A cultural gem in the desert. It seems like this very large museum came out of nowhere and suddenly appeared like a Phoenix rising out of the ashes. There is virtually every kind of musical instrument imaginable in its vast collection, from ancient and prmitive to the most modern electronics.
In addition to the continental organization there is also a section featuring historic and modern artists like Elvis, Eric Clapton and Taylor Swift. Each exhibit contains video snippets of either the artist performing or the subject instrument being played.
One of my favorites was the Steinway piano exhibit which has a video that follows the construction of a piano from cabinet to soundboard and everything in between. Martin guitars has a similar video at its exhibit.
Whether its a screaming electric guitar or an ancient reed flute you are seeking, you will find it here at the MIM. As so many other reviewers have mentioned, it's a large collection and will take you the better part of a half a day or more to fully see and hear it all. We took about three and a half hours and we skimmed through parts of it that were of less interest to us.
It is a bit pricey but that's understandable when you consider what the cost must have been to bring these exhibits together not to mention the state of the art architecture and building. It cost us about $64 for two adults and two teens. Parking is free.