Over winter break, the Michael W Travels family went on a road trip to the Deep South.

During the trip we visited a couple of new states. We also made a stop in Asheville, NC, a city I’ve wanted to visit for quite some time.

While researching Asheville, it was hard to find many must-see attractions. I did come up with lots of options for dining and drinking though!

Considering we typically travel with our two boys, ages 3 and almost 8, I wanted to find something which would be fun and family friendly. When I came across the Moogseum, an interactive museum dedicated to the life of Bob Moog, an engineer and inventor of various musical instruments, I felt like I had struck gold.

The museum sounded great due to it being hands on. It also brought back memories of an incredible visit to The Icelandic Museum of Rock & Roll.The Moogseum is located in Downtown Asheville on Broadway Street. It’s the size of a storefront so its not a very big museum. However, it is packed with info which is primarily accessed on interactive screens.

I loved reading about Bob Moog’s life, learning about his upbringing, schooling and how he started building electronic musical instruments like the theremin at a young age.

While Kim and I read about lots of history, the kids had a blast due to the hands-on nature of the museum.In the photo above, Theo (left) is listening to music while Lucas (right) tries his hand at playing a synthesizer.

What’s great about the Moogseum is that its extremely kid-friendly. Kids can make noise and get a chance to play instruments since just about any visitor at the museum is wearing headphones while enjoying the exhibits.

While I didn’t get a chance to listen to music at the museum, you could scroll through songs which have used Moog synthesizers. The list was huge and we were surprised by how many we knew.Kim and the kids trying to play the theremin. The theremin is the only musical instrument which your hands don’t actually touch as you play it.

Boob Moog built his first theremin at age 14. He’d eventually build and sell theremins from his own design.

I also tried to play the theremin, watching videos and tutorials on a screen above the instrument, it seemed impossible but it was fun to mess around with!Bob Moog was the inventor of the first commercial synthesizer. He sold various models through his companies Moog Music and Big Briar. Theo and I had fun making some noise on a Moog synthesizer. Luckily, nobody else heard it since the synthesizer can only be heard through the provided headphones.One non-interactive display was an area set up as Bob’s Workbench.
These synthesizer couches by the museum’s entrance were a popular spot for photos.Theo had fun climbing and jumping on the synthesizer couch as the only museum employee laughed.

As we were leaving, we chatted with the woman running the museum. It turned out that she is one of Bob Moog’s daughters. After our chat, Kim and I had an even bigger respect for this museum. While talking with Bob’s daughter we felt her pride in what her father had  accomplished and her desire to keep his memory alive.

Final Thoughts:

If you visit Asheville, I’d highly recommend visiting the Moogseum. It’s a really fun and informative museum which will appeal to both kid and adults. During a visit, expect to spend a minimum of an hour there.

The Moogseum is located at 56 Broadway Street in Asheville, North Carolina. Admission costs $6.50 per person, free for children 7 years and under.