National Music Museum, Music museum at University of South Dakota, United States.
The National Music Museum in Vermillion holds around 15,000 instruments from many countries and time periods. The building combines a historic Carnegie Library with modern additions that provide space for displaying this large collection.
The museum was founded in the 1970s and began with a private collection of more than 2,500 instruments. Over the following decades, it grew through purchases and donations to reach its current size.
The museum displays instruments from many cultures and shows how they differ in design and purpose. Visitors can see how people around the world made music together and what roles these instruments played in their daily lives.
The museum is located on the University of South Dakota campus and welcomes visitors. Weekday visits tend to be quieter, allowing you to explore the collection at a comfortable pace.
The museum holds two grand pianos from the 18th century with a specific action mechanism rarely found elsewhere. These instruments offer a rare window into how the first modern pianos actually worked.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
