Museums & Galleries · Cheshire
RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments
📍 M13 9RD
Photo: Mike Faherty (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Over 300 European and non-European musical instruments
- Keyboards by Broadwood and violins by Stradivarius
- Wind instruments from the 18th and 19th centuries
- Printed catalogue of the collection available to buy
- Opening coincides with free lunchtime concerts
This small but fascinating museum, tucked in the basement of the RNCM Library building, holds a collection of over 300 historic instruments, including European and non-European wind, string and keyboard pieces. Highlights include keyboards by Broadwood, viols by Barak Norman and Collingwood, and violins by Stradivarius and Guarnerius, alongside 18th and early 19th-century wind instruments. It's ideal for music lovers, students and anyone curious about instrument history. The collection is only open Mondays and Thursdays, 1200-1300, during term time, coinciding with free lunchtime concerts. It sits in Cheshire, with Manchester Oxford Road station just 0.5 miles away, and 86 bookable places to stay within 5 miles make it easy to combine with a wider visit.
Practical details
- Open
- 1200-1300 Mondays and Thursdays during term time
- Accessibility
- Accessed via staircase or lift near the Library
- Best for
- Visitors interested in historic instruments and music history
From the attraction's own website on 22 Sep 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Guided Tours
Visitor reviews
No reviews yet — been here? Be the first to share what it's like.
Log in or create a free account to write a review.
Do you own or manage RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments?
Claim this listing to respond to reviews and keep your information up to date. Verification is free — see why owners claim their listing.
Create a free account to claimPlaces to stay near RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments
Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
0.1 mi
0.4 mi
0.4 mi
Maldron Hotel Manchester City Centre
✓ Shopping, nightlife, theatres and stadiums right at your doorstep
Manchester
0.4 mi
0.4 mi
0.4 mi
🎪 What's on near RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments
Events from
Skiddle
Sat 14 Nov · 15:00
Sol Viva presents Unity Sessions - Day Rave - Rawtenstall
The Unity Hub, Rawtenstall, Rawtenstall · 16.3 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 14 Nov · 18:30
Paul Hand, Tribute To Liam Gallagher & Oasis
Elton Liberal Club In Bury, Bury · 9.5 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 14 Nov · 19:00
Snug Live Sessions w/Witness + The Jesus Bolt
The Snug Coffee House, Manchester · 11.2 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 14 Nov · 19:00
Kieran Arnold Album Launch
Wax And Beans, Bury · 9.0 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
A weekend in Cheshire with the kids →
A weekend in Cheshire →
A weekend in Cheshire with older parents →
🗺️ Plan the drive to RNCM Collection of Histo...
🚆 Or come by train
- Manchester Oxford Road 0.5 miles
- Manchester Piccadilly 0.6 miles
- Deansgate 0.7 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page