The Louis Armstrong House Museum is dedicated to preserving Louis Armstrong’s life and legacy. It’s the type of place that even life-long New Yorkers don’t know exists. It’s both a National Historic Landmark and a New York City landmark, administered by Queens College. The museum itself is the very house that Louis and his wife Lucille lived in during their marriage and until Louis’s death. The house can only be seen by guided tours, which are offered multiple times per day, every day. The tours last approximately 45 minutes and lead you through each room, giving you insight into Louis’s career, music, and life with Lucille.
The house is located in Corona, Queens, a modest neighborhood, but Lucille’s choice. After Louis and Lucille wed, Louis went on tour and Lucille stayed back in New York to find and furnish a home for the two of them. She stuck close to the neighborhood that she grew up in, despite being able to afford more affluent neighborhoods as a result of Louis’ fame and success. The house is ornately furnished, with luxury decorations and extravagance far exceeding that of anything else in the neighborhood. Everything was custom built, of the highest quality, and as modern as possible for the time.
The house is certainly charming and full of character. It’s also full of their mementos, pictures, writings, recordings, and collections, providing great insight into Louis and Lucille’s character. Louis had a habit of recording everything – music, of course, but also conversations, jokes, even fights with his wife. Along the tour, you can listen to some of those recordings. For additional recordings, you can visit Queens College, which houses the full archives.
You’ll learn fun facts, like that Louis’s favorite food was red beans and rice (he was born in New Orleans) and would even sometimes sign his letters “Red Beans & Ricely Yours!” And you’ll see some of the cool treasures he collected on his world tours and gifts he received from other legends like Tony Bennett. If you’re a fan of Armstrong, jazz, or music history in general, it’s a great place to visit.
