American Jazz Museum
American Jazz Museum
4
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Note: To see the operating hours during holiday seasons, go to americanjazzmuseum.org/plan-your-visit. Located in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District in Kansas City, MO, the American Jazz Museum showcases the sights and sounds of jazz through interactive exhibits and films, the Changing Gallery exhibit space, Horace M. Peterson III Visitors Center, The Blue Room jazz club, and Gem Theater. Since its inception in 1997, the Museum hosts thousands of students, scholars, musicians and fans of the arts for over 200 performances, education programs, special exhibitions, community events and more each year, providing an opportunity to learn about the legends, honor their legacy, or simply enjoy the sounds of modern day jazz.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Neighborhood: 18th and Vine
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
365 reviews
Excellent
141
Very good
122
Average
73
Poor
22
Terrible
7
PowerTrippers
Cocoa Beach, FL1,312 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
I’m a big jazz fan and was excited to visit the American Jazz Museum. Sadly, I thought it was hugely disappointing.
The displays weren’t very interesting and consisted of mostly reproductions. There was very little original memorabilia here. The museum is also very short and just wasn’t worth the price of admission in our opinion.
-The Power Trippers
The displays weren’t very interesting and consisted of mostly reproductions. There was very little original memorabilia here. The museum is also very short and just wasn’t worth the price of admission in our opinion.
-The Power Trippers
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ktbeenthere2015
New York City, NY260 contributions
Oct 2020 • Solo
Jazz is not my favorite music genre, but this museum gave me the opportunity to immerse myself. As others mention, the initial focus is on the 4 jazz greats and then there is an interactive section explaining melody, rhythm, and other features of jazz music. The 4 jazz greats were a good overview, but I did want to know more. And, as someone wrote, understanding more about Kansas City’s role in jazz would complement the existing material. The interactive displays -which I was initially excited about -confounded me. Although I toyed with the different stations, I did not understand how all the parts of jazz came together. Maybe a guide at this part could have helped. I left a little deflated, not really picking up any insights to the music. In the museum’s favor, the level of material can appeal to an aficionado as well as the unenlightened. Also, the museum is well-organized and the price is reasonable. Taking an hour or 2 to think about the jazz greats surrounded by their music is worthwhile.
Written November 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suzanne35691
Bloomington, IL189 contributions
Mar 2020
Although jazz is not our style of music, we found this museum, located in the same facility as the Negro Leagues Museum, well worth a stop. The museum featured information about the development of jazz, the musicians, and listening stations to hear the music. Very interesting.
Written March 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vince C
Bothell, WA6 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
I’m a high school band director and a jazz fan. I was very excited to visit and left satisfied, although not over the moon.
From an education standpoint, the museum is very well done - focusing primarily on 4 of the genre’s giants (Louis, Bird, Duke, Ella) and the basics of music (rhythm, harmony, melody, form). It’s visually engaging and has lots of opportunities to listen to a pretty wide variety of full length recordings. (Yay!)
From a fan’s perspective, it felt a bit thin. I would agree with some of the other reviews that it would be cool to see/hear more about artists who had stronger ties to KC, like Count Basie and Lester Young.
I really wanted a t-shirt from the gift shop but there were not many choices and the one design I liked only had child sizes available. Perhaps a result of the pandemic?
Anyway, I’m definitely glad I visited and the admission price is more than reasonable. It was very cool to be on the hallowed ground of so much musical history and see some references from Benny Carter’s Kansas City Suite (recorded by the Basie Band).
The museum staff was friendly and helpful. It’s totally worth seeing, just don’t expect to be blown away.
From an education standpoint, the museum is very well done - focusing primarily on 4 of the genre’s giants (Louis, Bird, Duke, Ella) and the basics of music (rhythm, harmony, melody, form). It’s visually engaging and has lots of opportunities to listen to a pretty wide variety of full length recordings. (Yay!)
From a fan’s perspective, it felt a bit thin. I would agree with some of the other reviews that it would be cool to see/hear more about artists who had stronger ties to KC, like Count Basie and Lester Young.
I really wanted a t-shirt from the gift shop but there were not many choices and the one design I liked only had child sizes available. Perhaps a result of the pandemic?
Anyway, I’m definitely glad I visited and the admission price is more than reasonable. It was very cool to be on the hallowed ground of so much musical history and see some references from Benny Carter’s Kansas City Suite (recorded by the Basie Band).
The museum staff was friendly and helpful. It’s totally worth seeing, just don’t expect to be blown away.
