VERMILLION, S.D. (KELO) — The National Music Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary, bringing new exhibits and experiences to its visitors.

Do you collect anything? That is the opening question as you enter the newest exhibit at the National Music Museum.

“We explore very briefly the theme of why museums and why people collect,” Curator Ana Silva said. “I wanted you to know question — I think people will come in and will question themselves if they collect something, make them think for themselves why that is important.”

The exhibit displays some of the finest pieces in each collection the museum has.

“What the curators wanted to do was provide a representative samplings of those collections that have brought international claim to the national music museum, ” Director Dwight Vaught said. “Prime instruments like our violin, like our cello, and a number of different instruments that the museum world really looks to as us being one of those prime museums and collections for musical instruments.”

“Variations in terms of also types of instruments on display,” Siva said. “We have woodwind, brass, and keyboard and string instruments and we try to bring out from each collection some important examples that we felt would speak up for the collection itself.”

Showing some of the most unique pieces, while creating personal connections with the museum-goers.

“There are very few families that aren’t musical in some way, they don’t have to be professional musicians but like most of our families they experienced either band or a choir when they were going through school, maybe they played in orchestra; or as they were going through school or through college, maybe they are still doing music in the home or music in church, or music in the community and this is all a connection to how we got to where we are today,” Vaught said.

The 50th-anniversary exhibit is open to the public with free admission on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 12-4 p.m.