American Jazz Museum

The American Jazz Museum is a true gem in the heart of Kansas City! From the moment you walk in, you're immersed in the rich history and soul of jazz music. The exhibits are beautifully curated, featuring legends like Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington. I especially loved the interactive displays and the listening stations—such a cool way to experience the music firsthand. The museum does a fantastic job connecting the cultural roots of jazz with the vibrant present-day scene. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. I also appreciated the live music at the Blue Room—an unforgettable experience! Whether you're a lifelong jazz fan or just curious about America's musical heritage, this museum is well worth your time. Highly

A great place to learn about some of the greatest musicians in jazz history. You can also listen to some of the music and watch old films. I like the fact that the Blue Room is also attached to the museum and they had a live jazz group playing called Go Hard. They were really good. Before you go into the museum check out the Jazz Walk of Fame sidewalk.

You only think you know jazz. Go here, and you will be immersed in it. Interactive exhibits make it so unique. Location only adds to its appeal. Please stop to talk to the greeter. When he says 'Have a Jazzy Time', I get chills. If you're lucky, which I was on numerous occasions, there's someone playing in the Blue Room or classroom. Even if you're on the fence about jazz, it's a lesson in expression and culture that can't be equaled. This is my only must-go in KC, aside from Arthur Bryant's, of course. Fortunately, Arthur Bryant's is only a couple blocks away!!

One of the most beautiful and informative places. The neon lights, the music and we were treated to an afternoon live concert in the main atrium. Went across the street to the Gem where we saw an incredible jazz band from Mt Prospect. The Negro League museum is in the same space. Also beautifully done. Congrats! From Illinois travelers.

Fantastic people, fantastic music, and a fantastic time. Jazz fans and non-fans alike can find something to love about this experience. The staff is very knowledgeable and very kind, especially the lady that was working the entry to the jazz museum. I highly recommend taking your time through this interactive experience to truly grasp the jazz scene in KC. The exhibits themselves are gorgeous and really give you perspective into how jazz truly exploded in the KC metro.

This is a great place to learn about the history of Kansas City jazz. If you have young children, be sure to take them with you. While much of the historic 18th Street area around it feels like it’s in decline, we hope this place will be preserved for years to come. There is also plenty of parking nearby.

Sadly, it's taken me too long to write this review and I can't find all of my pictures, so I hope you get a little bit of the feel this place resonates. Jazz has a rich history and this museum captures it to a tee. From pictures, to instruments, to clothing of the era, to hands on listening devices that immerse you into the beginnings of a music genre that has lasted a century. This is a self walking tour so you're able to go at your own pace and take in all knowledge that your brain can handle. There's also a small gift shop. Stop in there, buy something, and help support the efforts of this wonderful experience.

The kids really enjoyed the interactive displays, and we all learned a lot about KC’s jazz history. Even if you’re not a big jazz fan, there’s something here for everyone. Highly recommend taking your time and soaking it all in.

The people who work at this museum are so friendly and helpful. I enjoyed the different sections and especially like the old photographs of amazing and important musicians in our countries history of jazz. My only complaint is in the stations where you can listen to selected tunes by each musician. They have speakers pointing down to isolate the sound, which is great but the areas with videos playing are so loud that it was hard to hear at each station. I wish the special Louis Prima exhibit was more expansive.

The American Jazz Museum was the highlight of my trip to Kansas City. The museum has a treasure trove of artifacts and information about the history of jazz in general, with a focus on Kansas City, of course. It contains a jazz club in regular operation for live performance. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and enthusiastic. The museum is located in the 18th and Vine neighborhood, a cradle of Black American culture. I will gladly return in the future to see and enjoy all the things I could not get to on this trip. I give the Jazz Museum my highest recommendation.

Nice little inexpensive place to visit alone or with family in the historic 18th and vine district.

As an avid jazz lover, I knew visiting this place in the historic jazz district when I came to town was a must do. It did not disappoint. It's small but very informative. It has some interactive parts where you can actually hear some of the Jazz greats playing. I enjoyed every minute there. There is an attached Jazz lounge called the Blue room that had a free jazz show at 5:30 that I stuck around for. It was awesome and a great vibe.

