Westpfälzer Musikantenmuseum Mackenbach

About the museum

Mackenbach is considered one of the best-known musicians' villages in the Western Palatinate. Between about 1850 and World War I, many men from here and the neighboring villages traveled through Europe and as far as overseas as itinerant musicians, earning a living for their families with brass band and circus music.

The idea for a dedicated museum arose in 1983, when the Musikverein Mackenbach (Mackenbach music society) mounted an exhibition on the local traveling musicians to mark its 100th anniversary. The municipality then had an extension added to the community center built in 1982; the museum was inaugurated on September 20, 1991. Since 1992, a friends' association has supported its operation, designing the exhibition rooms, maintaining the archive and instruments, and looking after visitors on a volunteer basis.

In two rooms, the museum displays historic, rare and curious musical instruments, including mechanical instruments, as well as a large circus model. Photographs present musicians' villages and houses, and travel souvenirs tell of the tours. A special focus is on emigration to America and the links between the musicians' region and the American music scene, which the exhibition traces all the way to Frank Sinatra.

Highlights

• Instruments of the Western Palatinate traveling musicians
• Mechanical musical instruments and a large circus model
• Travel souvenirs from around the world
• Emigration to America and Mackenbach musicians in the US
• Museum rally for school classes

Permanent exhibitions

• Westpfälzer Wandermusikanten – Instruments, photographs, a circus model and travel souvenirs tell of the lives of the musicians from Mackenbach and the surrounding area who toured the world between 1850 and 1914.

Founded

1991

Operated by

Ortsgemeinde Mackenbach (betreut vom Förderverein Westpfälzer Musikantenmuseum)

Director

Bärbel Holzmann

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

No accessibility information on the official website.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit