You don’t have to be a concert violinist or be able to sing on key to appreciate the beauty of an instrument handcrafted by a master. At the Musikinstrumenten-Museum Berlin, located within Berlin’s Culture Forum near the sparkling, gold-hued Philharmonic hall, visitors can steep themselves in a world of instruments from the 16th to 21st centuries that includes a selection of flutes from the private collection of Frederick the Great, Benjamin Franklin’s glass harmonica and a full orchestra of 800-plus period instruments. There’s also an organ from 1929 — equipped with 1,228 pipes, 175 stops and 43 pistons — that once provided musical accompaniment to silent films.

The museum is also the location of the Institute of Musial Research library, which includes a functioning workshop where  new instruments are handcrafted and historic instruments undergo restoration by skilled experts. On select Sundays, a live Early Music concert series begins at 11 a.m. with performers playing on instruments from the museum’s collection. Guided tours are available by appointment and the museum often hosts lectures and themed events.

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