Now this is a museum that probably isn't for everyone. Some people hate jazz, but for those that don't, there is the American Jazz Museum off 18th and Vine. Admittedly, the museum doesn't offer a ton to see when you think of the size of most museums, but there is just enough here to whet the appetite in relation to jazz music. You can learn some of the history of not only the genre, but the instruments and artists that played them. The best part though is hearing some of the live tracks at all the listening stations because before you know it, you'll be booking your seat to a live jazz show at the The Blue Room, which is attached to the museum. I will say this isn't something I'd visit more than once every few years, but for a couple hours of learning about these great artists and hearing their music for only $10, I'd say it was worth it. You can see more of our experience on our YouTube travel channel: https://youtu.be/6X_5cDClGus

Attended as part of a group. We had a very thorough tour guide. She was a little gruff in places, but certainly quite knowledgeable. The museum itself is nice, but I didn't find most of the exhibits to be all that exciting. I enjoyed the room where I was able to watch a lot of old recordings the most. I appreciate the plentiful seating in the lobby and even throughout the museum as I do like to kind of sit and take in the surroundings in places like this.

It was a great representation of the wonderful rich history of in KC and around the world. The exhibits were well put together and tastefully done.

Okay so this is a tough one for me. First of all, I want to make it clear that I am so grateful that this museum exists and I think their mission and the story they are telling is paramount to not only the medium of jazz, but also the complex history of jazz within the context of American history, and within the context of Kansas City history. The American Jazz Museum is perfectly situated in the 18th and Vine neighborhood in Kansas City, MO and shares a space with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. You walk in and can choose which you'd like to patron during your visit. The folks that work here are incredible. Every person I've ever engaged with knows a lot about the subject matter and seems to care deeply about the history. I love that most of the folks working here seem to have a personal connection to the neighborhood or the community in general. Once you have your ticket, they will direct you to watch a short introduction video. To me, this video was the highlight of the visit. It really introduced the neighborhood and placed both the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum within the context of jim crow America and Kansas City during segregation, which is so important to the story of this place. I loved hearing from people that lived through that time and learning what the experience was like for them. I loved even more that as you watched it you're seated smack dab in the middle of where all of this happened. It really grounds you in the history and sets you up for what you're about to experience. The sad thing about all of this is that after that you are ushered through a pretty small museum with sparse artifacts and very dated displays. I think the part of the museum where you can learn to mix your own jazz soundtrack is pretty cool, but I left feeling like there was just so much more that could be done here to celebrate the black history of Kansas City and teach folks about the importance of this place. I think it's doing a fine job with what it has but I couldn't help but be distracted by what this place could be while I was walking through. I will always recommend this as a stop for tourists, especially those that are really invested in learning more about the history, but I think on it's own it could do more to connect the history of the neighborhood throughout the exhibits, make it more local, and eventually update the space. Massive thanks to the amazing people that keep this place going, you'll always have my support!

Studying Jazz in college, I learned about the significance of its presence in KC. So visiting for a wedding, I knew we had to check out the museum. We were greeted by a jazzy greeter guy (who we didn't see later - maybe he was a ghost?) upon entering. Purchased tickets (the jazzy ghost took our stubs) and we were off! Lots of really cool artifacts, and if you have time, plenty to read. We were with two small children, so we spent less time than perhaps I would have. Nice gift shop (bought a shirt) and friendly people. A must visit for any jazz fan. Support the arts!

