August 22, 2025
A step inside the New Orleans Jazz Museum – the historic building built in 1835 to serve as a U.S. Mint – will quickly reveal its current purpose: to promote the global understanding of jazz as one of the most innovative, historically pivotal musical art forms in world history. Located at the foot of Esplanade Avenue near Frenchmen Street, renowned for its vibrant live music scene, the New Orleans Jazz Museum is where visitors and locals flock to discover the captivating history of jazz in the city where it was born. The acclaimed museum plays host to more than 365 concerts and 15 festivals annually, and showcases the largest and most comprehensive jazz-related collection in the world, with more than 25,000 artifacts.
But the museum is cherished for much more, including its mission to pay tribute to the multicultural roots of jazz and the local legacies that helped create the city’s unmistakable, dynamic sound. During Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15–Oct. 15, the Jazz Museum will spotlight Latin rhythms, Caribbean influences and Afro-Latin traditions, all of which are deeply woven into the soundscape of the Crescent City. Visitors will discover a score of live musical performances (free to attend with museum admission!), ranging from festive outdoor concerts performed from the grand balcony, to high-energy shows held in the Performance Center. Latin American performances will be held weekly and include Jafet Perez: Tribute to Juan Luis Guerra, one of Latin America’s most beloved singer-songwriters; master percussionist Alexei Marti; and Alesia & Sasong, a heartfelt tribute to Selena.
Another significant influence on New Orleans jazz can be found within the notorious walls of Storyville, the illustrious red-light district, which operated from 1897 to 1917. Opening Nov. 13 and running through early 2026, the museum will feature a new exhibit entitled, The District: Music and Musicians in Storyville. Through vintage photography, rare artifacts, interviews and video, the colorful exhibit will tell the tales of the music and musicians in Storyville and “Black Storyville,” a smaller vice district for African American patrons. Although the legend that jazz originated in Storyville has been debunked, music did play a major role in the clubs, cabarets and brothels that made up the infamous area. Renowned musicians such as Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Tony Jackson, Kid Ory and Fess Manetta all performed there and have unique recollections of The District. Highlights include the historically significant carriage stone and stained-glass window from Lulu White’s Mahogany Hall, a mantelpiece that hung in the home of Miss Hilma Burt (generously on loan from the Storyville Museum), historical photos of the clubs and music rooms in which jazz pioneers played, and video recreations of the dances that Storyville patrons performed.
Storyville will also take center stage on Dec. 6, at the Jazz Museum’s 8th annual Improvisations Gala, when the entire 400 block of Esplanade Ave. is transformed into an unforgettable evening entitled “Storyville: Sounds of the Rising Sun”. The museum will come alive with the sights and sounds of the historic red-light district as attendees tap their toes to musical favorites including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kermit Ruffins, James Andrews & the Crescent City All Stars, Tuba Skinny, Detroit Brooks & the NOLA Jazz Museum Band, Treme Lafitte Brass Band and many others, while indulging in craft cocktails and culinary delights. The spirited event will be held in partnership with the Storyville Museum, the city’s only museum dedicated entirely to telling the rich, unique and storied history of New Orleans and its notorious red-light district.
For more information on the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the Improvisations Gala, visit nolajazzmuseum.org.
But the museum is cherished for much more, including its mission to pay tribute to the multicultural roots of jazz and the local legacies that helped create the city’s unmistakable, dynamic sound. During Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15–Oct. 15, the Jazz Museum will spotlight Latin rhythms, Caribbean influences and Afro-Latin traditions, all of which are deeply woven into the soundscape of the Crescent City. Visitors will discover a score of live musical performances (free to attend with museum admission!), ranging from festive outdoor concerts performed from the grand balcony, to high-energy shows held in the Performance Center. Latin American performances will be held weekly and include Jafet Perez: Tribute to Juan Luis Guerra, one of Latin America’s most beloved singer-songwriters; master percussionist Alexei Marti; and Alesia & Sasong, a heartfelt tribute to Selena.
Another significant influence on New Orleans jazz can be found within the notorious walls of Storyville, the illustrious red-light district, which operated from 1897 to 1917. Opening Nov. 13 and running through early 2026, the museum will feature a new exhibit entitled, The District: Music and Musicians in Storyville. Through vintage photography, rare artifacts, interviews and video, the colorful exhibit will tell the tales of the music and musicians in Storyville and “Black Storyville,” a smaller vice district for African American patrons. Although the legend that jazz originated in Storyville has been debunked, music did play a major role in the clubs, cabarets and brothels that made up the infamous area. Renowned musicians such as Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Tony Jackson, Kid Ory and Fess Manetta all performed there and have unique recollections of The District. Highlights include the historically significant carriage stone and stained-glass window from Lulu White’s Mahogany Hall, a mantelpiece that hung in the home of Miss Hilma Burt (generously on loan from the Storyville Museum), historical photos of the clubs and music rooms in which jazz pioneers played, and video recreations of the dances that Storyville patrons performed.
Storyville will also take center stage on Dec. 6, at the Jazz Museum’s 8th annual Improvisations Gala, when the entire 400 block of Esplanade Ave. is transformed into an unforgettable evening entitled “Storyville: Sounds of the Rising Sun”. The museum will come alive with the sights and sounds of the historic red-light district as attendees tap their toes to musical favorites including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kermit Ruffins, James Andrews & the Crescent City All Stars, Tuba Skinny, Detroit Brooks & the NOLA Jazz Museum Band, Treme Lafitte Brass Band and many others, while indulging in craft cocktails and culinary delights. The spirited event will be held in partnership with the Storyville Museum, the city’s only museum dedicated entirely to telling the rich, unique and storied history of New Orleans and its notorious red-light district.
For more information on the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the Improvisations Gala, visit nolajazzmuseum.org.