Written July 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DD-Colorado
Boulder, CO124 contributions
Jul 2022
If you go to KC, make time for the jazz museum. You learn the history of 18th and Vine and all about KC jazz. It has interactive exhibits that allow you to understand how to create jazz instrument by instrument.
The women who greeted us on our visit were so welcoming and shared information about a concert that night at the museum. They were a wealth of information -- and so friendly!
The gift store has a wonderful selection of books on jazz too. It was a treat to find a substantive book on jazz for my partner's birthday.
The women who greeted us on our visit were so welcoming and shared information about a concert that night at the museum. They were a wealth of information -- and so friendly!
The gift store has a wonderful selection of books on jazz too. It was a treat to find a substantive book on jazz for my partner's birthday.
Written July 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sergio S
Fayetteville, AR79 contributions
Aug 2022
When I saw there was a Jazz museum in KC I made sure we stopped in and had a look around!!! Not to mention they have the Blue right onsite so you can have a good time. We sadly couldn't go as we did not have the time. That is on the bucket list next time when in KC. There was a lot of information from the Jazz greats and the local KC Jazz scene. They have interactive exhibits that make the museum more fun.
Written August 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa M
League City, TX153 contributions
Jun 2022
Really great collection of jazz items housed in a well-designed space. There was a little issue with competing sounds due to the space being a little small but generally you could tune out the things you weren't paying attention to. Definitely worth a visit.
Written June 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicholas F
21 contributions
Sep 2019
Well worth the money, a really well presented and informative place. The exhibits were of the highest standard and the interactive sections were brilliant, never knew how Jazz riffs were "constructed". To see Louis Armstrongs trumpet was a real treat. I would highly recommend a visit, the staff were fantastic and very friendly.
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Northforkers11
Greenport, NY27 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
If you're in Kansas City don't miss The American Jazz Museum. It's not huge but is PACKED with information, music and history. The people were terrific and it's located in a clean, lovely and historic part of town. Take your kids there...they will get to listen to tons of great music...all hands on. You'll be sorry if you don't see it.
Written June 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alyda M
Wheat Ridge, CO37 contributions
Apr 2022
Great combo tickets for the Jazz museum and the Museum of Negro League baseball. A lot of interactive pieces along the historic timeline of jazz in America. Also, a nice performance by Preston Portley and ensemble at the Blue Room. Definitely worth the price for all. Lady at the Swing Shop (gift store) was not friendly. Don’t know why.
Written April 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rvOutrider
St. Louis1 contribution
Why does the American Jazz Museum ignore Count Basie, Lester Young, and others who made KC jazz famous, while featuring Jazz artists who only visited KC?? The real KC icons except Parker, are never mentioned in the promotional info about this museum.
ElvisAndrus
Arlington, TX820 contributions
There are likely a number of factors at play.
(1) While there are many artifacts, the museum is more about introducing people to and educating folks about the different styles of jazz rather than the personalities who played them.
(2) If you listen to all the audio, you could stay for days. There is so much in there, it is hard to promote it all.
(3) They have had widely publicized financial issues which likely affect their ability to acquire new artifacts and promote their collections.
So, if your post is a question after your visit, I guess it is a matter of what you are looking for. If you are posting your question based on promotional materials, I would still encourage you to go.
claudettep221
5 contributions
What are the hours for the museum and the Blue Room?
markj4golf
Ontario, CA491 contributions
Museum:
Monday - Closed
Tue - Sat ..... 9 to 6
Sunday........ Noon to 6
Blue Room:
Monday - 5PM to 11PM
Tuesday - Closed
Wednesday - Closed
Thurs - 5PM to 11PM
Friday - 5PM to 1AM
Sat- 7PM to 1AM
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Frequently Asked Questions about American Jazz Museum
- Hotels near American Jazz Museum:
- (0.94 mi) Holiday Inn Express Kansas City Downtown, an IHG Hotel
- (1.18 mi) Holiday Inn Kansas City - Downtown, an IHG Hotel
- (1.59 mi) Jefferson House Bed and Breakfast
- (1.14 mi) Ambassador Hotel Kansas City, Autograph Collection
- (1.34 mi) Crossroads Hotel
- Restaurants near American Jazz Museum:
- (0.03 mi) The Corner Bar & Grill
- (0.07 mi) The KC Juke House
- (0.09 mi) Smaxx
- (0.06 mi) Soiree Steak & Oyster House
- (0.36 mi) Arthur Bryant's Barbeque