The museum is alright. I'm not much of a jazz person, but it's always interesting to learn more about different genres of music. Especially the old-school style that was made famous in Kansas City. Of course, the museum showcases the legends such as Billie Holliday, Louis Armstrong and many others. Overall, I felt like the museum just was missing a lot of things. It was a cool and bright looking on the inside, but there weren't very many artifacts or real memorabilia items on display. There are listening stations where headphones are required (I can't remember if you had to bring your own...). I was just irritated that they only had information/text on the artists, plus a picture of the artist...which I find weak when museums do this. I mean, I could look up information on Count Basie at home or at the library. But they do spotlight their local jazz scene, past and present - and they had a big section devoted to their arguably #1 jazz guy: Charlie "Bird" Parker. I'm sure the museum offers a lot of great programs for those who live in the KC area. There is also an old-fashioned club (I didn't go in) called the Blue Note that is attached to the building. Be sure to bring $ for souvenirs as they do have a decent gift shop. The American Jazz Museum shares a building with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which I found to be convenient. I highly recommend getting the combo pack admission to both!

Exceptional service! The gentleman greeting guests went above and beyond providing key details about the exhibit and the surrounding community. If you plan on visiting you cant miss him, he will be sharp as a tact with a welcoming smile.

We just ran thru this museum, as we bought the combined Negro League/Jazz Museum tix. Looked like a cool space with good info. Loved the idea of the Blue Room jazz club attached. The 2 museums are in the same complex and I would recommend the combined tix. It is not that much more $ and you never know what is going to spark your interest. We really enjoyed the 18th/Vine history movie, located in a small theatre btwn the two museums.

What a great walk into our country's history of jazz. It was really cool to read about these jazz icons' personal lives, passions and what they brought to the jazz community. Just come ready to read!! It's organized by individual artists. It was really cool to learn about how so many of their lives overlapped with each other. People like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and more. A lot of rich KC history as well! I would say this is NOT suitable for kids in any way. There is lots of reading at each station with a few stations to listen to a variety of music. Loved it myself!

It's a good place . Not large but if you like jazz and KC jazz you will like it. Kids have some interactive things they can do there. You may catch a live concert also in the blue room. I had a ball at the concert.

Beautiful inside with so much to listen to and very interactive! Every single worker I interacted with was so lovely they definitely do customer service right.

I am truly glad we stopped to tour the American Jazz Museum and am glad it's here. I was thrilled to see it shares a connecting space with the Nego League Baseball museum. Fair price to tour both with a discount ($15). Don't miss the Charlie Parker statue across the way! A solid museum, but one that I feel hasn't reached it's full potential. I'd love to hear jazz playing the entire time I'm in the museum. To see recordings of famous performances. To have a few more interactives. And to see the personal effects of some of the jazz greats. Really, I'd just like it to be bigger and closer in scale to what the National Blues Museum over in St. Louis or the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame has in Cleveland. Jazz and KC deserves it. We had a helpful employee greeter who we appreciated. We saw some great stuff and read up a bit on things we didn't know. The intro video spotlights the history of KC and this neighberhood in partcular, it was cool. Note: The Baseball museum across the way is awesome, I'd highly recommend it even if you're not a baseball fan because it's a very well done museum that is comprehensive and full of history.

If you are a jazz aficionado, I am sure that I don't have to tell you how dope this museum is. The museum is small but heavy in content. I definitely appreciated my time there.

I grew up listening to jazz with my late dad playing Coltrane, Monk and his high school classmate, Miles Davis. My husband and I visited both the Negro League Baseball Museum (a do not miss) and the American Jazz Museum. I hate to admit it, but I was very disappointed in the American Jazz Museum. I expected more exhibits and featured artists beyond KC native Charlie "Bird" Parker. Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald had featured prominence. Coltrane and Miles were only noted on a couple of exhibits. Almost after thoughts. How very disappointing With the purchase of a joint museum ticket, it wasn't a waste of money. But it us a waste of an opportunity to showcase many jazz greats. The Jazz museum hit an unexpected "low note".

I visited the American Jazz Museum today and had a great time. The museum is very affordable, well laid out and provided an outstanding exhibit of American jazz and culture. Also, today was the final day for the Billie Holiday special exhibit, which was amazing. This is a great place to visit if you are in Kansas City Missouri, and gives you an amazing perspective on American history and culture.

This is a wonderful museum. It's much inside than you would expect. The displays are excellent. The little gift shop inside is very cute and has some nice items to purchase. I also enjoyed the short film and the movie viewing area about the history of the African-American community in Kansas City.

