Cool Places

Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archives

129 N Main St, Davenport, IA 52801 (Lower Level)

Nearly a century after jazz musician Leon Bismark “Bix” Beiderbecke passed away, his legacy still continues in downtown Davenport. On the lower level of the River Music Experience (RME) building, you’ll find an entire museum devoted to Bix and his impact on the jazz world.

The Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archives is dedicated to honoring the musician’s memory, collecting, restoring, preserving, and displaying artifacts connected to Bix’s life and career. They hope to educate any visitor about the history of Bix, the musicians he played with and inspired, and their impact on American music.

Bix was a Quad Cities native, growing up in Davenport before he was enrolled in Lake Forest Academy in 1921. Eventually he ran away to Chicago, where the jazz community welcomed him. The museum displays a timeline of his jazz music career, as he played both cornet and piano, playing with many famous jazz musicians at the time. The Wolverine Orchestra was where he first made a name for himself, before going on to play with the biggest act in US show business during that time, the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

The museum is a fairly new addition to the Quad Cities, opened by the group of dedicated Bix fans, family, historians, and musicians in 2017. Director Nathaniel Kraft is one of the two employees on payroll, as the museum depends on volunteers and interns to keep it running. One of his hopes is to enlist more volunteers so the museum can have more open hours. They even offer college-level internships for students interested in archival work and museums. 2021 has been the museum’s most successful year so far, as they reached over 2,000 people, which was double their pre-pandemic reach.

The summertime is their busiest season, as the Bix Society hosts an annual Bix jazz festival. It’s believed to be the longest running music festival in the QC area, and draws Bix fans from all over the world. It offers a multitude of jazz performances over the course of a weekend, and the Bix Beiderbecke Museum is included in the festivities, offering tours and providing more information about the festival’s namesake.

Admission to the museum is free, however donations are gratefully accepted. Not only is this a place to learn about Bix, but the museum also holds the history of Davenport, American jazz music, and the 1920’s. They display unique artifacts like Bix’s tux that was last publicly seen in 1931, or his 1931 Wurlitzer baby grand piano, even a mandolin from the Prohibition era made to store alcohol. Because of this hidden gem, Bix still lives on in Davenport.

Hours:
Monday-friday 10AM-5PM
Saturday by Appointment

For more information:
https://www.bixsociety.org/
https://www.bixmuseum.org/

Have a question? Contact at:
(563)-326-1333 or contactbixmuseum@gmail.com

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