Ode to the Jam Session: From Sittin’ on the Porch to Minton’s in New York
If you are in St. Louis to visit the National Blues Museum, there is a good chance you’ll be around for one of our most cherished regular events, the Sittin’ […]
Private Event Rental in St. Louis at the National Blues Museum
If you are looking to host a private event in St. Louis, there is no venue as convenient, unique, and lively as the National Blues Museum. With options for live […]
Pandemic Blues: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic’s Effect on Blues and the Music Industry
The National Blues Museum’s most recent exhibit explores the 1918 influenza epidemic—a.k.a. the “Spanish Flu”—and its effect on blues musicians and the music industry. Occurring during a period of rapid […]
Blues FAQ: “St. Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy
W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” is one of the most enduring and recognizable pieces of American music. It has been immortalized by some of the world’s greatest performers, from Bessie […]
The National Blues Museum Expands Education Program With New Guitar St. Louis Program
The National Blues Museum is expanding our education programs with our new Guitar St. Louis (Guitar STL) program! This year we have started in-school guitar-based programs with an emphasis on […]
Blues Jam Session Conventions: A National Blues Museum Guide
One of the National Blues Museum’s most cherished rituals is our Sittin’ on the Porch jam session, which occurs every Thursday from 6:00-9:00 PM. Musicians start showing up around […]
Popular Blues Jam Session Songs: A National Blues Museum List
One of the best jam sessions in St. Louis takes place right here at the National Blues Museum: Sittin’ On the Porch. The jam welcomes players of all skill levels, […]
Blues FAQ: Tommy Johnson (1896-1956)
Tommy Johnson is a highlight of the National Blues Museum and one of the many early blues musicians whose life—given the lack of mainstream interest in early blues recordings until […]
St. Louis’s Best Record Stores – The National Blues Museum Guide
The National Blues Museum guide to St. Louis’s Record Stores After visiting The National Blues Museum and learning about so many different musicians and performers from throughout blues history, […]
Parking at the National Blues Museum for Concerts
Concerts at the National Blues Museum include four hours of free parking after 5 pm at the 7th Street Garage located at 410 North 7th Street with a paid ticket. Four-hour parking vouchers […]
Sittin’ on the Porch Jam Session
Every Thursday night, The National Blues Museum hosts our free, public jam session “Sittin’ on the Porch,” featuring YOU: musicians from the St. Louis area and beyond. Welcoming players of […]
Harlem Renaissance and Blues: 20th Century & Black Art
The Harlem Renaissance began in the Harlem neighborhood in New York City as a Black cultural center in the early 20th century. A social and artistic explosion lasted from the […]
Blues Is Alive Everywhere
The National Blues Museum explores the Blues and celebrates the genre as the foundation of modern American music. From EDM to the Beatles, Blues has touched many artists’ lives. Its […]
Blues In Art: Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden was an African-American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many media types, including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New […]
National Blues Museum Spotify Playlists
The National Blues Museum is now on Spotify! To find us, either search for NationalBluesMuseum on Spotify or click the link below. Our staff is working to curate many different […]
Have Blues Will Travel Exhibition: Driving While Black
The National Blues Museum is proud to announce our latest exhibition, Have Blues Will Travel. This exhibition showcases the hardships and inequality Black Blues musicians faced while traveling to play concerts in […]
Cookin’ Blues
Mashed Potato U.S.A. Mashed potatoes are a well-known American food. Mashed potatoes became a staple in America around the 1700s because potatoes were affordable and easy to grow. They were […]
Cookin’ Blues: Lemon Pound Cake
Cake Walking’ Blues’ Do you know the origins of the Cakewalk? The Cakewalk has its origins on slave plantations before the Civil War, with slaves participating in an elaborate dance […]
Cookin’ Blues: Fried Catfish
Catfish Blues Cookin’ with the Blues is a 3-part segment featuring three dishes found in Blues songs and are staples in the American South. The dish is a staple in […]
Welcome to Our Home: The Stix, Baer, and Fuller Building
Sitting on Washington Ave between 6th and 7th Streets, the National Blues Museum resides in what was initially known as the Grand-Leader building, most known today as the Stix, Baer, […]
Behind the Scenes at the National Blues Museum
The National Blues Museum showcases a contemporary exhibit with many digital interactives, rather than your traditional object-centered history museum. Visitors learn about the Blues’ rich history and explore aspects of […]
What’s in a Name?: Bo Diddley and His Bo Diddley Beat
Bo Diddley was born Ellas Otha Bates in Mississippi, on December 30, 1928. After his father’s death at just seven years old, Ellas moved up to Chicago with his aunt, […]
National Blues Museum History
St. Louis influenced the Blues as it sat right along the Blues Highway, Highway 61. Historically, musicians stopped and performed in St. Louis as they traveled from the South to […]
Stories of the Crossroads: Blues Myths
Did Robert Johnson Really Sell His Soul to the Devil? One night at a Mississippi juke joint in 1930, Son House and Willie Brown played their infamous Delta Blues tunes […]
