Museum of Making Music

This amazing Carlsbad museum is home to hundreds of vintage instruments and specialty exhibits. The 100-year history of music along with interactive music-making spaces take center stage.

Take note of this completely remodeled interactive museum, a tribute to the love of all things music! Nestled between LEGOLAND and The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, the museum invites visitors to discover the stories of how musical instruments are made, how they change over time, how they move from maker to retailer and into the possession of those who play them. Newly designed galleries include a panoramic multimedia display, video stories, photos, hundreds of artifacts, and performance clips by major artists. Equally entertaining are “Sit & Play” stations with a variety of stringed instruments, including banjos and guitars. Visitors of all ages will also love the Interactive Gallery, which encourages guests to try out tambourines, ukuleles, bongos, electronic drums, and other unique musical instruments. In Spring 2024, the museum enjoyed a grand reopening after enhancing its galleries and upgrading play and performance areas to cater to different age groups: one that touts a selection of electronic instruments for older students, and another packed with accessible instruments for budding Beethovens. The museum also regularly presents live concerts by award-winning artists. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.