Leave it to out-of-town guests to show us what’s what in our new area. This past weekend we had friends, who are also former work associates of my husband’s, stay with us for the weekend. They insisted we go with them to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM.)
This was after a big hike in our preserve and me preparing my spinach avocado quesadillas because we were famished.
Our guests wanted five hours in the museum. My husband said two hours tops. He thought he’d get bored and he couldn’t stand for much longer than that. It turned out to be amazing. It’s the number one attraction in the Phoenix area and one of the top 15 museums in the country. And I had never heard of it.
It turned out that in two hours we didn’t complete two galleries. My husband picked up a brochure to become members! We’ll be taking guests to MIM and spend countless hours there on our own. There is so much more to explore. Unfortunately, I left my phone at home, so I’ll put up some links instead of photos.
Here’s a short video showing the Artist Gallery that we spent the most time in. It gives a good idea of how the exhibits are set up.
You wear a headset and it automatically plays music when you stand in front of a screen at displays. For example, at Woodstock I listened to Joan Baez and Carlos Santana. The exhibits had original instruments played by the artists, gold records, grammy’s, costumes, hand written lyrics or music. Fascinating stuff.
They also have concerts. I am so thrilled to learn of this place, even though my husband cut our visit short. At least we can go back whenever we want and it was our guests third or fourth visit there.
What are your favorite places to visit where you live? Have guests helped you explore your area? What artists on the list above are your favorites?
Oooh, thanks for the tip! Something else for us to do when we get there 😉
You will love it!
Kronos Quartet and Roy Orbison. My faves are the Met, MOMA, and Whitney, both botanic gardens. Carnegie hall, Lincoln center, all theater, film forum!!
I love Roy Orbison too. You such amazing places to visit! I was thrilled to find something like MIM in Scottsdale. Next, I need to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.
Yes!!!
Wow, that sounds like an interesting visit indeed. I myself enjoy going to stationery stores or bookstores here, which are cosy and a great way to spend some time. Thanks for this post!
Thanks for commenting. I love stationary and bookstores, too.
How exiting, i love finding new places to haunt. I think the biggest attraction near me is the Winchester Mystery House! Not something you return to again and again! 💕C
We’ve been to the Winchester Mystery House. It was the four of us. It was fascinating, but once was good. We were watching our daughter and college team at the Santa Clara Grand Prix International swim meet and it gave us something to do beside the meet.
My daughters were swimmers too and we attended the Santa Clara meets often! Miss those days 🥰
What swim team were they with?
The Wave Makers in Campbell, until high school when they swam for their school, picking up water polo in the off season. Both girls ended up playing water polo in college! It’s a fun sport to watch after years of swim. 🏊♀️🏊♀️
I miss the swim mom days, too. I can’t believe you were a swim mom, too!
My sons played football, wrestling, and Rugby! We were a big sports family!
How exciting. Sports are so much fun for the parents, too. My kids were on the Piranha Swim Team in Palm Springs until the end of high school plus did HS swim. My son took up rowing three years ago as an adult. We went to a regatta and it reminded me of a swim meet. We sat and waited for hours onshore and then watched him race for one minute! My daughter swam in the PAC 12 for the Utes. She was in meets with Missy Franklin, Katie Ledecky etc. Stanford, Cal and USC were filled with Olympians.
My son-in-law is a Ute! He goes home for all the football games! We all wear red on game day. My daughters played polo for Cal and Davis, and Tony played Rugby for Davis! It was enormously fun for Larry and I. We miss those times. 💕C
Wow! Yes those were such exciting days. I’ve been to a polo match at Cal! Also Davis recruited our daughter.
Those were such fun years, we traveled all over following the teams, had wonderful times with the other parents. Hoping my grandkids take up a sport!
We went to our daughter’s meets all over the place too. When we were in Salt Lake we’d go to football games and gymnastics to cheer on our daughter’s friends. Yes, hanging out with the parents was so much fun!
I often discover that I enjoy museums much more than I think I will. Even though I don’t play one, the Musical Instrument Museum sounds pretty interesting.
I can always find something to enjoy in museums. I think it’s because I love to learn. The Musical Instrument Museum is something everyone can enjoy because of the music in all genres.
Ha. All our guests are here for the beaches and Busch Gardens. Suggest a Museum and they want to know if it is on the beach.
As a beach person, I understand that.
How did a beach person wind up in Arizona? It has not had Beach Front Property since before the Archeozoic Era?
Cost of living. We do take a beach vacation every summer and will spend Christmas week at the beach though.
California isn’t the only place with 5 star world class beaches, and many of them do not require the entire wealth of Midas to get a Bungalow.
That’s true! But my husband is employed by a firm in CA that expanded to AZ. In retirement we will explore beaches outside of SoCal. Rocky Point is four hours south of us and we want to check it out.
No hurry. The sand and water will be there long after we are gone.
This looks amazing! There are so many museums in the Chicago area that I’ve never visited. You’ve motivated me to look them up and add visits to our calendar. 🙂
When I travel to a new region, I’m always looking to find fun things to do. So it’s not surprising that your friends discovered something you’d never heard of. I’m glad you have something cool to do even after they’re gone.
I am going to follow your plan. I need to look up other things to do and add them to our calendar. We’ve been here less than a year and I’d like to see experience more of the sights.
I just found a Writer’s Museum in Chicago!
You have to go and report back!