American Jazz Museum

Click the button in our profile to become a member today and follow us on social media for updates on programming, live music, and more! About: The American Jazz Museum celebrates and exhibits the experience of jazz as an original American art form through performance, exhibition, education and research at one of the country’s jazz crossroads – 18th and Vine. The museum explores the history, expression and performance of jazz throughout the entire United States, highlighting the story of jazz in Kansas City, one of the four major centers of the art form in the country. Exhibits showcase the impact and expression of jazz on and through many aspects of American History and culture, particularly African-American history and culture, from film to literature, the fine arts, dance, and pop culture. With its roots in African American culture, jazz is infused in the DNA of America. Since its birth in the early 20th century, jazz history has been analogous to our everyday lives. It has been part of many significant developments, people, events, and social movements in Kansas City and America's history. Its story can help us understand the country, the city, and ourselves in a deeper, more meaningful way. Jazz is an indispensable part of the cultural infrastructure and identity of Kansas City. The American Jazz Museum is a leader in the development of the 18th and Vine Historic Jazz District - a community anchor that encompasses all the enduring possibility to learn more about ourselves and each other through each artifact, program, and performance. For 25 years, the American Jazz Museum has opened its doors to hundreds of thousands of visitors, championing the impact that jazz has on our everyday lives and the enduring possibility to learn more about ourselves and each other through each artifact, program, and performance.