National Museum of Music

The National Museum of Music in Lisbon houses a collection of around 1000 musical instruments from the 16th to 20th centuries across its exhibition halls. The instruments range from familiar forms to unusual examples and are presented alongside art related to music.

The museum preserves a Boisselot & Fils piano that Franz Liszt brought in 1845 and a cello that once belonged to King Dom Luis of Portugal. These valuable objects document important connections between music and Portuguese history.

The collection shows instruments from European, African, and Asian cultures alongside paintings depicting musical scenes from different periods. These works reveal how music has connected people across different parts of the world.

The museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday and can be reached on foot or by public transport. It is best explored at a leisurely pace to appreciate all the details of the instruments and artworks.

The collection includes unusual instruments such as pocket violins, cane flutes, glass flutes, and marine trumpets. Together with musical manuscripts and recordings, they form a rare documentation of musical rarities.