MIM began with a vision to create a musical instrument museum that would be truly global. Realizing most musical museums featured historic, primarily Western classical instruments, MIM’s founder Bob Ulrich (then CEO of Target Corporation) was inspired to develop a new kind of museum that would focus on the kind of instruments played every day by people worldwide. A focus on the guest experience shaped every aspect of the museum’s development. From the beginning, our goal has been to deliver a musical experience that is enriching, inspiring, interesting, and fun.

Today, MIM has a collection of more than 7,500 instruments from more than 200 world countries and territories. The galleries reflect the rich diversity and history of many world cultures. But music and instruments also show us what we have in common—a thought powerfully expressed in our motto, music is the language of the soul.

 MIM’s immersive exhibits foster an appreciation of diverse cultures and the craftsmanship and traditions of instrument makers from the past to the present. A visit to MIM is also about experiencing the sensory nature of music and how it affects our emotions. Through state-of-the-art, interactive media, guests can see the instruments, hear their sounds, and observe them being played in their original contexts.