The Music Box

A music box is a small, pretty box that plays a song. When you open the lid or wind a handle, a tinkling melody begins to play. Music boxes have been delighting people for over 200 years.

The History of Music Boxes

The first music boxes were made in Switzerland in the late 1700s. A watchmaker named Antoine Favre invented a tiny mechanism that could play a tune. Switzerland became the center of music box making.

Early music boxes were expensive and considered luxury items. By the 1800s, they became more affordable. People loved having a small box that could fill a room with beautiful music.

How Music Boxes Work

Inside a music box, there is a metal cylinder with tiny bumps on it. As the cylinder turns, the bumps pluck thin metal teeth of different lengths. Each tooth plays a different musical note.

The cylinder is turned by a spring that you wind up with a key or handle. As the spring slowly unwinds, the cylinder turns and the song plays. Some music boxes have a tiny spinning dancer on top that twirls to the music.

Fun Facts

• The first music boxes were made by watchmakers in Switzerland.
• Some antique music boxes can play tunes that last over 10 minutes.
• The most expensive music box ever sold cost over $200,000.

Did You Know?

Before record players and radios were invented, music boxes were one of the only ways to hear music in your home without playing an instrument.