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Museum · Kansas City, Missouri
American Jazz Museum
Jazz museum in the historic 18th & Vine district, covering the history of Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald, with a club, the Blue Room, offering live music.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About American Jazz Museum
In the 1920s and 1930s, Kansas City nights were known for clubs that stayed open until dawn and for jam sessions that lasted for hours. From there emerged a jazz rooted in blues and marked swing, associated with names such as Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Lester Young and Charlie Parker.
The American Jazz Museum sits at the heart of that old district, on the corner of 18th and Vine, in the same building as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Exhibits tell the story of American jazz through instruments, photos, stage outfits, records and audio stations, with emphasis on Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.
Next to the exhibition is the Blue Room, a jazz club with live shows on some evenings. The museum also operates the Gem Theater across the street.
Behind the building, a sculpture of Charlie Parker commemorates the saxophonist, who grew up in Kansas City.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About an hour and a half; longer if there’s a show.
Best time
In the afternoon, combining the visit with a Blue Room show at night. Check the club schedule.
How to get there
It’s on the corner of 18th and Vine, east of downtown, with parking behind the building.
Tip
There is a combined ticket with the Negro Leagues museum in the same building. Check the website for opening days.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about American Jazz Museum
Where can you hear live jazz at 18th & Vine?
In the Blue Room, the club at the American Jazz Museum, which has shows on some weeknights, and in other bars in the district.
Are the Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Museum in the same building?
Yes, and there is a combined ticket for both.
How long does a visit to the American Jazz Museum take?
About an hour and a half, not counting shows.