Now on display in our special exhibit Imperfect Harmony: Man, Machine and Music at the Tampa Bay Hotel is a M. Welte and Söhne concert orchestrion. This rare mechnical instrument is the same style of orchestrion that Henry Plant purchased for the Tampa Bay Hotel. Visitors can enjoy live demonstrations on Wednesdays at noon and Saturdays at 11 AM now through December.
Contained within the orchestrion are an organ, brass instruments, woodwinds, and several percussion instruments (drums, cymbals). Pneumatic pumps operate all the instruments which play music from paper rolls - similar to the mechanisms of a player piano.
Come enjoy the sounds of music played at the Tampa Bay Hotel over 130 years ago!
This exhibit is graciously underwritten by: