RCM Museum of Music
- Music lovers
- Art lovers
- Families with children
What Visitors Say
Worthy to visit, especially whoever is truly interested in music. Very small unfortunately, a half an hour is definitely enough for a visit (only one room was available during my visit). Free entrance, no reservation. Inside the University.
Tucked within the prestigious Royal College of Music in South Kensington, this museum is a hidden gem for music lovers and a sanctuary of musical history. It’s not a large, bustling national museum, but an intimate, world-class collection that feels like a privileged glimpse into the heart of musical heritage. Highly Recommended For: Musicians, music students, classical music enthusiasts, historians, and anyone visiting the Albert Hall for a concert. It's a perfect pre-concert cultural appetizer. Strategy: Use the audio guide. Not For: Those seeking large, interactive, family-focused entertainment (the Science Museum is better for that). It is a place for quiet contemplation. The Royal College of Music Museum is a secret treasury. It offers a profound and personal encounter with the very objects that gave voice to our greatest musical geniuses. The thrill of standing inches from Handel's harpsichord is unforgettable. It represents the soul of "Albertopolis"—Prince Albert's vision for education and the arts—in its purest form. For the right visitor, it is one of London's most moving and impressive cultural experiences.
I saw a billboard outside the Royal College of Music advertising the Kurt Cobain exhibition, so I thought I would have a look at the museum. Very interesting, well explained by the free audio guide. Historic keyboards and the painting of Farinelli were highlights. I paid to visit Kurt Cobain's guitar, which was again a great story, well told. A most enjoyable visit, I will return for one of their historic instrument performances.
SAT 06.09.2025 Was the first time I'd ever been to The Royal College of Music / Museum and I thought it was a lovely place. I only found out about the museum part by looking around on Google maps and doing reviews. I was a little disappointed that the museum was not across multiple floors and didn't showcase items from inception through to the present day, with in depth history like museums do but I came to understand why when a nice staff member explained it's a functioning College and also certain items are kept in storage. Nevertheless, it's a beautuful building and upon entering, there are lovely portraits of a few members of the Royal family. It was nice to see musical items from the early 18th & 19th Century, Staff were nice and I really enjoyed seeing the Kurt Cobain Unplugged Exhibition. A classy and beautiful historic building!
I had such a great time to have discovered the RCM Museum and their temporary exhibition about Kurt Cobain. Incredible rich collection , extremely well done and so Interesting ! If you’re around don’t hesitate to visit , you won’t be disappointed ;)
Highlights
Historic Keyboards
Side-by-side early keyboards (clavichords, harpsichords, early pianos) show how touch and mechanism evolved long before the modern concert grand.Look for visible actions and knee/hand stops—small controls that changed colour and volume centuries before pedals became standard.
Main gallery, central run
Strings from Renaissance to Romantic
Viols, early violins and later concert instruments track changing tastes—from chamber consorts to large halls.Necks, bridges and bass bars weren’t always as we see them now—many instruments were ‘modernised’ to meet louder stages.
Perimeter cases
Wind & Brass Bench
Recorders, flutes, oboes and horns chart the move from natural/hand-stopped sound to keyed and valved agility.Finger holes give way to keys; crooks and hand-stopping give way to valves—engineering reshapes repertoire.
End bay
Sound & Making Films
Short films and audio let you hear period instruments and watch how parts—soundboards, strings, reeds—work together.Hearing an instrument built for a salon instantly explains 18th-century phrasing and volume markings.
Screens beside cases
Opening Hours
Fun Facts
The museum is part of the Royal College of Music, founded in 1882; the collections underpin teaching and performance rather than sitting apart from them.
A major redevelopment reopened the galleries in the early 2020s, adding conservation-grade displays and integrated listening so historic instruments can be understood as sound-makers, not just beautiful objects.
Displays span over five centuries of music technology—from gut strings and quills to steel wire and valved brass—so you can trace how engineering changed what composers could write.
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