National Blues Museum
The National Blues Museum is located in downtown St. Louis and incorporates "high impact technology driven experiences, a state-of-the-art theater, artifact-driven exhibits and robust programming." It celebrates the Blues as the foundation of all modern American music and educates visitors through exhibits and programming like live music performances.
History
Musicians stopped in St.Louis as they made their way from the South to Chicago on Highway 61, also known as the Blues Highway. Songwriters like W.C. Handy, the "Father of the Blues" wrote the song St. Louis Blues based on his experiences in the city and self-published it in 1914. The song became one of the most celebrated recorded jazz standards in history and helped to cement St. Louis's place in blues history.
The National Blues Museum opened in 2016 after 5 years of development and fundraising. The 23,000 square foot space offers exhibits that connect Blues music to American history and culture, especially focusing on how it relates to Black people in America. Exhibits include Harlem Renaissance and Blues: 20th Century & Black Art, Have Blues Will Travel, an exhibition on the hardships Black musicians faced while traveling to play concerts during the Jim Crow era.
References
Micucci, M. (2017). A short history of... "St. Louis Blues" (W.C. Handy, 1914). Jazziz. https://www.jazziz.com/short-history-st-louis-blues-w-c-handy-1914/
National Blues Museum. (n.d.) National Blues Museum History.
https://nationalbluesmuseum.org/national-blues-museum-history/