This gem of a museum may not be as glamorous as the WWI museum, but it is just a thorough in its rich culture as well as its celebration of the historical significance that is jazz. This is a must see!

Going through this museum display, it kept feeling like I was a sophomore in college again, and taking my History of Jazz class again. The main display focused on jazz titans Louis Armstrong, Charlie "Bird" Parker, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. Glaringly missing, at least to me, was Miles Davis. And it's not like they didn't have room for the icon. I did like the display that was interactive and taught you about the various different improvisational styles for any particular jazz song. I also loved the wall full of various jazz album art covers.

Nice collection of historical jazz figures like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Charlie Parker!! I highly recommend a visit to the museum!!

it was ok not into jazz into other music so really cant judge too many personal interactive things germs!

This truly pains me to write this; but the American Jazz Museum is not in the top tier of Kansas City museums; and honestly I wouldn't recommend it to a tourist. I love Kansas City and I'm proud of the historical significance that Jazz had on KC and visa versa, but use the time and the money that you would spend here and go spend it at a jazz club in the city. The collection of artifacts is limited and most of the space is filled with listening areas to explain rhythm or the clarinet....Honestly it's either repetitious for serious jazz lovers or just plain boring for casual listeners. It seems designed for a high school student writing a paper on jazz. The design of the space is non-standard and visually stimulating as is the neon signs from jazz clubs of KC's past. It's got the Body but doesn't have the Soul. My recommendation is to clear out the listening areas and sell every artifact that doesn't relate to Kansas City and start over with a Kansas City based Jazz Museum. The space is too small to represent the entire genre well. Let New Orleans tell Satchmo's story and DC tell Duke Ellington's... Let Parker be the star, but where is Julia Lee, Benny Moten, Pat Methany, Count Basie, Speedy Huggins, Herman Mehari??...those are the stories we should be displaying and promoting. There should be live music hourly in the Blue Room Club attached to the museum! If we can't have a World Class Jazz Museum to fill the Union Station then let's at least have a small one that tells this amazing city's story ...

Totally cool place! So glad we went. Loved all the hands on musical exhibits and all the information about the history of jazz. Just wish we would have gone when there was live music in their club.

Well worth a stop and while in the neighborhood, soak up the vibe. I only wish we had time to return to the area for a night out.

The best part about the American Jazz Museum is Miss Karen! Should you be lucky enough that she is around when you visit the museum, she will fill you in on the important details of the museum. She is a student of jazz and will be glad to regale you with stories of the musicians. Her enthusiasm and manner of speech makes it all come alive! My favorite parts of the museum were Miss Karen, Charlie Parker's plastic saxophone and a contract with Charlie Parker to play for two and a half hours for $200 + 21.7% of the net profits. The museum has sections that display memorabilia and photos of the major musicians and singers. One can also listen to the signature music selections for the artists. You will know which one is Miss Karen when you get there. She's a tall and attractive woman dressed to the nines! Tell her I said "Hi" if you see her.

I love Jazz. I will never return to this sorry excuse for a museum. First off, they try to confiscate your camera. Always a bad sign. Usually, museums do that to prevent their pathetic collection from seeing the light of day. Are you ready for the entire list of noteworthy items? * One plastic Charlie Parker saxophone * One Louis Armstrong trumpet * One tin of Louis Armstrong lip salve * One Ella Fitzgerald dress * One pair of Ella's eyeglasses * One suit that either belonged to Duke Ellington or is simply a recreation (the exhibit doesn't say) That's it. It reminds me of the first time I went to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. That sucked. Nobody wants to see records hanging on the wall. Show me clothes. Show me instruments. Show me sheet music they wrote. This place is a total rip-off. And for payback, I've uploaded the pictures I snuck. If you want to learn about Jazz, buy a CD and read the liner notes. Or watch the Ken Burns' series. This place is an enormous failure.

Good museum and displays. Interesting history. But experience was less than stellar. Staff was not very professional or attentive candidly. Also, didn't feel completely safe on way there given "attention" we got from some locals. Kansas City keeps pumping money Into this area but until they address safety issues it's will always be a a marginal tourist destination sadly. If you go, go early in day.

