Museum of Making Music

Founded in 1998 by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the Museum of Making Music was developed to showcase and celebrate the music products industry. Soon thereafter, in March 2000, the Museum was opened to the public. For over ten years, the Museum has provided opportunities for cultural enrichment while preserving our musical heritage through special exhibitions, innovative concerts and educational programs aimed toward a wide range of audiences.

On permanent display are hundreds of vintage instruments, audio and video clips, and a vibrant interactive area. Organized chronologically, each gallery features the historic milestones, popular music and instruments of those eras. A snapshot of music business practices and nostalgic re-creations of music stores provide a glimpse into the music products industry.

Special exhibitions are presented twice a year with concurrent music presentations and workshops highlighting renowned international and national musicians as well as local talent. The Museum believes in broad-based educational programming, and providing accessible instructional experience to students of all ages and backgrounds.

Current & Upcoming Exhibitions

Listening Through the Lens: The Photography of Henry Diltz
June 9 – October 31, 2018

Can photographs capture music? Can they become part of the music? And is it possible to capture musical photographs? If you’ve never thought about these questions before, the photography of Henry Diltz can help you come up with a few answers. A musician himself, Diltz’s images shape the way we see—and hear—musical icons like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, the Doors, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. This special exhibition presents a collection of Diltz’s photographs and asks visitors to hear the images and see their favorite songs.