Barrel Organ Museum Haarlem — Attraction in Haarlem

If you like the sound of a traditional Dutch street organ, this place is a must for you! The museum has a collection of about 20 organs, all of them in playing condition. The largest have been in dance halls, the smaller ones are on wheels and have been part of markets and cities all over Holland and Belgium. There's even a tiny organ that is hand cranked. On the sunday we visited, all organs played a tune and we even persuaded one of the staff to crank the smallest organ.

Apart from the colorful organ fronts and the music, you can have a look at the back of each organ to see how it works, and see it working. The collection also displays a large number of organ perifernalia.

On each organ is a description of it, it's builder and it's history - in Dutch and in English! And if you have questions: the experts are all there and happy to explain.

If you're visiting Haarlem and its surroundings, I'd recommend paying the...

Must see unique experience if you're in Haarlem or the surrounding area. This small museum is run by super nice and enthusiastic volunteers and only opened on Sundays. There are lots of various sized barrel organs to check out and the folks there are happy to explain their history and how they work. We got to hear all the organs and it was fun to see and learn how the music for the organs is made and played. There is a small concession stand selling beer, wine, and soft drinks along with sausages and snacks.

The museum is in a business/industrial area, but there was parking there and in front of the other closed businesses and a big sign over the door.

Overall, a fun way to spend an hour or two...

My wife and I visited this museum yesterday. Spent a great hour and a half looking at and listening to these wonderfully preserved machines which are a credit to the friendly, helpful enthusiasts who run the museum . The museum is about a 30 minute walk from the centre of Haarlem and entry is free. Definitely worth a visit. Our special thanks to Louis for being so helpful and friendly and making our visit...