About the Park

Date Authorized: Oct. 31, 1994 (Public Law 103-433)
Superintendent: David Luchsinger
Phone: (504)589-4806
Number of Employees: 8

Mission
In 1987, the 100th U.S. Congress resolved that "Jazz is hereby designated as a rare and valuable national American treasure to which we should devote our attention, support, and resources to make sure it is preserved, understood and promulgated."

The park's mission is to serve the nation as a global leader in the promulgation of New Orleans jazz by enhancing and instilling a public appreciation and understanding of the origins, early history, development and progression of this uniquely American music art form - jazz. To preserve unimpaired this cultural resource and it’s core values for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

Purpose of the Park:
The following statements describe the primary reasons why the park was created. They influence management priorities and are central to decisions about how the park should be developed and managed.

The purpose of New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is to

• Preserve resources and information that are associated with the origins and early development of jazz in New Orleans
• Enhance opportunities for visitors to experience and appreciate the sights and sounds of early jazz and the places where early jazz evolved
• Interpret the origins, history, and progression of jazz
• Promote and assist the education of students in various forms of jazz in order to perpetuate its continued evolution as a true American art form

Significance of the Park:
The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is significant because:

• New Orleans is widely recognized as the birthplace of jazz and the sites and structures associated with the early history of jazz remain in the city.
• Jazz is America’s most widely recognized indigenous music art form; performance and appreciation of jazz is worldwide.
• Many distinctive social and traditional practices associated with the origins of jazz continue in New Orleans today.