Family Trail at the Musical Museum

New way for visitors to view the many attractions

Two-For-One Offer

The Musical Museum, 399 High Street, Brentford, TW8 0DU

The Sound of Music Returns to Brentford

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Opening times and prices Autumn-Winter 2007/8

The Musical Museum at 399 High Street, Brentford TW8 0DU is open Tuesday to Sunday each week from 11.00-17.30 (last admissions 16.00). Standard entry is £7.00; Concessions (UB40, Student card, Pensioners): £5.50; Children under 16: free (but all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult). Pre-booked parties of 25 or more are entitled to discount. There is disabled access to all areas. Its telephone number is 020 8560 8108

"Which is oldest?" ….. "How many can you find?" …… "What costs a penny to play?" …….. families visiting The Musical Museum are enjoying finding the answers to a variety of questions in the newly introduced free Family Trail.

"Not only does the trail help our younger visitors get a sense of adventure out of their visit turning their time with us into a treasure hunt," explains Michael Ryder, Chairman of the museum. "The trail leads our visitors around the museum into all three galleries and up to the Concert Hall. We've also asked them to draw the Wurlitzer Organ and are receiving some real junior masterpieces - we may well put some of the best on display. Our young visitors are also helping us with suggestions about names for the monkeys who sit on top of the Barrel Organ and Barrel Piano."

The Musical Museum opened last autumn to acclaim in its brand new purpose built home in Brentford High Street in West London after being closed for five years. Visitors can listen to some of the world's foremost collection of automatic musical instruments from a time long gone; finding out how they were made and how they function.

"We are delighted with the feedback from visitors," says Michael Ryder. "Our visitor book is crammed full of compliments from far and wide. Our visitors come from home and overseas with entries in the book from local visitors, and visitors from Australia, America, Spain and France and from all over the UK.

"We've page after page of lovely comments in the visitors' book; and whether they are written in a childish hand or by someone considerably older who thanks us for 'reviving memories' the words that are used time after time are 'fascinating', 'we'll be back', 'excellent', 'wonderful', 'superb experience'…. Perhaps two particular favourites are "We came in initially to escape the rain and ended up spending a very enjoyable afternoon here" and "The children had a fantastic time and really enjoyed their visit - brilliant". We're delighted too to receive compliments about the Riverside Tea Room with its views of the Thames …. And, time after time visitors write thanks to our guides who demonstrated the instruments and explained their backgrounds."

The Musical Museum contains a wide range of automatic musical instruments. From the tiniest of clockwork musical boxes to the self-playing 'Mighty Wurlitzer' the collection embraces an impressive and comprehensive array of sophisticated reproducing pianos, orchestrions, orchestrelles, residence organs and violin players and also the world's largest collection of historic musical rolls. It comes alive when visitors travel from gallery to gallery with the instruments being demonstrated by the Museum's loyal band of volunteers.

Visitors can also enjoy light snacks and drinks and a stunning view from the Riverside Tea Room that overlooks the Thames. "This is proving a popular local facility and is open to museum visitors and non-visitors alike" explains Michael Ryder.

May 7, 2008