MIM — Hearing 200 Countries Through One Pair of Headphones in Phoenix

At a Glance

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in north Phoenix is the world's largest museum of musical instruments: about 8,000 items from 200+ countries, with roughly 5,000 on permanent view. It opened in April 2010.

Architecture & the Headphone Technology

The sandstone-and-glass building sits low against Arizona's desert. Founder Robert J. Ulrich, former CEO of Target, invested about $250M after visiting Brussels's musical instrument museum. MIM's signature is its wireless headphone system: stand in front of an exhibit and audio plus video play automatically—turning what is normally a quiet museum into a running concert hall.

Must-See

• Geographic Galleries across Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe, Latin America, North America, Oceania.
• Artist Gallery with Elvis Presley's guitar, John Lennon's Steinway, Bob Dylan's guitar, Carlos Santana's PRS, Taylor Swift's koa guitar.
• Mechanical Music Gallery, fired up at set times.
• Experience Gallery where visitors play instruments themselves.
• Target Gallery for major rotating shows.
• MIM Music Theater, a 299-seat world-music venue.

Visiting Tips

About 30 minutes by car from Phoenix Sky Harbor, 25 from Scottsdale. You really need a car; parking is free. Plan at least 3 hours, potentially a full day. Headphones support eight languages. With kids, start at the Experience Gallery. The late-morning-to-midday slot is busiest because visitors use MIM to escape the Arizona heat.