Scott Joplin House State Historic Site — Attraction in St. Louis

Yes, the connection to Scott Joplin is small (he only lived here 2 years, as it turns out, subletting a tiny room). Yes, there isn't much/any physical items connected to him. Yes, it's a bit off the beaten path. But the docents and staff are SO knowledgeable about Joplin's life and legacy as well as St. Louis history, and so friendly, and unless you're a Joplin scholar, you'll learn something. They are also very accommodating - I had the pleasure of getting a private tour since I was the only person there at that hour. Do note that tours start on the hour, have a small fee, and last 45 minutes, so budget for that. You can't see any of the house unless you do the guided tour. The tours end with getting to hear a player piano play one of Joplin's rags with a piano roll, or, if you're lucky, the resident pianist and Joplin scholar, Royce Martin, will be there and will play you his fantastic interpretations of Joplin's work and give a deep dive into the musicological and cultural significance of ragtime as a genre. Whether you get a chance to see him or not, look up his album, "Memories on Morgan Street: Scott Joplin Reimagined" - it is one of the superlative recordings of Joplin's rags - I imagine close to how the master played them himself...

We visited this museum yesterday. Our tour guide was a wealth of information - she had done extensive research into Scott Joplin. She was able to explain how this location was instrumental in Joplin being able to publish and promote his music while he was there. She was also well-versed in the history of the site and was able to vividly describe what life was like in the city during Joplin's time there, including the local ragtime music scene during the time of the St. Louis World's Fair.

There was a working player piano that the guide will demonstrate for you as part of the tour.

If you're an educator or musicologist, there's a wealth of resources for purchase. If you're a t-shirt fan, you can get a t-shirt with art from Joplin's published music.

The tour was only $6 per person - it was worth much more.

Your trip to St. Louis isn't complete until you visit the Scott Joplin house! Don't miss...

I was so lucky to have a private tour on Nov 2 when the museum was actually closed because I called ahead. I learned so much about Scott Joplin and his times from the tour guide. It was great to learn that the royalties he earned from the sales of the Maple Leaf Rag enabled him to compose and teach during the day rather than have to play at the bars. It was interesting to learn that he taught piano and composed in the communal room on the second floor. He didn't have a private practice room. I enjoyed learning to play ragtime music as a teen so it was very exciting to learn about this period of his life when he lived in the house. It was great to get an overview of his whole life as well. From his bedroom you can now see the Gateway Arch. So having been there first, it was a fun perspective to see it from Scott...