This page includes online musical instrument collections grouped by museum or collection type. Select a title to view the various collections.
Instrument Collections Within Museums
Horniman Museum & Gardens (London, UK)
Interactive music gallery of Horniman’s collection of musical instruments.
Louis Armstrong House Museum
Jazz concerts, Louis Armstrong artifacts and more. In Queens, NY
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Musical instrument collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
National Museum of African American Music
Resources, American Music, African American music. Brick and mortar museum.
Smithsonian
More than 5,000 instruments important to Europe or American heritage.
Online Aggregate Collections
MIMO Musical Instrument Museums Online
Online collection of nearly 60,000 instruments across five European museums. Videos and more.
Harry Partch Virtual Instruments
See and play the instruments, hear musical examples, and listen to Harry Partch talk about his music and the instruments.
Musical Instrument Museums
National Music Museum (Vermillion, SD)
More than 15,000 instruments from across the world and across historical periods. Virtual tour of museum exhibits on website. Instrument database with thumbnail images. Click for thorough information and descriptions.
MIME (Musical Instrument Museum of Edinburgh)
Large online collection. Many search features. Zoom in to photo to see instrument details. Sound clips and more.
