Louis Armstrong House, the Jazz Legend’s Home in Queens
The Louis Armstrong House is a historic house museum at 34-56 107th Street in the Corona neighborhood of Queens. Louis Armstrong and his wife Lucille Wilson lived here from 1943 until his death in 1971. It is a National Historic Landmark and a New York City Landmark, and an easy plan B for music lovers who want something beyond Manhattan.
One of the world’s most famous musicians lived for nearly three decades in an ordinary brick house on a quiet Queens street, and the house still holds the gifts he collected on tours around the world.
The history of the Louis Armstrong House in Corona
The brick house was designed by the architect Robert W. Johnson and built by Thomas Daly in 1910. The musician who made it famous, Louis Armstrong, was born in New Orleans in 1901 and became a foundational figure of jazz as an inventive trumpet and cornet player. After playing in Chicago he moved to New York City, where he rose to fame as a band soloist and recording artist, and by the 1950s he was an international icon known as “Satchmo”.
Armstrong and his wife Lucille Wilson moved into the house in 1943 and stayed until his death in 1971. They changed it to their own taste. The porch at the front was taken down and its space was added to the living room, and the couple built the garden and the garage. The interior was renovated, with ornate bathrooms, and the kitchen was not part of the original house. Paintings and souvenirs given to Armstrong on tours in Asia, Europe and Africa found a place on dressers, night stands, shelves and walls.
After Lucille Armstrong died in 1983, the house was given, through the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, to New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Queens College of the City University of New York was named to help administer it, and the nonprofit Louis Armstrong House Museum runs and programs the building. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing in November 1985, with five witnesses speaking in favor, and designated the house an individual landmark on December 13, 1988.
The museum has since grown into a three-building campus. The Louis Armstrong Center, whose groundbreaking was in 2017, opened across the street in 2023 with an archive of more than 60,000 items, a 75-seat performance space and the exhibition “Here to Stay”, curated by Jason Moran. The museum won the 2024 National Medal for Museums and Library Service, and in September 2025 it joined the city’s Cultural Institutions Group.
Little-known facts about the Louis Armstrong House
- The porch that once stood at the front of the house was removed by the Armstrongs, and its space was added to the living room.
- The ornate bathrooms and the kitchen were not part of the original 1910 house.
- Gifts and paintings that Armstrong received on tours in Asia, Europe and Africa are still found on the dressers, shelves and walls of the house.
- The Louis Armstrong Center holds what is described as the largest archive of any jazz musician, with more than 60,000 items.
- The museum’s artist residency program, Armstrong Now, has hosted artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Immanuel Wilkins and Daniel J. Watts.
- Armstrong sang “What a Wonderful World” and won a Grammy in 1965 for “Hello, Dolly!”
Tours near Louis Armstrong House
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens
- The house is part of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, which presents concerts, educational and community programs. Check the current opening hours and visiting rules, and how to arrange a visit, before you go.
- The campus has three buildings: the historic home, the Armstrong Center across the street and Selma’s Place.
- The archive of writings, books, recordings and memorabilia is available to the public for research.
- The house is on a residential street in Corona, so please be considerate of neighbors when you walk around the outside.
- Nearby places from the site’s guide include the New York State Pavilion and the Marine Air Terminal.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Louis Armstrong House is
Photos of Louis Armstrong House
Where to stay near Louis Armstrong House
Hotels close by, with ratings and current availability.
Hotel Indigo Flushing - LaGuardia by IHG
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Marco LaGuardia Hotel
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Astoria Inn LaGuardia hotel
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Questions
What is the Louis Armstrong House in Queens?
It is a historic house museum at 34-56 107th Street in Corona, Queens, where Louis Armstrong and his wife Lucille Wilson lived from 1943 until his death in 1971.
Can you visit the Louis Armstrong House?
Yes, it operates as a museum, with concerts and educational programs. Check the museum’s current opening hours and how to arrange a visit before you go.
When was the Louis Armstrong House built?
The brick house was designed by Robert W. Johnson and built by Thomas Daly in 1910, decades before the Armstrongs moved in.
Is the house a landmark?
Yes. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and designated a New York City Landmark on December 13, 1988.
What is the Louis Armstrong Center?
It is a building across the street from the house that opened in 2023. It holds an archive of more than 60,000 items, a 75-seat performance space and an exhibition curated by Jason Moran.
Who lived in the house with Louis Armstrong?
His wife Lucille Wilson, who lived there with him from 1943. After her death in 1983, the house passed to the city for use as a museum.
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