Scott Joplin House State Historic Site
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Missouri History — Home of the “King of Ragtime” — Scott Joplin lived in this St. Louis flat from 1901-1903 while composing “The Entertainer” and other masterworks that defined American popular music!
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Missouri |
| Entry Fee | Free admission! |
About Scott Joplin House
Scott Joplin House State Historic Site in St. Louis preserves the apartment where the “King of Ragtime” lived from 1900-1903 — the years he composed some of his most famous rags, including “The Entertainer” and “Elite Syncopations.” Joplin, born in Texas to formerly enslaved parents, revolutionized American music by blending African American rhythms with European musical forms, creating ragtime — the precursor to jazz. The site is in the historic Rosebud neighborhood.
Things to Do
Touring Joplin’s apartment, viewing ragtime-era artifacts, listening to his compositions, learning about the African American musical revolution that led from ragtime to jazz, and exploring St. Louis’s rich musical heritage.
Visiting Today
The restored second-floor apartment where Joplin composed his masterworks is furnished in period style. A ragtime piano in the parlor plays his compositions. The surrounding neighborhood, while changed from Joplin’s era, reflects St. Louis’s crucial role in the development of American popular music — from ragtime to blues to rock and roll.
Getting There
Located on Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis. Free admission. The surrounding neighborhood is undergoing revitalization. National Blues Museum and the City Museum are nearby. Joplin’s “The Entertainer” — used in the 1973 film The Sting — introduced ragtime to a new generation and won an Academy Award.
Insider Tips
King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin — the “King of Ragtime” — lived in this St. Louis apartment from 1900-1903, composing some of the most important music in American history. Pro tip: Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” (1899) was the first sheet music to sell over 1 million copies — it made ragtime a national craze. St. Louis music: St. Louis was the cradle of ragtime — the music that bridged 19th-century classical forms with 20th-century jazz and popular music.
Best Time to Visit
Year-round: House museum with music exhibits. June: Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia. Summer: Full programming. Winter: Indoor exhibits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ragtime?
Ragtime is a syncopated piano music style that was America’s most popular music from 1895-1920 — the precursor to jazz. Scott Joplin elevated ragtime from saloon entertainment to a serious art form — his compositions (“Maple Leaf Rag,” “The Entertainer”) are technically demanding and structurally sophisticated. Ragtime was the first African American music to achieve mainstream popularity in white America.
