New Orleans Jazz Museum

Located at the juncture of the French Quarter where Esplanade Avenue meets Frenchmen Street, an epicenter of live music in the city, the New Orleans Jazz Museum celebrates the origins, evolution, and continuing relevance of New Orleans jazz music and culture.

The Museum carries out its mission through a variety of mediums, including performances, exhibitions, audio preservation, education and scholarship, and jazz-related art installations. Home to one of the foremost jazz 2 collections in the world, the Jazz Museum is home to Louis Armstrong’s first cornet, Sidney Bechet’s soprano saxophone, Edward “Kid” Ory’s trombone, George Lewis’ clarinet, Warren “Baby” Dodds’ drum kit, and performance costumes. Photographs, original manuscripts, historic recordings, and rare film footage are among the thousands of irreplaceable treasures stored inside, but only a fraction of this collection is on display. Current exhibits include The Wildest! Louis Prima Comes Home, Cherchez la Femme: Photography of Cheryl Gerber, Drumsville: Evolution of the New Orleans Beat, and New Orleans Observed: The Art of Noel Rockmore & Emilie Rhys. The Museum is a bastion of the culture that makes New Orleans America’s most unique and essential city and is home to iconic events such as French Quarter Festival, Satchmo Summerfest, Danny Barker Banjo & Guitar Fest, and the Downriver Festival. Our collection has attracted interest and visits from renowned musicians such as Terrence Blanchard, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Charlie Watts and others. By creating opportunities for the public to engage with our vast collection, we continue to serve as a resource for all things music in the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana.