Piano Factory Tours Around the World

The excellent forum site… pianoworld.com (no relation) has set up a special tour of the Mason and Hamlin piano factory in Haverhill, MA (USA) on September 8th, 2017. This got me thinking, and it seemed a good idea to compile details of currently available piano factory tours.

The William Knabe & Co.’s piano factory, Baltimore, back in 1873

Your Comments

Many of you will already have visited one or more of these facilities. If so please add your comments at the end to help others.

Errors and Omissions

This piece will hopefully encourage you to visit a piano factory.

If I have missed out any tours (which I probably have), please let me know and I will update accordingly. I am awaiting information from some manufacturers and this will be added shortly.

I have tried to make this information as accurate as possible, but please ensure you check details with the relevant facility before visiting.

So, in alphabetical order…

August Förster (Germany)

• Location: Jahnstraße 8, 02708 Löbau
• Duration: approx. 90 minutes
• Dates: weekdays, all year
• Booking: individuals and groups up to 15; must be pre-booked by phone, facebook, email, or website
• Contact: +49 (0) 3585-86630; info@august-foerster.de
• Price: 5 Euros per person (free for customers)
• Restrictions: not known
• Additional Information: Although the tour isn’t fully comprehensive, it includes a guided tour through the workshops showing the handbuilding process
• Website: www.august-foerster.de

Bluthner (Germany)

• Location: Dechwitzer Straße 12, 04463 Großpösna, Leipzig
• Duration: not known
• Dates: All year
• Booking: All tours, (individual and group) must be pre-booked. Groups over 40 may be split up
• Contact: marketing@bluethner.de
• Price: 15 Euros, 300 Euros per group
• Restrictions: not known
• Additional Information: The tour includes a bit of company history, a look around the factory following the making of the Blüthner and Haessler (grand) pianos
• Website: www.bluethnerworld.com

Bösendorfer (Austria)

The Bösendorfer facility is approx. 50km south of Vienna in Wiener Neustadt. The company does not offer a public tour, but visits for customers, owners and pianists/music professors can be arranged by appointment.

• Location: Gymelsdorfer Gasse 42, 2700 Wiener Neustadt
• Website: www.boesendorfer.com

C. Bechstein (Germany)

• Location: Jentschstraße 5, D-02782 Seifhennersdorf
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Dates: 1st of each month
• Booking: by appointment only
• Contact: Katrin Schmidt, https://www.bechstein.com
• Price: Free
• Restrictions: not known
• Website: www.bechstein.com/

Cavendish (UK)

• Location: Anvil Works, Harrogate Road, Bolton Abbey, Skipton, BD23 6HZ
• Duration: not known
• Dates: no set dates
• Booking: by appointment only
• Contact: +44 (0) 1756 711712
• Price: not known
• Restrictions: not known
• Additional Information: also home to John Broadwood& Sons 
• Website: www.cavendishpianos.com

Fazioli (Italy)

The Fazioli facility in Sacile, does not offer a comprehensive tour, but visits for customers and dealers can be arranged, subject to very limited availability.

• Location: Via Ronche, 47 – 33077 Sacile
• Website: http://www.fazioli.com

Grotrian-Steinweg (Germany)

• Location: Grotrian-Steinweg-Straße 2, 38112 Braunschweig
• Duration: not known
• Dates: shown on website, or contact company 
• Booking: pre-booking via website essential, groups and individuals welcome
• Contact:  via website
• Price: Free
• Restrictions: not known
• Website: http://www.grotrian.de/en/production/factory-tour/

Kawai (Japan)

• Location: 252, Tobi Hiramatsu, Iwata-shi, Shizuoka, 438-0216
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Dates: Weekdays only
• Booking: phone at least two weeks ahead, or write to the Planning Section
• Contact: 0538-66-5111
• Price: Free
• Restrictions: max. 100 people; no admission to student/children’s groups without adult accompaniment
• Website: http://www.kawai.co.jp/

Mason and Hamlin (USA)

• Location: 35 Duncan St., Haverhill, MA 01830
• Duration: variable
• Dates: every Wednesday
• Booking: In advance only
• Contact: 978 374-8888
• Price: 10 USD, cash only
• Restrictions: Handicapped access is not offered; participants are required to climb stairs; young children must be supervised.
• Website: www.masonhamlin.com

Petrof (Czech Republic)

• Location: Na Brně 1955, 500 06 Hradec Králové
• Duration: 60-90 mins
• Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays only.
• Booking: One week in advance by online form (below)
• Contact: muzeum@petrof.com
• Price: 16 Euros / 400 CZK (Adult), no credit cards
• Restrictions: Min Age 7
• Additional Information: Tour is guided in English; school groups accepted
• Website: https://www.petrof.com/visit-us

Schimmel (Germany)

• Location: Friedrich-Seele-Straße 20, 38122 Braunschweig
• Duration: not specified
• Dates: throughout the year, but subject to availability
• Booking: Groups and individuals by request only—use contact page on the website
• Contact:  https://www.schimmel-pianos.de/en/kontakt/
• Price: on application
• Restrictions: no information
• Additional Information: availability is strictly limited
• Website: www.schimmel-pianos.de

Steinway & Sons (USA)

• Location: 1, Steinway Place, Long Island City, NY11105 USA
• Duration: approx. 2-½ hours
• Dates: Every Tuesday at 9.30 from September to the end of June
• Booking: In advance, maximum group of 16 people
• Contact: tours@steinway.com or tel. 718-712-2600
• Price: $10 (US)
• Restrictions: Min. age 16; No open shoes; No canes, walkers, or wheelchairs; No pacemakers; No photography.
• Additional Information: Forbes magazine considered this one of three best factory tours in the USA; tour includes 3-4 flights of stairs
• Website: http://www.steinwaypianos.com/about/factory-tour

The Steinway facility in Hamburg, Germany does not offer a similar comprehensive tour, but organised visits for customers, institutions, and dealers can be arranged, subject to very limited availability.

Walter Piano Company (USA)

• Location: 25416 Country Road 6, Elkhart, IN 46514
• Duration: 35-50 minutes
• Dates: check with company
• Booking: By appointment only; groups of 10 or more can have their own tour
• Contact: 574-266-0615 (USA)
• Price: Free
• Restrictions: not known
• Website: www.walterpiano.com

information about this tour was obtained from previous visitors, and not from the company. It is therefore most important to check all aspects of this tour directly.

Yamaha (Japan)

• Location: 1480, Harmony Plaza, Kakegawa-shi, Shizuoka, 436-0038
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Dates: Weekdays only
• Booking: pre-booking by phone (up to 2 months in advance); or write
• Contact: 053-460-2901,  053-724-8069 (available in English)
• Price: Free
• Restrictions: No smoking, or drinking; maximum 200 persons 
• Additional Information: Tours are usually in Japanese, but English guided tours may be available if requested in advance; tour is both inside and outside
• Website: http://jp.yamaha.com/about_yamaha/factory_tour/ (Japanese)

Again, if you are a piano manufacturer (including digital pianos) and we haven’t included you, please get in contact.

Smaller Manufacturers

Some smaller piano makers don’t offer a formal tour, but are happy to show you around their facilities.

A couple of manufacturers have asked not to be included in this article as they can’t accommodate a large number of enquiries.

I hope the above information is helpful, and inspires you to discover just how amazing this manufacturing process really is.

As I requested earlier, please add you comments about your own tour experiences.

This post will be updated as and when new information arrives.

Last updated: 9-Aug-2017.