Photography: The Louis Armstrong House Museum Exterior 6/29/23

Photography: The Louis Armstrong House Museum Exterior 6/29/23

Last month, I was invited to the ribbon cutting for The Louis Armstrong House Museum’s brand, spanking new Louis Armstrong Center. Located across the street from Armstrong’s home in Corona, Queens, NYC, the new center, which was designed by Caples Jefferson Architects will help the museum expand its vision to preserve Armstrong’s legacy — and bring more music, fun and education to the community.

The Armstrong Center will be the permanent home for the 700-piece Louis Armstrong Archive, which is coincidentally, the world’s largest for a jazz musician. But along with that, it’ll host the state-of-the-art exhibition Here To Stay, curated by award-winning jazz pianist and Artistic Director for Jazz at The Kennedy Center, Jason Moran, performances, lectures, films and experiences for K-12 students, including trumpet lessons, inspired by the donation of Ken Karnofsky (the same family, who helped Louis buy his first trumpet when he was a young boy).

Invitees to the Louis Armstrong Center ribbon cutting ceremony also had an opportunity to go on a tour of the Louis Armstrong House Museum — and to enjoy lunch in the Armstrongs’ backyard, prepared by some lovely older Black women. It was a mostly glorious day.

Louis Armstrong’s influence and impact on music has been towering. So if you love jazz, you need to check out the new center and the house. If you love Queens, you need to go. If you’re from Corona, you must go. And if you just love music, it’s a must see.

For some reason, I had never been to the Louis Armstrong House before. So I took the opportunity to go on a tour. Coincidentally, I had the honor of going on a tour with an older women, who had personally known Louis and Lucille Armstrong, and she offered some great, deeply personal insight into the couple and their time in Corona. At one point, the woman said that Lucille, who was born and raised in Corona had wanted to leave, but Louis refused. He loved the house, the neighborhood and his block so much, that he couldn’t think of leaving it. Knowing that fact, made me feel very proud to have grown up just a few minutes away.

Unfortunately, you can’t take pictures in the home but if you love jazz, love music, love Queens and/or love Corona, and you haven’t been, you should go.