revelstoke nickelodeon museum

ArneCanada

Astonishment at every turn, for all ages. A glorious look back to the days when pioneers had to create every sound and sound wave, first creating the machinery to do it, will have jaws dropped and eyes bulging. We take too much for granted these days with Mp3, I-phones, hundred-thousand song lists... this museum shows where it all started. Delightful hosts in a grand setting. Even non-English speakers will take home a wealth of splendid memories.

libbyloujibjibs

Fascinating museum of mechanical musical instruments. The owner is very knowledgeable and demonstrates many of the instruments. The tour is a bit long but fortunately they provide seating throughout the area for those that can't stand for too long. Small gift shop with a variety of prices. Even my teens enjoyed it.

554willemp

If you enjoy good music this is a must see. We were traveling through revelstoke and they have several good attractions one of them being the nickelodeon. The owners are very knowledgeable people when it comes to mechanical music and restoration of these fine instruments. We took the tour and were very impressed with their knowledge of the history and well explained. We enjoyed many fine examples and listened to the music they produced they have many pieces with their own history player pianos , music boxes with rolls and flat discs and lots more We watched the machinery work while it play,ed beautiful music. It will be a stop again when passing through. Nickelodeon thanks for a job well done.

Melodycthomas

This place was a surprising treasure in a small town. There are music players over 100 years old. The museum traces the start of music as cylinders with pins to tin cylinders to player machines to juke boxes. Leslie, the owner, gave us a comprehensive review of these items (with a delightful sense of humor) and even let us turn the handle on a player. SO glad we stopped here.

rocketman000

the owners make all the difference. we had a personal tour for about 1.5 hours and many demo's on the various instruments. the history , the mechanics, the innovation, the creativity is just mind blowing to say the least. I love this place. its FULL of character. if you really want to take a look back in time, and get a sense of where we are today- take this one of a kind attraction in. $ 12. for such great information and hands on experience. don't miss it !!!!!

ewane2013

We stayed in Revelstoke for 2 nights, sadly we missed the last tour on our first day there but we were advised to come back for the early tour the next day. It is worth checking the opening & tour times before you visit. I am VERY glad we decided to come back & have a look, The owners are very friendly & informative. It is clear that they have personally done a lot of restoration work on all the instruments / exhibits there, This gives them an ability to describe every element of each exhibit & answer any possible question you may have for them. The tour takes around an hour, the fact that its run in small groups means any specific interests / questions can be answered & the owners will play/demonstrate most of the pieces.This is not a place for walking around looking at items in glass cases or static displays!If you have any remote interest in automated / mechanised things or music then I highly recommend a visit. I walked in with a vague interest & walked out hungry for more, I never realised the variety & significance of mechanised music.

278krystynab

I came across this beautiful museum while in Revelstoke.It is a gem of a place to visit.The one hour tour is just a wonderful presentation with Lesley.If you are into music you will love this" back in time" episode of the history of mechanical instruments.See them,listen to them and be invited to even play one.An almost spiritual feeling.

Trlgon

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit on a rainy day in Revelstoke. The owners who have lovingly restored these mechanical musical instruments are extremely knowledgeable. We expected to be there about half an hour, but it so enthralled us we were there almost two hours. Well worth a visit.

Marmylade

We visited this most amazing music museum in Revelstoke! We were delighted and surprised that admission included the most informative and interesting TOUR by the owner who was incredibly knowlegeable about all the musical instruments! She played many of them for us which made them come to life! This is truly a place not to be missed if you are visiting or passing through Revelstoke. In our family we had a teenager who was equally enthusiastic about the museum as the oldest of 75 years. You will not be disappointed!

130joew

The name may be a bit misleading if you think of placing a nickel in a machine and turning a handle to view a short movie while looking through a viewfinder. This place, right in downtown, is the home to musical instruments that you more than likely have never seen before. Have you ever seen a device that works like a music box that is the size of a pipe organ? Or have you seen a machine that was the predecessor to player pianos that used a music roll but that actually played the keys on the piano. The museum is scheduled to move some time in the future so this is one of those places that you have to see if you like unique history from the past. The couple who own the museum are very nice and extremely knowledgeable about their collection.

JacquiBrianWinn

Can't believe how lucky we were to have spotted this great museum in the main street of Revelstoke. It was such a treat to see all the old musical machines, some of them over five hundred years old and many of them unique pieces. It was even more of a treat to be led around by the very knowledgeable and generous Mrs Evans the owner and to hear some of them played. It was like being transported back in time. We're so glad we stumbled across this place, one of the highlights of our trip. And we are so grateful to Mrs Evans for allowing us to see the collection even though it was not officially open for the season on the day we visited. Thank you for a memorable experience.

834dennish

I have to say I was genuinely surprised by this collection of musical instruments that dates back over 500 years. This collection, no matter where you were to find it, would still have to be considered unique. And, this is not the usual collection of instruments, but devices that created music without the operator actually having to play the music. Old organs, side show pieces, cafe players, juke boxes - the list just goes on. One of our present day failings is that we fail to recognize the technical mastery of craftsmen in previous centuries. The sophistication of some of these designs will surprise you. The restoration that ensures that all of these instruments are fully operational and the expert information provided by the charming hostess do guarantee to be an amazing experience.

Jayaruu

The family all agreed that this is the best museum they have ever been to.... and we've been to a lot. Maybe it's because we are all musical nerds.The owner took us on the tour which was supposed to be 1 hour, but ended up being almost 2 hours because we were having so much fun and asking so many questions.

Mountainlover250

I have been living in Revelstoke for 3 years and only recently walked into the museum. When I walked in I told how I have never been inside and Mrs Evans the collection owner insisted that I go and see some of it. Out of her own time she started taking me round showing me some of the different pieces and telling me in such great detail the history of each piece. I found the pieces and the stories very charming and nostalgic and insisted on taking a full tour. It was just the two of us but she walked me through and showed me almost every single piano, pipe organ and music box. Mrs Evans knew the history of the individual pieces in such great detail and told the story of how they made and might have been used. She even allowed me to play some of them, it was very informative and charming. Being at the museum I felt transported back in time through the mid 1800's to the 1940's. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the museum and couldn't highly recommend it enough. A definite must see for any lover of music!

472brendad

Thank you for your comments regarding the entry of unaccompanied children to the museum. The main reason for the rule is that we do not have the authority nor the facilities to act in loco parentis in the case of those under the age of majority. In order to so act we should have to obtain a signed letter of authority from the parents permitting us to look after their children if left in our care. Otherwise where would we stand in the case of a child suffering a severe asthma attack or epileptic fit whilst its parents were absent? We should also require authority to discipline such children if needed, in the same way that schools do. As we are a private museum, not a government funded one, we have to make our own rules regarding entry conditions. We do clearly display a notice in the gift shop area stating that we cannot accept unaccompanied minors. See also the response to the previous comment.