Amazing experience with lots of interactive stations that give a primer on jazz. Beautiful experience all around.

Learned a lot about the some of the staples in jazz music. Loved the exhibits--especially the television section where you can sit and watch old TV clips. I called my mom and asked her if she remembered doing the jitterbug! Wow, have things changed a lot! I think the music I enjoyed most is the contemporary music played in the gift shop. I also enjoyed seeing the autographed sax donated by Bill Clinton. Now, I understand the experience is to be interactive but I'm not using public headphones--not one alcohol or Clorox wipe in sight. Maybe the ports should remain open since a lot of us carry own headphones anyway.

An excellent survey of jazz in a well designed layout. Many well conceived interactive exhibits. A large selection of historic jazz performances. Gracious and knowledgeable staff. A security guard went out of his way to make sure my son and I did not miss what turned out to be a highlight of our visit. I wish we could have spent more than just a couple of hours. I hope we're down KC way again soon. I'm giving four, not five stars only because a significant numbers of the interactive station were out of order. Still, if you love jazz or just love great music and history, check this out.

Hail to Hale the Woodruff Collection. It's a "must see"! It's on display until mid-February, the opening and black tie event went very well. No to mention my daughter helped the curator put the display together for the event. #proudmom #americanjazzmuseum

What a beautiful museum to commemorate the richness of KC's culture in music and art. Follow up this experience at The Blue Note down the street with a 2 minute walk.

As far as I'm concerned every major American city should have a jazz museum, so Kansas City's is a good start. It's hard for a small museum to do justice to the history of jazz, but on the plus side it's small enough that a curious visitor wouldn't be overwhelmed. As several of the reviews below mention, it's not exactly Cooperstown in terms of its collection of memorabilia, but they do have a variety of instruments, old showbills, etc. to make their exhibits come to life. The interactive aspects are fun, like the station where you can try your hand at mixing a recording of Charles Mingus' "Fables of Faubus" and one where you can choose different types of piano accompaniment to "Django" by the Modern Jazz Quartet. I didn't see any of the out-of-order signs that other reviews mention. Most of the exhibits are listening stations, which are nice but not as essential now that anyone with an internet connection can hear most of these recordings instantly. So I would have liked to see more exhibits that are more thematic or in-depth than you'd get from just listening to a recording and reading the short liner note. On the whole, it's geared more to casual listeners open to being introduced to the music's history, but it has something for everyone.

I love this museum, mostly because I love jazz and blues music. There is so much to see and respect here, and I doubt that anyone would regret coming. There are so many treasures and keepsakes from great musicians and singers, like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. If you are a fan of the era and genre of music like I am, I know that you will enjoy this museum. It is not a huge museum, as it is also housed with the Negro Baseball Museum, but it probably takes about 45 minutes to go through the entire exhibit. They have (of course) samples of music playing and recordings you can listen to of great moments in jazz history. Seeing the trumpet that made someone famous or the dress Ella wore during a performance really brings the music alive and it is definitely a worthwhile experience in Kansas City, especially because we are known for BBQ and Blues. These things go together so perfectly (which is probably why the museum holds a 'rhythm and ribs' festival every year) and it is great to learn about how the history of this crucial music genre intertwines with Kansas City.

I was looking for some cool places to visit in KC and someone suggested this spot. It's a self guide tour though the museum. You can actually visit the jazz museum as well. They are both in the same building. I enjoyed the short video on the history of 18th street.

A GREAT small museum! Their exhibits are gorgeous - and outline a variety of jazz related figures and the historical development of the music. While the main museum exhibits require admission there is a free visitor center display in the lobby, a nice store and the Blue Room lounge to see performances. The Negro League Baseball Museum is also within the same main building. Go and check out both. There is plenty of street parking and the neighborhood is clean and friendly.

