The promise of antique instruments brought me here on a rainy day in Nice, and I was not disappointed! While located in the old town part of Nice, the exterior of this museum is rather unassuming compared to what one might imagine when reading the description "17th century Baroque villa." The facade of stone walls and Juliette windows blends into the buildings around it and the museum sign isn't striking from a distance so you're apt to miss it if walking quickly past on the street.
The museum has several floors, accessible by staircase, I don't recall seeing an elevator. The ticket room is directly to the left upon entry, €5 per adult ticket, though I'd separately purchased the €15 Nice museum pass which grants entry to 10 municipal museums over the course of 3 days.
There is no air conditioning and minimal heating apparently--it was about 45 degrees F when I arrived in pouring rain, hoping to warm up inside, and instead I was greeted with a damp chilliness that followed me from outdoors. A few of the rooms with closed doors on the second floor were slightly better.
The exhibits when I was there included a special feature on the 1st floor of the Trachel siblings (Dominique, Hercule, Joseph, Fanny) who were artists and their patron Charlotte de Rothschild, and their core collection of fascinating and mostly outmoded stringed instruments. Though I'm neither a musician or history buff, something about seeing the predecessors of current instruments as we know them gives an exciting glimpse into the sounds and sights of music and entertainment from European days gone past. While the people who once created and played these instruments are no longer here, their legacy remains in these impeccably crafted emblems of their time.
Given the fairly small size of this museum you could easily walk in and out in 45min to 1 hour. Hours are 10-6 everyday except closed on Tuesdays and major holidays. There are bathrooms located on the ground floor. read more