your vacation plans.

I haven't been here since they remodeled. There's tons of free parking and, for $15 (adult price), you'll easily spend 2-3 hours here. It really depends upon your level of interest in music and music history. Thankfully, you can still get hands on real guitars, drums, keyboards, and other instruments.

Simply put, a very nice place with very informative exhibits and friendly volunteers that will talk you though a lot of cool things. Plan for at least an hour if not two if you are also going to enjoy the instruments they offer to play. Easy parking, relaxing and a great location! In short, just go visit!!

This place is so cool! It is a fun place to learn about different instruments and even play with some of them. It is a small museum, so it would be good for people who want something to do for an hour and don't want a long activity. At the end of the tour, there is a big room with dozens of instruments to play. There are electric drums, guitars, and lots of percussion instruments. It was fun!

My husband is very into music and guitar and wanted to check out this place when we are in SD. I am glad we did bc all of us had a good time and we spent about 2 hours there. First off, the staffs were super nice and walked us through the layout of the museum and the touch screens in front of each exhibits. There were different interactive exhibits that we spent a lot of time of playing different instructions and machines. Money and afternoon well spent!

Having been in the music retail business years ago our friends suggested we visit this museum while down visiting them and we're so glad they did! The displays showed various instruments used in making music and how they changed and advanced as artists created new versions. For each set of instruments there are stories to read as how and why they were created and updated and short videos with artists talking about or playing them. One of the fun things is that there are areas where one can actually play some, including drums, guitars and more. And if a lady by the name of Harmony is the lady behind the desk as you sign in, you'll find she has a great sense of humor and very helpful, as we're a couple volunteers and employees walking around to answer questions. There are tours available, but we didn't take one. If you enjoy music at all, you'll really like this museum!

We were on vacay in Encinitas/ Carlsbad and we got a recommendation from my coworker to go here. It is a very nice museum with very welcoming staff. The kids loved it! They can view instruments but also play a few. And we had the privilege of hearing one of the staff play guitar and sing. My daughter also found out that she has musical talent with the guitar. She amazed me and she said she wants to go back again!

The best museum for everyone. Went in with the intention to visit once, but came out with an annual pasd. Very hands-on. Lots of real kid and grown-up sized instruments to try. Staff. & volunteers were amazing and so good with the kids. Fun and informative all around. Highly recommend!

Our family ranging from adult-13 enjoyed our visit here. I fell in love with the gift shop and the overall experience. The style is "self guided" with exhibits and kiosks to explain the instruments being seen, how they are made and what they sound like. There is also a separate room where some instruments can be played. Instruments include a keyboard, guitar, electronic drum, and bongos. There is also a MIDI room that really explains the major contributions that have been made using MIDI technology and where the future is headed. Definitely worth a visit. We also lucked up on our visit because we were able t to watch a live jazz concert on-site. Great experience!

Although the museum is small, the instruments are insightfully curated and provide a nice history of American Music throughout the last century. Children can also play various stringed instruments, as well as keyed instruments in the playrooms. This was like walking down Memory Lane for the sixties and the era of rock and roll.

Interesting and insightful Museum of Music that offers "hands on" experience of playing different instruments. There are a few different rooms with multiple instruments on displayed what grouped by type. Each room also has a touch display where you can learn more about a particular instrument. However, i noticed that not many classical instruments were presented or instrument from different cultures. I would say most of the instruments were "mainstream" and popular ones that are in use now. There are a few different areas where you can play with different instruments including DJ 2 deck controller and event some other cool electronic musical gadgets. Overall a cool spot to check and bring the kids.

Great collection music and knowledge friendly staff. A wide variety of musical instruments for the kids and adult to play. Admission for adult is $15, for student $10 and for kids 12 and under in October is free. Great overall experience. Highly recommend!

