Music Menagerie at the Czech Museum of Music

A fun and interesting way of discovering the deep music - nature interrelation

Nature has always inspired human beings to create; from the field of science, architecture, painting, sculpture, literature, all the way to music. The Music Menagerie exhibition displayed in the Czech Museum of Music strives to prove just that, through an interactive tour that shows you how composers and instrument makers have all being influenced by the nature around us. Under the tagline “Do you like animals? Composers and musicians do!”, this long therm exhibition opened it doors to the public on October 16th of last year and will continue to do so until the last day of 2022.

Warming you up to what is about to come, the exhibition starts off in a room filled with instruments and noise making objects, inviting every curious visitor to play, touch, hear and make sounds here and there. Later on, it continues to a large corridor, with walls packed with colorful text and drawings. There, you can learn about animals becoming the subject of musical representation, like cows and pigs being the theme of children folk songs. You can see drums shaped after an elephant’s foot, or a large flute resembling a snake. You can hear instruments that sound just like bees, or watch a piece of the famous Swan Lake ballet. You can discover Zdeněk Fibich butterfly collection or Antonín Dvořák’s passion for pigeons.

Show-windows along the corridor display as well instruments, music sheets, books, vinyls, and even dissected animals, from tiny insects, to birds, baboons, and even a lion!

In sum, it all makes up a fun and interesting experience not only for kids, but for everyone that wants to dive into this world of nature and music interrelation, and it definitely can be nostalgic one for all those Czechs who grew up singing Máme rádi zvířata (We Love Animals), Holubí dům (Pigeon House), Včelku Máju (Maya the Bee), Medvědi nevědí (Bears Don’t Know), and many more.

Also, if you find yourself already at the former Baroque church of St. Mary Magdalene at Malá Strana, you should not miss the Czech Museum of Music own permanent exhibition. It has in display almost every instrument imaginable, from modern electricity powered ones like synthesizers, electric guitars, and even a theremin, to the classical string, woodwind, brass, keyboards, and percussion ones, like violins, flutes, trumpets, pianos and drums.

Although instruments are static and no-sounding when just displayed, the exhibition stands out as it really makes an effort to invite the public to participate. Through headphones along the exhibition you can listen to melody recordings of different instruments, and you can even get to play some harp or organ yourself! They even got the mythical hammer piano that Mozart played in Prague 220 years ago, so definitely, this museum is one not to miss.

Opens daily from 10:00 - 18:00 except Tuesdays.

Adult price 120 CZK and reduced 80 CZK.

Karmelitská 2/4, Malá Strana.