Louis Armstrong House Museum

Image via Wikipedia

Let’s go back to Queens for a minute. Let’s visit the King of Jazz!

Louis Armstrong, named the world’s most famous jazz musician, settled into a modest house in Queens, New York in 1943 with his wife Lucille. Although wealthy, Armstrong refused to give up living in this vibrant neighborhood for something fancier.

When you visit the house, it is just as it was when Armstrong and Lucille lived in it. On tour, you will hear him enjoying a meal with Lucille, joking with friends and practicing the trumpet, thanks to 650 reels of candid home recordings that he preserved. You will also see photographs, awards and one of Armstrong’s gold-plated trumpets along with many other treasures. You can research everything Armstrong at the Armstrong Archives located nearby at Queens College in Flushing. Call 718-997-3670 to make a research appointment.

The Louis Armstrong House Museum is located at 34-56 107th Street, Corona (Queens), New York 11368. For more info, call 718-478-8274 or email info@louisarmstronghouse.org or log on http://www.louisarmstronghouse.org. For directions, visit the website. The House Museum can be reached by #7 subway train.

Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 5pm. Saturday and Sunday hours are 12 noon to 5pm. The guided 40 minute tours start every hour on the hour and the last tour is 4pm. The House Museum is closed on Mondays and the following holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Admission is $8.00 adults. Students, seniors and children $6.00. Group rate (eight or more people) $6.00. Free to members and children under 4. Join the Louis Armstrong House Museum and receive free admission, private tours, a subscription to the museum’s newsletter, discounts at the Museum Store and more.

Coming soon: Louis Armstrong Visitors Center. The Louis Armstrong House Museum will be expanding with a $15 million “green” visitors center that will include a state-of-the-art exhibit gallery, museum store, archival center and performance space. Visit the website for updates.

The Louis Armstrong House Museum is a National Historic Landmark and a New York City Landmark.