The New Louis Armstrong Center: A Tribute to the Jazz Icon

Louis Armstrong Home and Original Museum

Louis Armstrong Home Museum on 107th Street in Corona, Queens, NY

Louis Armstrong passed in 1971. His wife, Lucille, continued to live in their home on 107th Street in Corona, Queens, working to ensure that it became a National and New York Historic Landmark. Lucille expressed the desire for the home and archives to become a museum honoring her husband. They established the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation (LAEF) which helped to facilitate this process and continues to work today as a force for jazz education. After Lucille’s passing in 1983, she willed the home and its contents to the city of New York which designated the City University of New York, Queens College to shepherd the process. It took decades, but the archives became accessible in the 90’s, and the historic house opened for public tours in 2003. The Louis Armstrong House Museum (LAHM) became its own entity, with its expanded programs and official 501c3 non-profit status in 2008. LAHM administers the historic house under a long-term license agreement with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and Queens College.
LouisArmstrongHouse.org

Louis Armstrong House Plaque

Erected In 1977 by the National Park Service

Louis Armstrong House
Has been designated a
National Historic Landmark
This site possesses national significance
in commemorating the history of the
United States of America

The New Louis Armstrong Museum

In July 2023, The Louis Armstrong House Museum will open a new cultural center at 34-40 107th Street in Corona, Queens. Known as the Louis Armstrong Center, the new facility is located across the street from the original museum and will feature a 75-seat performance venue, rotating exhibition space, and a 60,000-piece permanent collection of photographs, recordings, manuscripts, and other personal effects.

Designed by Caples Jefferson Architects, the two-story building comprises 14,000 square feet and sits between two single-family homes. The massing of the structure resembles a giant piano and features an undulating glass façade with black ornamental fins, a large metal canopy above a second-floor terrace, and a green roof with modest landscaping.
NewYorkYimby.com