A recent visit to the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad turned my kids into rock stars. We loved all the interactive areas where we jammed on a variety of instruments such as a guitars, drums, ukuleles and keyboards. We also discovered more rare instruments such as the hammered dulcimer and the harpejji.
Upon walking into the lobby of the Museum of Making Music (located in the NAMM building) we were greeted with the sound of a beautiful instrument we had never seen before, the hammered dulcimer. To play this instrument you use wooden mallets to tap the strings, it is like a cross between a guitar and a xylophone. The museum frequently has musicians playing on the weekend so I recommend going on a Saturday or Sunday. But, if you want more accessibility to the instruments and touch screens then go during the week.
The first gallery of the museum was stacked with a great collection of guitars. It was interesting to watch and listen to the sound of many of the instruments being played by famous musicians such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry by using touch screens throughout the museum. This added another layer of interaction giving us context and education behind all the instruments. The museum does a great job organizing instruments such as accordions, saxophones, horns, banjos and pianos, allowing visitors to see the variety of styles in each category.
There are multiple sit and play areas in the museum where we stopped to play unique instruments such as the harp guitar and the tongue drum. We also had fun pretending to be DJ’s using the turn tables they had available. The final stop in the museum is a large room chalked full of instruments where we got to play on a full drum kit, a keyboard, a harpsicle and an electric guitar. Our visit lasted about an hour, but we could have stayed longer, it was a fun interactive experience.
If you are looking for a good lunch spot Carlsbad Village is not too far away. We enjoy Pizza Port located at 517 Carlsbad Village Drive. Have a fun museum adventure with your family!
Written by: Danielle Deery
