Valentine Day blues band! VIP seating up close and personal. Parking is awful. It's street parking and or garages charging 20 bucks . This show was two hrs so not worth the parking fee. We found a parking spot 3 blocks away. No food served here but you can order from neighboring food restaurant Sugar Fire. Restroom was in need of cleaning. Snacks were available for purchase but drinks were overpriced for the size. The band was good and entertaining. Song choices were ok. Seating was close and intimate with a sultry lighting. I would love to return and walk the museum . read more

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Very well done with lots of displays and some are interactive. If you're a Blues fan cannot imagine not enjoying. You can also catch live music. Do check their schedule. Recommend! read more

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My best friend and I took a trip to St. Louis for the Chris Brown concert and we decided to explore the city. The national blue Museum was on our list and we were super excited to visit. My best friend loves music and vinyls so we couldn't miss this opportunity. The museum was great. It was interactive. but some of the interactive tools were broken. So most of the items to interact with weren't available, and there was not really any assistance with that overall, we did enjoy what we could and made the best of it for a new city! I did go to the gift shop and purchased a bag of red hot chips, which is a staple I heard. The gift shop was cute and had a lot of valuable items there to purchase. The staff was very friendly as well and help where they could. read more

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This is a smaller museum but what fun!!! While at a convention 2 doors away, my friend, my service dog, and I decided to take a break and head over to check out the National Blues Museum. We had a blast reading about, talking, swapping tall tales, and even singing along with the stars. We were giggling and discussing why was the best at this or that -- all while learning about a few musicians we didn't knew existed. The exhibits are diverse, interesting, and acreak walk down memory lane or a true musical education! Take your younger musical talents and show them her it an began. There are a few interactive exhibits but there's lots of reading and discussion points. Photo ops everywhere -- fun ones! Take your camera and your smiles! You'll be humming, buzzing, or 'sanging' but the time you leave! There's a cyber charger to get in and parking can be tough so check it all out before you go. The gift shop was a bust when we went through but they said items were on back order. I would have loved some music but all they had were CDs. Does anyone stll own a CD player? Even my computer and car didn't have a CD player. I was very disappointed. Oh well! read more

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I always seek out museums while traveling, and this one was truly exceptional. The woman who sold us our tickets said it takes about 45 minutes to walk through, but we were there for more than an hour. The beautifully curated displays were full of history and context, and there was so much to see, read and listen to. The space is beautiful and easy to navigate, and I highly recommend that anyone even a little bit interested in the Blues or music check it out. This museum is a true gem. read more

Closed but were listed as open. We were traveling and made a special stop here to visit the museum. Huge blues fans so very disappointed. Asked around at coffee shop and was told it was under new management. Oh well! read more

The National Blues Museum is a beautiful juxtaposition of both a historical, story-telling museum as well as a venue for live music. It doesn't get much better than this! Plan to spend a couple of hours touring the exhibits and if you're really looking for the full experience, come back on a Thursday evening for the live jam session. There's a fabulous house band and other musicians can sign up to play along on stage with them. The staff here are wonderful-engaging and welcoming as well as passionate about blues music. If I lived nearby, you could be sure to find me here on the regular. But for now, I'm looking at flights to see when I could return-just to come back for more. read more

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Yes, yes a hundred times yes! We walked in after lunch and really enjoyed this museum! There's a $15 ticket price and the museum is well worth it! There is so much information to learn and you can make your own song! You stop at 5 stations (not all of them were operational this time) at the end you can make an album cover and name your album. The exhibits are informational and interesting! So much music comes from the blues! Definitely worth a stop in to learn a little something and enjoy yourself! read more

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My husband and I visited the Blues Museum in a Saturday morning with a big group of people. The young gentleman at the front desk was very friendly and helpful. The tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for 65+ and military. I thought it was a fair price for the museum. You walk through the museum in chronological order. There is extensive information to read on the Blues as you stroll through the museum. The displays are interesting and professionally created. A few videos to watch. And, it even features artists that were influenced by the Blues. You finish up in a nice gift shop with lots of apparel. Very interesting . read more

Loved the background information and history of jazz. The interpretation of the evolution of this genre was interesting. Loved seeing so many names of note . read more

My family had a chance to visit with the Redbird Rookies group. Such an interesting place. So many facts I hadn't heard about groups from the past. I do recommend! read more

I agree with both sides of the spectrum on these reviews. Is this a great museum? Yes! Is it small and could this be far more in depth? Yes. But I don't regret going. This museum is more to teach newbies the basics, to encourage interest in those who aren't familiar with the blues and jazz. The blues really is the bedrock of pretty much any music, and a lot of people don't realize that. This is a jumping off point. The exhibits aren't deep or extensive, but they are well laid out, organized, colorful, and introduce the big players, like Ma Rainey, Muddy Waters, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, and more. There is a clear line between the African roots of the blues all the way to the blues artists of today. The tickets for adults are 14 dollars. It took me probably about 40 minutes because I'm well versed in the jazz and blues. The employees were all super nice. There are a lot of fun interactive exhibits, one of which allows you to compose your own blues song. It's not the Mecca of blues or anything, but it's worth supporting. read more

