Phoenix's Musical Instrument Museum featured in USA Today readers poll

MIM is one of 20 music museums up for the nationwide honor, and there's some hearty competition.

February 1, 2025

Image: Part of the Rediscover Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments exhibit at the MIM from 2022 to 2023.

Part of the Rediscover Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments exhibit at the MIM from 2022 to 2023. Musical Instrument Museum

Help us weather the uncertain future

We need to raise $7,000 to meet our goal by August 10. If you’re able to make a contribution of any amount, your dollars will make an immediate difference in helping ensure the future of local journalism in Phoenix. Thanks for reading Phoenix New Times.

We know — the economic times are hard. We believe that our work of reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now is more important than ever.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$7,000

$3,400

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "21251496",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "21327862",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "16759093",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "17980324",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "21934225",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25          
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "17980324",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17012245",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

It takes but one stroll through its hallowed halls to recognize the sheer importance of the Musical Instrument Museum. Since its opening in April 2010, MIM has been a cultural hub for metro Phoenix, a place to gather and celebrate both music at large and our own state's many and varied artistic contributions. Now, the MIM has a chance to win a meaningful nod within the museum industry, and you can help bolster its chances.

MIM is one of 20 such entities up for Best Music Museum as part of USA Today's Readers' Choice Poll 2025. Per the poll, these museums each "celebrate American musical history with a big-picture approach or through the lens of a specific artist or genre." (The larger readers' poll maintains other, non-museum categories, including best cruises and food and beverage.) And it's quite the competitive list indeed:

Birthplace of Country Music Museum (Bristol, Va.)
The Blue Ridge Music Center (Galax, Va.)
Blues Hall of Fame Museum (Memphis, Tenn.)
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Nashville, Tenn.)
GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live (Los Angeles, Calif.)
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi (Cleveland, Miss.)
Johnny Cash Museum (Nashville, Tenn.)
Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum (Memphis, Tenn.)
Motown Museum (Detroit, Mich.)
The Museum at Bethel Woods (Bethel, N.Y.)
Museum of Broadway (New York City, N.Y.)
National Blues Museum (St. Louis, Mo.)
National Museum of African American Music (Nashville, Tenn.)
Patsy Cline Museum (Nashville, Tenn.)
The Punk Rock Museum (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland, Ohio)
Stax Museum of American Soul Music (Memphis, Tenn.)
Sun Studio (Memphis, Tenn.)
Woody Guthrie Center (Tulsa, Okla.)

Two notions instantly become clear based on this list. One, MIM is already in a rather elite standing as this list is only part of the more than 175 music museums across the U.S. Secondly, if you want to absolutely gorge yourself on musical history, you seriously need to head to Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.

As of publication, the MIM is ranked second in the poll, behind Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville, Tenn. Voting closes on Monday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. local time. The winner will be announced Wednesday, Feb. 19. Cast your votes here.

Good luck to the MIM, and even if we don't win, it's a good day for music-centric culture and education. (Seriously, though, we must crush Tennessee). If nothing else, use this as an excuse to revisit the MIM today. The museum has several upcoming performances, including Jeffrey Foucault on Feb. 4 and the Del McCoury Band on Feb. 11, as well as ongoing installations and kid-friendly activities. Show those suckas in Tennessee what music museums are really all about!

Musical Instrument Museum. 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. For tickets and more info, visit MIM.org.

Chris Coplan spent time as the Phoenix New Times music editor in early 2025. He has been a professional writer since the 2010s, having started his professional career at Consequence. Since then, he's also been published with TIME, Complex, and other outlets. Chris started freelance writing with New Times in 2018 about all things music. He lives in Central Phoenix with his wife, stepdaughter, a dumb but lovable dog, and two bossy cats.

A message from Music Editor Amy Young: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Phoenix's music, events and entertainment scenes.

Support Today