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All 87 Kansas City Attractions »

American Jazz Museum

1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108
816 474 8463
Ranked #33 of 74 attractions in Kansas City
3.5 of 5 stars 17 Reviews
Type: Speciality Museums
Activities: Leisure education
Owner description: As a testament to Kansas City, the mother of swing and Bebop, this museum evokes the living spirit of jazz legends and chronicles the history of jazz...... more » Owner description: As a testament to Kansas City, the mother of swing and Bebop, this museum evokes the living spirit of jazz legends and chronicles the history of jazz and its greatest performers. « less
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17 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Magenta, Australia
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 May 2012

We were anticipating something a little more jazzy at this museum housed in a lovely restored building in the 18th and Vine section of KC. Although the exhibits are pleasant, there are just too few things to get involved with. A handful of video and audio offerings were out of order...a real pity. On the bright side, the people working... More

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Portland, OR
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 April 2012

18th & Vine, you'll understand much of what defined the heyday of Kansas City Jazz in a culture formed when Blacks were not allowed to eat or use restrooms downtown. Someone should report the number of interactive stations that are not working to their Board of Directors, but I found the exhibits hip and engaging. Make sure you see the... More

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Los Angeles, California
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 April 2012

With this museum, jazz will have a hold on Kansas City, and vice versa, for years to come. It's located right where it should be at 18th and Vine and the Gem Theater is directly across the street with a few more venues in good shape and hopefully opening soon. Ramsey Lewis is playing at the Gem in May, and... More

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See 2 more reviews by VeniViciFrui for Kansas City
New haven
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 March 2012

For all jazz and music lovers -- are those who would like to learn more -- this is a terrific museum with a lot of interactive things to do -- and lots of music to listen to. Our only complaint -- on the day we visited about half the interactive stuff wasn't working and sometimes only one headphone was available.... More

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Kansas City, Missouri
Top Contributor
60 reviews 60 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 March 2012

Somewhat small but accessable to any interested in the history of how jazz developed into a world-wide obsession. "Play" along with the kansas city greats of jazz with interactive musical displays. Of special interest is the Blue Room, a live music venue where families are welcome. More

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See 20 more reviews by wiffee for Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 February 2012

The Jazz and Baseball museum are next to each other. If you make the trip, buy the deal to visit both. The jazz museum had interesting information, but some of the exhibits were down. The layout was a bit hard to follow. The videos and recording were neat. More

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See 3 more reviews by Kara J for Kansas City
Overland Park, Kansas
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 February 2012

Small but unique museum that captures the essence of Jazz. The Blue Room is classy little Jazz Club, well designed with excellent sound and access to the musicians. More

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See 6 more reviews by Lgoldmankc for Kansas City
Stilwell, Kansas
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 January 2012

If you love Jazz, this is the place. Great interactive displays. More

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See 11 more reviews by KatB60 for Kansas City
Winnipeg, Canada
Senior Contributor
49 reviews 49 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
71 helpful votes 71 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

I'm not a jazz fan but I am music and history fan. Found this museum quite good. The interactive displays are top notch and fun even for an adult. Lots of listening stations. And unlike alot of other museums they all worked! More

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See 8 more reviews by Beejmcgillashaw for Kansas City
Wiesbaden
Top Contributor
104 reviews 104 reviews
Reviews in 39 cities Reviews in 39 cities
82 helpful votes 82 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 October 2011

Being a big fan of jazz, I visited the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City expecting to find a good presentation of the jazz scene in the region. The museum itself is co-located with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the 18th and Vine area of Kansas City. The area itself has several jazz clubs and performing centers adjacent to... More

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See 4 more reviews by wbullseye for Kansas City

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