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My sense is that they aren't able to sustain the museum. Most of the video displays were broken. The exhibits weren't very engaging. I felt it was pricey for the value. They also aren't marketing the museum well. We found it by accident. Our hotel didn't have any information and front desk didn't know anything about it. Museum was clean. read more

Small but lots of pictures and information, the show was awesome! The bbq restaurant that connected has great green fried tomatoes it's called Sugarfire! read more

I went to the National Blues Museum for the first time for a live concert. The venue was small and intimate in the best way with every seat being close to the stage. The small bar in the back was very well stocked and the drinks were great. We got to see Laka who was absolutely amazing. I was singing and dancing along to every song. Can't wait to come back and tour the whole museum next time. read more

This is a wonderful first step into the rich history of the blues. It's a small, beautifully designed experience that is perfect for all ages and all levels of blues knowledge. I would love to see it expanded with more in-depth and interactive exhibits. read more

Kind of lame. If there was someone playing music in addition to the museum then it would be worth it.

Ive been here about 4-5 times now. Specifically for open mic nights on Thursdays and one of their Friday events with a live band. I started coming out because I am a Blues Dancer and was looking for a STL blues dancing group/events and found out that there is a group that frequents the Blues Museum to dance. It's a fun space for live music. The open mic nights on Thursdays are pretty awesome. And free! The only negative I've experienced was at one of their Friday night events. The live band had a $20 cover per person for a 2 hour event. The event was from 7-9 and immediately after the band finished at 9:00pm, the front desk museum staff member came in and started telling everyone to get out and was annoyed that the dancing group wanted to take a group photo before leaving. I understand wanting to get home after a long day of work. But it was surprising to me how brash this staff member came off, after a 2 hour event that was $20 per person. I'm not saying the band and the space doesn't deserve to be paid for their work. But how the situation was handled by the staff was disappointing. For those of us on a tight budget, that's a lot of money for a short time. But overall, I'm really excited about the museum and the blues community that they are helping to foster. Excited to be able to blues dance again. read more

National Blues Museum - Open mic night on Thursdays - Music Venues Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Trust me, you will want to come to the national blues museum for their Thursday night sitting on the porch concert. I was blown away by the level of professionalism with these players. The Thursday night sitting on the porch is an open jam session where artists can come together and play an impromptu set or two. It's free! And open to the public. There's a bar that takes cash or card. And you can get parking validated for only seven dollars. Definitely worth your while. Also check out the rest of their calendar, some great shows are coming down the pike! read more

National Blues Museum - Sittin' on the Porch Thursday FREE Live Music - Music Venues Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Gave me the blues. Hardly any music to listen to, and has nothing updated in years. Not at all worth the price or the time. Lame.

The National Blues Museum is well worth your time. A comprehensive, large, and detailed museum with lots of exhibits, videos, and interactive exhibits. Not only do they do a great job of highlighting the history of and key figures in blues music, they showcase local (ST.L, MO) heroes of the field as well as detailed explorations of the off-shoots and genres influenced by the Blues (so all popular music, really). Clean, modern, detailed, and enjoyable. A great gift shop, friendly staff, and a fair price of admittance. Recommended. read more

I love Blues music, so of course I enjoyed visiting this museum. I loved seeing posted pictures and bios of musicians I was not fully familiar with ... but really would have loved to be able to listen to their music at each stop. Headphones, headsets, cell phone ... anything? I'm also hoping the museum continues to grow its collections, adding more artifacts, costumes, videos. (The special exhibit of musician photographs was fantastic!) Honoring the men and women who created the blues is long overdue ... and this is a very good start! read more

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Stopped by Blues Museum while on our recent trip to St. Louis with the husband. Granted neither one of us knows that much about Blues, but it was a very interesting museum with lots to see. Very well put together, with tons of exhibits demonstrating the different eras of the music, the different types of Blues, etc. Lots to see, and it had two galleries as well. The staff was friendly and definitely very much into Blues! Good information, lots of memorabilia, interactive exhibits (it's right next to SugarFire BBQ also!). Cost is reasonable at $15 per person. Would recommend! read more

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Never been to a place like this before. There are "house musicians" who play some standard instruments and others can join in with their own instruments and have a jam session. It's really cool! You get to see people's different styles, voices and singing techniques. Loved every minute! Highly recommend for those who just want to chill out, have a beer and listen to great music.. also a great date night spot! read more