This is a very fun museum that makes for a great stop on the way to San Diego or a perfect thing to do if you're staying at Legoland and want to try something steps away. This would be a great place without kids if you were actually to listen/watch all the videos... but if you have small children, they're just going to want to play stuff. There is an opportunity to do so, but if it's busy, it might be kind of difficult with kids who have a hard time waiting. The up-side is that I got the impression that this place isn't busy all that often. So it's definitely worth a try. I got to try a couple of things I've always wanted to (like a goli and a chapman stick). I did feel the price kind of exceeded our experience. It cost us $40 ($15/adult, $10/kid, 2 and under are free) to get in, and I just felt like this was more of a $20 experience... but it's still worth it. You'll see some amazing things, especially if you have older kids.

My wife and I came here years ago and loved it. We brought our son here Sunday and he absolutely loved it. He's almost 5 and autistic. He loved being able to play with the different instruments! The museum was fairly priced and nearly empty the entire time we were there. We spent close to two hours there which I would say was an adequate amount of time to spend there for a party of 3 with a child who wants time with every instrument. I liked that there were different exploration stations set up throughout the museum. This really worked well for my son's disability as a reward for his good behavior while we looked at the exhibits. He quickly learned that after every few exhibits there would be an interactive area that he would be able to get his little hands on instruments. He also was fascinated watching the videos about how the instruments were made. Very cool to see how the instruments were made. I also enjoyed seeing the different genres of music playing the same instruments. Great diversity! There is a little store area with musical souvenirs at the exit with decently priced items. My son picked out an toy accordion to purchase and take home that he actually got to play with an one of the interactive areas. Needless to say, I loved this museum when I came years ago, but it was something special yesterday when we brought our son... seeing him explore his love of music and getting his little hands on actual instruments was really neat. We will be back! **ALSO all throughout the museum and at every interactive area, there was an automatic sanitizer dispenser. Love that! Made me feel safe. And made sure we stopped and used it at every one we walked by because it is a high touch museum.**

Wow, surprised in the best way possible by the Museum of Making Music tucked off Armada Drive overlooking the Flower Fields and ocean. People had recommended this museum in passing throughout my time in North County, and when a friend visited from out of town, we finally had a chance to swing by! At a high level, it's a FANTASTIC and inexpensive way to spend a few hours. Parking is plentiful and the overall vibe is peaceful since it's tucked in an office park. The staff were beyond friendly and welcoming. The exhibits themselves were extremely thoughtfully done and walked through the history of music creation in America dating back to the 1800s. Great mix of information, visuals, and music (yes, for each section there was a small panel where you could listen to different talks from the era/pertaining to the exhibit). Finally, as others have mentioned, cap off your time there by playing some instruments for yourselves. HIGHLY recommended!

Great museum, the staff is very welcoming, and they enjoy having toddlers running around, which is great for kids who want to explore.

The only thing that would give this more stars is if it was a bit bigger. It's on the small side of museums, but if you're a musician or you have a kiddo that is interested in playing an instrument, you can easily kill a couple hours here. For $15 adults/$10 students admission, it was a good value and there are eager museum volunteers willing to help you. The best thing is the areas where you can explore and try out many of the different instruments. My somewhat jaded pre-teen was really into the electronic instruments.

The Museum of Making Music is a small museum that is worth visiting if you enjoy music history and have an hour or so to kill in Carlsbad. At $10/pp admission, it's a pretty good deal, especially since there are lots of hands-on opportunities to play different instruments throughout the museum. There are about five showrooms, each showcasing a decade or so in American music history, starting from Thomas Edison of 1900's through the Jazz Era and maybe all the way to early 80's. You'll get a chance to read about how music evolved during the times, listen to typical songs, and yes look at both instruments and play a few. I would probably enjoy more if I had any skills with musical instrument. I took piano in middle school and remember getting a "B" which ruined my goal of Straight A's and probably scarred me for life, LOL! Folks with some skill in guitar will definitely have more fun here and appreciate the subtleties of each stringed instrument. Seriously, I did have fun stirring up a cacophony with guitars, ukulele, harp, drums, Chinese gongs, Rickenbacker lap guitars, and the best for last, an accordion!

The museum lacks alot of musisical instruments. Also it is not including in its exhibits, video's, and presentations or anything about music from other parts of the world, cultures, backgrounds, sounds, concerts, it just lacks alot, it should not be called the museum of making music. It is also small.

