Cité de la musique

The Musée de la musique is part of the Philharmonie de Paris, at the Parc de la Villette (Paris 19th), in the complex that once brought together the Cité de la musique. Its collections, which number several thousand instruments and art objects, originate in the Instrumental Museum of the Paris Conservatoire, opened to the public in 1864, and were renewed with the opening of the present museum in 1997.

The route tells the history of Western music from the sixteenth century to today, while offering an overview of the great musical cultures of the world. According to the 2025 presentation, instruments from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas are now spread throughout the exhibition rather than in a separate section. The route opens on a large cabinet of curiosities and follows a thread both chronological and geographical.

You can see notably Stradivarius violins, instruments of the Sax family, a piano associated with Chopin or Django Reinhardt's guitar. Instruments are regularly played on site by musicians, and an audioguide accompanies the visit. The museum suits music lovers as well as families, with routes for young people.

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