Haus der Musik at the Fruchtkasten Stuttgart

Learn all about music and music-making through the ages at the Haus der Musik (House of Music), housed in Stuttgart’s historic Fruchtkasten building! Discover more about the fascinating world of musical instruments and the timeless charm of different soundscapes! The concert hall houses a collection of valuable keyboard instruments from the 17th to the 20th centuries and visitors can even get to hear them being played – they are regularly used in concerts and during guided tours.

The first floor houses a new exhibition: “Unerhört! Musikinstrumente einmal anders” (Can you believe that? Musical instruments from a different perspective), which gives an entertaining insight into some of the experiments and innovations which have characterised the history of musical instruments. You can also hear unusual timbres and musical forms from the Renaissance period to the present day. Curiosities and one-off pieces, such as a ‘ringing shoe’ and a ‘musical’ sea-snail take us into the realms of music which has been created, depending on your viewpoint, either for fun or simply to provoke a reaction. A series of hands-on exhibits and video displays invite visitors to enter a fascinating world of discovery and sound exploration.

The exhibition entitled: “Unsere Musikinstrumente. Klangwelten mit Migrationshintergrund” (Our musical instruments and the influence of other countries) looks at our ‘home-grown’ musical instruments in the context of those from outside Europe. There are also rare items on display, such as a glass harmonica, an escritoire with an organ movement and a buccin decorated with a dragon’s head. Visitors can trace the fascinating history of music, from the first random sounds to downloadable sound files, through a series of exhibits ranging from mechanical musical instruments such as the flute clock dating from Mozart’s time, to the earliest gramophones and the Music Box - popular in the 1950s. A study gallery on the third floor explores how the cembali and clavichords of the 18th century developed into the grand pianos of the Romantic era.

Opening hours

• Monday: closed
• Tuesday: closed
• Wednesday: closed
• Thursday: closed
• Friday: from 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
• Saturday: from 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
• Sunday: from 10:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.

opening hours by Google