This place strikes me as a wonderful spot for parents and grandparents to take kids for a quick, easy adventure and come home with a cool souvenir. Each time I visit there is a knowledgeable ( sometimes secretly famous!) docent to talk about fun facts and promote the exhibits. It's a great place to take a toddler or older kid. It will take the average family just a couple of hours and it is close to other attractions.

This museum is very cool and interactive. It's a great place to take families and children. Also the people who work there very kind and helpful. Thank you for making our experience great :)

This is such a wonderful gen of a place. It's a small museum that you can walk through in an hour or so, but in that hour you will be able to absorb a wealth of knowledge and history of modern instruments. From Guitars and keyboards to drums and brass instruments; MoMM has them all. They even have a few instruments out for the public to play. I am particularly fond of the electronic drum set. On they day I was there, MoMM had a fantastic Dreadnought display complete with a half dozen guitars out for playing. If you love music and have the time, this is a great way to spend an afternoon.

Absolutely fantastic ! My 9 year old son loved it and so did I ! We enjoyed exploring and trying all the instruments provided in designated areas

I was so excited to visit the reopening of the museum during member preview weekend. There is so much to see and experience, I could spend hours in just one area. My favorite is the sit and play areas because where else can you try to play a tongue drum or harpejji? The newly designed museum provides a sense of community and a place to celebrate making, providing, and using instruments and there are many artifacts with cultural and historical value on display.

NAMM member, first time visitor. They went under a pretty huge renovation during Covid, and I enjoyed this experience especially as someone in the school music industry. So much history with stories about each instrument. We got to see a display showcasing Les Paul as well. And there were a few interactive parts. It's not a huge museum, but it takes up a good amount of space at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) headquarters. Definitely check it out!

Didn't know there was such thing... Museum of Making Music but was Poway surprised by the venue and opportunity for the community to gather here.

Date of visit: September 2, 2017 Where else can you try your hand at ringing a gong in a museum... and totally get away with it, as it's a hands-on exhibit? At the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad! Last year, this family-friendly museum hosted a Yelp Event that I was lucky enough to attend. While browsing the exhibits, I made a mental note to myself to return sometime so I could review the place properly... and once a Groupon became available earlier this year, I snagged it to take advantage! Once we checked in at the front desk, we made our way through the museum exhibits. Showing the history of American music from the late 19th century to today, there were plenty of instruments to see (and in a few cases, actually play), as well as hear various samples of music throughout the ages, such as jazz, ragtime, the swing era, early rock and roll, and up to the present day. Some of the newer exhibits, in fact, have video clips from the early days of MTV - for you younger folks reading this, about three decades ago, MTV played music videos, not Teen Wolf, Teen Mom, or whatever dreck is showing on what used to stand for Music Television way back when! Also, something to note throughout the museum: the various photos taken by one Graham Nash... while I knew that he was a musician best known for being in Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, I didn't realize that he was such a talented photographer. At the end of the self-guided tour, there's an area where guest could try out various instruments; seeing how the bass guitar was occupied, I tried out the electronic drum kit while my girlfriend played the electric harp. And, there's a video wall where one could see the music of various countries being performed all over the world. And, check out the store at the entrance/exit of the museum - while a majority of the items are for the youngsters in your life, there's a few tchotchkes like a slide whistle straw and a guitar-shaped tea infuser that will tickle your fancy! (Don't forget to do the survey also - you get a free return ticket once you tell the ladies at the desk the secret word from filling it out!) Even though this is a small museum - if you don't play the instruments or check out the video wall, you can go through this in at least an hour - anyone who's musically inclined will have a blast going through and checking out the displays! Plus it's budget-friendly; regular admission is $10. And besides... how can you NOT ring the gong on display? (Just be sure to do when kids aren't around - once I rang the gong while some kids where in the room, they wanted a turn... much to the consternation of their parents. Oops.)

My family recently visited and we will be returning. We all had a blast learning about the instruments and music of the past. The best part is how interactive it is. Gift shop has some great items to. You have to check out this place and their amazing employees who are so helpful and informative.

