Musée de la Musique

The Musée de la Musique at the Philharmonie de Paris is a French museum located in Paris, inaugurated in 1997. Inheriting the collection of the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris, the museum boasts one of the finest collections of instruments in the world, spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day, bringing together over 8,000 instruments and art objects within the Philharmonie. Nearly 1,000 of these are presented in the permanent exhibition space, recounting the history of Western music from the 16th century to the present day and offering an overview of major musical cultures worldwide.

Located in the Villette district, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, the museum, along with the media library, occupies the garden wing of the building known as “Philharmonie 2” — formerly Cité de la musique — built by Christian de Portzamparc, within the Philharmonie de Paris.

In addition to the thousand works presented in the permanent exhibition in their geographical and historical context, the museum organises temporary exhibitions, guided tours, free concerts, and offers musical awakening workshops, promenade concerts, and musical storytelling.

Finally, the Musée de la Musique — labelled “Musée de France” — carries out a mission of conservation and research by making the most recent data concerning ancient and modern instruments accessible in its documentation centre, integrated into the media library, and by providing free access to its digital content via its website.