Between Sioux City and Sioux Falls in Vermillion, SD on the campus of The University of South Dakota you will find one of the largest (perhaps THE largest) musical Instrument collection in the world; some hundreds of years old and many very rare. The National Music Museum: America’s Shrine to Music & Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments. It was founded in 1973. This museum is recognized as “A Landmark of American Music” by the National Music Council.
The museum’s renowned collections, which include more than 13,500 American, European, and non-Western instruments from all cultures and historical periods, are among the world’s most inclusive. They include many of the earliest, best preserved, and historically most important instruments known to survive. The quality and scope of this museum has earned it international recognition.
After our sweet-granddaughter’s visit to the Museum of Art in St. Louis her first day with us, this was not on her, “Things I really want to do on vacation” list. Nevertheless, we pulled off the highway at about noon and finally had a late lunch – early dinner at one of the best diners EVER: Café Brule (like the cream dessert) at 3:30 p.m. We all did enjoy it, even sweet granddaughter. I will let the pictures tell the tale. This is a small fraction of the instruments we saw and pictures we took.
Rare Cello, Violin and bow by Antionio Stradivari.
NOTE: Granddaughter with head phones, so we can hear how each instrument sounds when played.
Rare Cello, Violin and bow by Antionio Stradivari.
BB King’s sweet Lucille, signed and dated.
BB King’s sweet Lucille, signed and dated.
Stromberg Banjo and Guitar
Resonator Guitar by Dobro Brothers
Martin Guitar Model D28
Trumpet/prop from The Beatle’s Sargent Pepper Movie
The only existing all ivory Lute, circa 1550
Living in a Minivan 