National Blues Museum - Music Venues Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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We loved the museum. The exhibits were informative with some really interesting pieces. There were also some great activities to do that were very interactive. The only issue was that's some of them were out of order. It's not a huge place, but it was the perfect size for visiting while we waited for our time to go up in the Gateway Arch. The lady at the front desk was also very helpful. read more

Beautiful history of BLUES and the St. Louis influence. Took about an hour to walk thru / read and interact in the museum. There is also a nice gift shop. I didn't know much about Blues until being in this museum. I recommend!!! Convention Center is the nearest metro. read more

INCREDIBLE just incredible!! From our tour guide to all the amazing interactive stations. So much rich history of all the jazz legends! They even have SugarFire next door and a souvenir shop in the museum itself. read more

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This museum was beautiful and it is in a great location being right next to Sugarfire! I loved wandering through the exhibits learning about the influence Blues music has had on many artist throughout all genres. The ONLY reason they are getting four stars and not five from me is because I wish there was an option for some sort of a guided tour. There was a volunteer, Larry-- he was so sweet, at the front of the museum that greeted me when I was entering who offered to answer any questions I might have along the way. But I still wish there was an option to have someone walk through and give those little extra stories and history you don't get from walking through on your own. (And this is definitely something I would have paid extra for!) Also BIG bonus for them on the student discount! I am a graduate student on a budget and stuff like that is much appreciated! If you are at all into music and music history this was a fun and very interactive place to visit! read more

National Blues Museum - Music Venues Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Very interesting collection of blues performers. I'm glad I had time to visit. The young people that work there were very polite. read more

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I'm not that big of a fan of blues but when you have a groupon, off you go to see the National Blues Museum. I could see if you were a fan of this music, this would be the place to go. I'm not going to tell you how much, if there's parking or where it's located at. I'm tired of doing that so look it up. It seemed like it was a very informational museum and they had some inner active things to do. It told the story of the blues from its start to present day. Would I go back here? Well it was nice to go see it but there is no need for me to go back. read more

National Blues Museum - Chuck berry. - Music Venues Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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We were Visiting from Los Angeles and my 18 year old son was dying to go to this museum. Third time is a charm! First attempt it was closed because of a fire. Second attempt it was also closed for construction. Third time was this last Thursday and it was a wonderful experience!! We were greeted by the most delightful woman, Debra! She was friendly, helpful and such a personable sweet lady! She made our visit extra special! We were inquiring about the live music going on at the Legends Room and she was not only very informative but encouraged us to come later that night to experience it! And boy are we thankful we did! We signed up for a museum membership to show our support and headed back later that evening to watch and partake in the wonderful musical experience!!! People were so friendly and welcoming!!! We had a fabulous time and we are so thankful for meeting Debra!! Thank you thank you thank you! On a side note we recommend getting a bite to eat at the restaurant next door .... Great BBQ and we loved the museum too! *my son was welcomed on stage to perform in a jam session by all the fantastic other musicians. Lots of very talented people for sure! And the MC and sound guy were great at their jobs! Hands on and proactive! Meant to say thank you before we left! read more

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What a wonderful place. Explains the place in history of blues music. Thoughtful and inspiring. Loved it. read more

Wanted to check this out as it was directly across from my hotel, and this was the National Blues Museum for the country. Outside exterior was impressive, and you could see a small concert venue thru the glass walls. Admission is $15 and there are no discounts other than children or military. St Louis has several if not most museums with free admission, so this was on the high side of my trip. The highlight of the museum was the chance to see some live blues I the concert venue as we picked a day where they had a performance. They played for about 2 hrs and the show was really impressive. Small intimate setting with really good acoustics and sight lines. Then it was off to the museum portion. The museum consisted of mostly photos of artists dating from the origins of blues to present day. They tried to have a history of blues and showcase various artists. Exhibit was actually very small considering the cost, and there were really not much of what I would call a museum. The exhibit consisted almost exclusively of reproduced photos and biography's of artists. You could literally get thru this one in about 30 min. Some of the items on display were things like radios, phonographs, and items from certain periods, but did not have any direct correlation to any of the artists , with the exception of the last section where you got to see one showcase with items like one of BB King's Lucille guitars. So sadly, I was unimpressed with the volume, and the quantity of actual Blues memorabilia and the size of the museum. I was impressed with the quality of the photos and cleanliness of the museum, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. On this day, the music was worth the price of admission, but sans that experience, the museum has a way to go to justify the $15 admission fee. read more

