The Music House Museum offers a fascinating history of automated music machines. The working collection includes phonographs, player pianos and a mechanical violin. Some of the fully functional showpieces include an enormous orchestra machine that originally played in a dance hall and a huge player pipe organ. You’ll also hear a crank-powered automated accordian and a blastingly loud machine that was designed for use at circuses.

The machines in this collection show how inventive minds of the last century were able to recreate music without musicians. The museum is located just north of Acme, about five miles from downtown Traverse City.