The Museum ticket was well worth the price. As a fan of history, I really enjoyed learning about how the style of music evolved (geek alert). The children (and a few adults) seemed to really enjoy the interactive nature of all of the exhibits. The host at the front was extremely informative and kind. It's a reasonably sized museum but won't take too long to enjoy! Overall, a wonderful experience so far and would highly recommend to my fellow history geeks ...

Unexpected joy! What a wonder. Great overview of a big part of instrument making history, including videos of musicians playing. There are also instruments that you can play. We really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone with any interest in music at all. Easy parking, reasonable admission price, nice little gift shop too.

Wow, saw instrument I never knew about, the museum people were veryit was very interesting to see many different instruments, there's a Harp Guitar, gotta see it. The people who help guide you through the tour were knowledgeable and interesting to speak with as well. Loved it 5 stars

Tons of fun and a good bit of history. I like a museum where the docents clearly love what they do. Nice space, generally well laid out. Two big suggestions - 1) the display pieces and signed should be numbered so one knows what one is looking at. 2) the louder instruments should be in enclosed booths so you can play without disturbing everyone else in the museum (the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle does this well).

A fantastic experience for music lovers! Wonderful exhibits and terrific instruments you can sit and play. Great for families with kids! Also the gift shop is full of wide-ranging, reasonably priced, musically-themed items. I'm definitely going back to shop for Christmas and to purchase a membership (which is also very reasonable).

I came here with a group and we all had small children with us. I had so much fun (more than my child) and it was a great hands -on experience. First of all, our guide was just the sweetest woman you could imagine. She took her time to explain the different instruments, we played on them in a circle while she explained things more in depth. After she showed us around the museum to the different show rooms and in the end, we were able to even try playing even more. It is a very interactive museum that gives great knowledge of music in the US. It is worth a trip and a great activity for the whole family.

Our family is very musical, and we also love the beach so the Museum Of Making Music for a family fun day in Carlsbad was a no brainer! My son had come here for a field trip and got a complimentary pass to return with 4 additional guests, so that was also part of the allure. Ha Ha. Regardless, we definitely chose the right place to visit. We had a blast! My son has a passion for creating music so he was having a blast playing all the different instruments with his dad, who plays several different instruments himself. My girls were off touching all the instruments and grabbing every microphone they could play with as though they were famous little pop stars just performing about, Ha! Of course, mommy and daddy were right there singing and playing along beside them trying to relive our high school stardom glory days haha. Needless to say, we had a blast! Will definitely be back again soon.

Music has always been in my life in one form or another. The most moving pieces I've found originate from the great classical music masters such as; Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Tchaikovsky to name a few. My favorite instrument is the piano, probably because my Mother plays quite well. So as you can imagine I was very interested in the progression of musical instruments detailed in this museum. It does not disappoint! Throughout the museum there are interactive instruments you may sit down to play, music videos to watch and various push buttons playing period music. Note; plenty of instruments are off limits for touching, so tread carefully. This is the kind of museum that is so chalk full of information you could keep coming back and either find something new or missed since the last trip. Additional reasons to visit; monthly concerts, orchestra and band programs, summer camp and family music making days. The 2007 National Medal of Arts was awarded to Henry Z. Steinway and presented by US President George Bush on November 15 2007 in an East Room ceremony at the White House. Henry Z. Steinway received the award for "his devotion to preserving and promoting quality craftsmanship and performance; as an arts patron and advocate for music and music education; and for continuing the fine tradition of the Steinway piano as an international symbol of American ingenuity and cultural excellence. The National Medal of Arts is a presidential initiative managed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Wikipedia.

Five stars? Eh. Not really a must-see. I mean, it's perfectly fine, but it has the feel of an office. I'd see no reason to come back. I'd rather buy the book. Is there a book? I love museums. And I love music. But I love $8 more.

The best music museum I've ever experienced. Interactive and incredibly informative. My favorite part is the end where visitors can use a variety of instruments for fun. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area to visit the other attractions in the area.