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This a beautiful museum that I am so happy I visited while in St. Louis. My first night in town, there was live music but the museum itself had closed for the evening, so I came back the following day. There were so many things I enjoyed about this experience. First, there is a clear path to walk through; everything in chronological order from the early days--where the blues found its roots, to the blues influence on rock and roll, and up to the blues of today. It is like experiencing a great story being told with plenty of visual and interactive exhibits along the way. There are numerous interactive stations that allow you to experience different blues elements, playing with different instruments and style. There is plenty to take in, both visually and in writing, hanging on the walls, but then if you step back, the wall themselves are painted with beautiful murals. There are some artifacts in display cases as well. There is a section dedicated to the prominent women in blues history which I was happy to see. There is also a large video screen playing towards the end at which you can stop, sit, and watch. I found this to be a very well constructed institution offering a fun and educational experience. The only thing I had wished was that the gift shop had more in the CD and book categories to buy. But I'm kinda old and I still like CDs and books. read more

National Blues Museum - Designated picture area. - Music Venues Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

I'm a huge blues fan since I am from Mississippi where it is the birthplace of the blues. They had a wide assortment of blues information and memorabilia. read more

First off, some of the out-of-towners may wonder: Is it worth going to St. Louis just for this museum? My answer would be "Probably not" since there's not to much thus far. However, I would recommend it if you're visiting other places in addition to the National Blues Museum, such as the City Museum, Forest Park or a Cardinals game. You would likely be disappointed, or maybe not depending on how deep you are into the Blues. Before I write the review, I just want to say that I'm proud St. Louis was chosen as the host to the National Blues Museum a few years back. (Hey, we beat out Chicago, ain't that a thrill!) Even better, in addition to local corporations - many celebrity sponsors from John Goodman to Jack White have helped contribute to the museum! I'm just glad now St. Louis has joined the ranks of other cities (Memphis, Cleveland) to have a special modern music museum. When I first visited the museum two summers ago, I didn't think too much of it. Especially for $15. Sure, it was interesting. On my most recent visit, they actually docked the price to $10 (because I was wearing Cardinals gear...yeah, I had no idea either). But I had a great time looking around and browsing. You learn so much that just about everything we hear on the radio started with the blues. They start with the mid-19th century to its influences to rock and roll. And of course, they pay a small tribute to the late local father of rock and roll, Chuck Berry. The museum has many interactive sections, including playing the instruments and making your own blues track! In a big room, they have changing exhibits there. This time around, it was the museum curator's collection of tombstone rubbings of late blues personalities. All of them he did himself, as he traveled throughout the country - they were all cool and inspirational to look at. I know, a lot of people dislike the photography rule. I do too, but it is what it is. And some of the reviewers have pointed out that most of this information can be accessed online anytime - true, that goes for a lot of other museums. But can you also get to see the artifacts and old mementos, too, in person? That's why they have other cool stuff for the visitor to enjoy. If you're in St. Louis and want to visit something pop culture-related, you got to check out this museum! Psst...and if you live in the area and haven't visited yet, what are you waiting for?! read more

It was okay. If you don't know anything about any blues history, it is well worth the visit. It was almost all pictures and paragraphs on walls. There wasn't much to actually look at in terms of records, instruments, or memorabilia. Yes, there were a few 78s, 45s, and some early cylinders. A wall of a few hundred harmonicas was a point of interest. The biggest draw for me was the Chuck Berry exhibit. There was his guitar, an outfit, and records. The museum needed more of that type of exhibit. All in all, if you've gone to a web site about the history of blues, you've been to this museum. There was lots to read on the walls. There were a lot of pictures. I just really wish there were more actual things to look at. read more

When my partner and I were in St. Louis Memorial Day weekend, the place we most wanted to visit other than the arch was this museum. Coming from Chicago, we LOVE the blues. This place exceeded our expectations. The museum starts with the very roots of blues music and its early founders, then branches off into the variations of blues. The hands-on activities, like learning how to play jugband instruments, writing lyrics, laying down different instrument tracks, and then finally mixing your own record, added a lot of richness to the experience. The museum is large enough to give a full morning of experience without overwhelming or becoming repetitive. We learned a lot! The displays, artifacts and artwork were top-notch. It was astonishing to see how blues music has influenced so many musicians. And if we'd been around for the open jam sessions on (I think) Wednesday nights, we would surely go. read more

My friends, this is church. For ten bucks, you get to walk through the history of truly American music. The docents give you a quick overview of how to move through, and what interactive fun awaits you. Guys. You get to make your own blues track as you go and they email it to you in an MP3. They feature the men and the women who laid the foundations of the music, and how they came from the Delta, one generation out of slavery, to sing and play their stories. Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Chuck Berry, they're all there. On Fridays and Sundays, they have live music. You owe it to yourself to go. read more

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The blues museum offers an informative history of the blues and how St. Louis figures into that history. I enjoyed the interactive displays. There is a room where you can play a few different old-timey instruments like the washboard and the spoons. The exhibit that Jack White sponsored where you can write lyrics and mix different instrument tracks into a song was super cool! read more