Utrecht - From the Musical Box to the Barrel-Organ National Museum

(Local Name: Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement) From the Cathedral tower Servetstraat runs west and crosses the Oude Gracht on the Maartensbrug (to right, an attractive view of the Vismarkt) into Zadelstraat. To the right, at Buurkerkhof 10, can be seen the Buurkerk, now housing the National Museum "From the Musical Box to the Barrel-Organ" (Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement), with a collection of mechanical musical instruments from the 18th century to the present day, including domestic instruments like musical boxes, street organs, dance organs, fair organs, orchestrions and player pianos. The popularity of the barrel-organ in the Netherlands is due to the fact that local firms not only hire out organs but guarantee to maintain and service them.