I went to the Kulturforum Museum of Musical Instruments today. WOWZERS! it was amazing. They had so many keyboard instruments from virginals and spinets and clavichords to pianos and organs and soo many things. It really put a lot of the historical information I learned in school into context when I could actually see the instruments and look at how the strings were laid and the hammers, or pluckers lined up.
They closed an hour earlier than I had seen on their website, so I didn't get to go through a second time for more details, but about 20 minutes before closing I discovered that there was a room with 5 different examples of their keyboard instruments. I played on a footpump organ, a harpsichord, early romantic grand, a beautiful Steinway upright grand and a few others. It was wonderful, especially keeping in mind that I haven't touched a piano keyboard in over a week.
I took far too many pictures of everything there (almost). After capturing everything on digital film, I was able to go back to a few of the exhibits on how they made early instruments - there was an exhibit of an early piano-makers workshop and they had a cool machine that was frozen in time during the process of making a piano string.
Also of interest which I didn't photograph so much in detail was the development of stringed instruments. I actually got to see the historical instruments like Viol Viola da Gamba, 8 stringed Cellos and well.. lots of novelty/fun ones. My favorite one was a walking stick/cane which opened up to be a violin type thingy. It was beyond awesome.
I would love to say that I could have stayed there all day, but the looking- not touching part was driving me a little insane. Regardless I am so glad that I went. It was an amazing experience that I will not soon forget.