As a musician, it's been a while since seeing something as so awe inspiring as this museum. Rich in culture and friendly hosts that make your day there special. Well described and accurate, integral to a unique museum experience, the artifacts and displays throughout are more than worthy of the time and effort to go through them. Would recommend to any novice or vet of American history, music, and tradition. Something unique to our country that should always be remembered and cherished. Check out the baseball museum next door too, won't be disappointed! Wish I could spend 3 days there vs half a day like I did. Will be coming back very soon! Many more times.

A decent treatment of jazz in Kansas City, it showed more like a kiddy museum than a serious destination. Some of the equipment did not function well and it really spent too much energy focusing on the jazz genre than on the contribution of the KC jazz scene to the art form. I was sorely disappointed.

I went here several years ago, and I remember being severely disappointed. For a museum that boasts being an "American Jazz Museum", this place was way too small, and it seemed like everything was in broad strokes. For an art form with such a complex and interesting history, I felt this was just really weak. It's something I would expect in a country other than the USA, not where the art form actually took shape, and especially not in a city so important to the development of jazz. I don't know if it's because I'm a musician and wanted something more in depth or what. Another problem was that at least 30%-40% of the display recordings were broken. It gave the place an abandoned, uncared for vibe. Also, because Kansas City was one of the major centers of jazz, probably only second to New Orleans, and where bebop was basically created, I expect a hell of lot more. I will have to go back and hopefully the place can redeem itself. I don't think it would be fair to put less than 3 stars though, as I haven't been to any other jazz museums, so I haven't experienced one better. However, if I were to compare it to another music museum, "The Museum of Making Music" in San Diego, that museum blows this one out of the water. It's disheartening, because it seems like the place has so much potential. But everyone so far has given 5 stars, so they must be doing something right.

3 hours on a Sunday afternoon, well worth it! Not sure how into it kids would be, save for some of the "mixing" hands on exhibits, but we really learned a bunch and enjoyed listening to ALL of the music! We checked out both the Jazz and the Negro League Baseball Museums and spent a whole 6 hours between the two!

Wow, very disappointing. It reminded me of an old rundown theme park exhibit trying, and failing, to mimic Disney. Much of the hands on exhibits were broken, many of the nameplates were falling where adhesive had dried up, the layout was a bit confusing and the looped films were of poor quality. Nothing really academic either, just looked like someone threw up bits of trivia on the walls. Such a shame. Took me about 60 mins to read the walls and see all it had to offer.

Perfect pairing - baseball and Jazz all in one spot, two of my favorites. I wish I had had more time before the Cubs game to listen to all the jazz they have available. Got a CD in the gift shop. Hope the Cubs play the Royals again soon so I will have another reason to return. I will come a day earlier that time.

The American Jazz Museum is co-located with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM). I hold the same sentiments of the AJM as I do of the NLBM (You can read my Yelp review of NLBM here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/negro-league-baseball-museum-kansas-city#hrid:UlcvDxpvjQY-GKS0wB7dTQ). The two museums have separate management and oversight but both pursue the same goals: to tell the stories of the significant contributions black Americans have made in the development of our great country. AJM does this through performance, exhibitions, education and research, highlighting the life and exploits of a few giants of jazz: Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and KC's own, Charlie Parker. In addition, AJM is home to a world class, award winning performance space/Night Club--The Blue Room--which hosts live shows several nights a week. Together, AJM and NLBM can easily provide a day's worth of satisfying exploration and enlightenment.

Located in the same building as The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, this is also well worth an afternoon if you are in the Kansas City area.

Our tour guide, Karen, was incredible! She was so knowledgeable, gave us facts while being personable, funny, and giving her own personal experiences too!

Housed in the same building as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, this is a fine place to learn about some of the greats in jazz history. You can tour both museums for $8. It's an interactive museum and it's a great place for kids and adults alike to learn about this great American form of music. Learn how to mix rhythms and sounds, listen to some of the great artists and songs and much more. You can easily spend a couple of hours here and come away with a greater appreciation of jazz music. I like that KC takes great pride in it's place in the world by providing us with both of these great museums. There is also a jazz club within the museum called the Blue Note, that has shows at night.