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Thomas Hardy portrait of Joseph Haydn

RCM Museum

The Royal College of Music Museum contains more than 25,000 musical treasures, including the earliest known guitar, the earliest stringed keyboard instrument and the most recognised portraits of Joseph Haydn and Farinelli.

The Museum building is undergoing redevelopment and is currently closed to visitors. However, you can still access many of our treasures online thanks to an exciting programme of digitisation. This transformation of our public offering continues with the construction of brand new facilities, which is generously supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. 

Explore our exhibitions

Explore highlights from the Museum collections in our Google Arts & Culture digital exhibitions

Museum collections

Browse high quality images and full details of the items in our collections

Collection highlights

The sound of a clavicytherium

Professor Terence Charlston plays a replica of our clavicytherium

'I like to look at Dennis Brain’s French horn in the Museum collection. It reminds me how lucky I am to be doing what I love in a place like the RCM.'

RCM student

'The collection was amazing. I discovered instruments I didn’t even know existed! Mind-blowing.'

Museum visitor

'Awesome collection. One of my major London destinations fulfilled!'

Museum visitor

Looking to the future

Find out more about our exciting plans, including what the redevelopment of our building involves

Contact the Museum

Find out how to get in touch with the Royal College of Music Museum

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