Mechanical music museum in Les Gets: visits and collection

• 294 Rue du Vieux Village, Les GetsAddress
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• 1988, extended in 2013Opened
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• over 1,000 instruments (museum website)Collection
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• about 1 hr 15 guided + 1 hr self-guidedVisit length
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Of all the places to see in Les Gets village, the mechanical music museum is the most unusual: a museum of instruments that play themselves, set in an old house at the top of the village. You come to listen as much as to look.

Where to find it

The museum is at 294 Rue du Vieux Village, a few steps from the church, in the old quarter above the centre. It opened in 1988 in what the museum describes as the oldest house in the village, dating from the 16th century, and was extended in 2013. Wikipedia mentions the former presbytery or the nuns’ house instead: accounts differ, and the museum’s version is used here.

The nearest parking depends on the central car parks; the village is easy to cover on foot or by the free shuttle in season.

What you will see

The collection includes organs, music boxes, mechanical pianos, automata and phonographs. Two figures are quoted for its size:

• over 1,000 instruments, according to the museum’s official website;
• over 900 instruments, according to the tourist office’s bad-weather page.

The figure given at the top of this page is the museum’s, as it manages the collection; the sources do not explain the difference.

The museum occupies two buildings, covering more than 1,500 m² in total, linked by a partly underground gallery called the “Galerie Impériale”.

How the visit works

The visit is in two parts:

The museum describes the content of each part on its website. Guided tour start times are not listed here, as they vary through the year.

Practical tip: arriving a little before a guided tour starts saves waiting for the next one. Times are published by the museum.

The church organ, owned by the museum

The link between the museum and the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité is well documented: the Aeolian automatic philharmonic organ of 1910, installed in the church, belongs to the museum. It was listed as a historic monument in 1989 and restored between 1991 and 1994. It has more than 1,000 pipes and around 700 perforated rolls, according to the church listing published by Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc Tourisme. Its story is told on the history and heritage of Les Gets page.

Opening times and prices: where to check

Opening times are seasonal. For example, one tourism listing gave opening hours of 2 pm to 7 pm from 31 August to 31 October 2026 and from 21 to 31 December 2026. Prices published by different sources do not match (by building and by year), so none are given here.

Before you go, check the opening times and prices page on the official website: musicmecalesgets.org.

Worth knowing: in summer the museum is one of the activities included in the Portes du Soleil Multi Pass in Les Gets, according to the tourist office.

Annual events

The museum holds regular highlights:

• Le Musée en fête, in mid-July: the 8th edition took place on 18 and 19 July 2026, on the theme “mechanical music and play”, with organ grinders, shows and free concerts;
• Le Musée fête Noël: an open afternoon is announced for Sunday 20 December 2026, from 3 pm to 7 pm, free entry (programme to be reconfirmed).

Upcoming dates appear in the Les Gets events calendar.

Who is it for?

The museum is a solid choice for a rainy day or a late winter afternoon: the visit is indoors and suits all ages. For more indoor ideas, see what to do in Les Gets on a rainy day. Access for pushchairs and visitors with reduced mobility is not detailed in the sources consulted, so ask the museum directly.