Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center and State Museum

Please join us for this literary salute to Charlie Parker on his 100th Birthday featuring the incomparable, Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Yusef Komunyakaa, along with award winning poet, essayist, editor, Sascha Feinstein, and Poet Laureate of the 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District, Glenn North.

The show starts in 30 minutes. Bring a blanket and come enjoy a dramatically poetic evening!And oh yeah... IT'S FREE!

Dear Community Members and Patrons: We care about your safety. Due the Coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic, Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center is not open to the public for tours or general facility rentals. We don’t anticipate re-opening until sometime next year after the spread of the virus has dramatically decreased. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

A recent interview on Ebony's Bones (KKFI) regarding the Community Remembrance Project.

A recent interview with Darron Story of Majik 107.3 for his show Caring for KC.

We at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center want you to know that our hearts are with you as we navigate these strange and difficult times. For your safety, due to the current pandemic, we will remain closed until a date to be determined sometime after August 15th, 2020. In the meantime, we are working with other local museums, cultural institutions, and industry professionals to ensure we are employing best practices as it pertains to following CDC guidelines for so...cial distancing, facility cleaning, sanitization, etc. In addition, we are heartbroken over the untimely and unnecessary deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. We realize that these are recent tragedies in a centuries-old legacy of racial violence against Black bodies. Just as Mr. Watkins stood for social justice and civic engagement, those pursuits will be our pillars as we continue to fulfill our mission of unapologetically celebrating African American history and culture. Not only do our Black Lives Matter, they are valuable beyond measure. Note: This photo of Bruce R. Watkins was taken in April of 1968 as he marched with students down I-70 towards City Hall after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dear Friends and Patrons, The health and wellness of our patrons, staff, and community is always a top priority at Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center. To follow the recent CDC’s (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines and in accordance with its recommendation that large events and mass gatherings organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 10 people or more throughout the United States for the next 8 we...eks, we are implementing the following: Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center will be closed to the public until further notice. Public programs, tours, events, and meetings will not be permitted until after May 15, 2020. We will work closely with our program partners to reschedule activities, and we will post new dates on social media and our website. We are proud of the preventative measures we are taking to protect against the spread of COVID-19. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. Please take care of yourself and one another.

Attention Patrons: Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center will be closed from Thursday, December 26, 2019 thru Wednesday, January 1, 2020 in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays. We will reopen at 10:00am on Thursday, January 2, 2020. Thank you for your continued support and Happy Holidays.

Join the Friends of Bruce R. Watkins for the annual Holidazzle children's celebration this Saturday, December 7th, 12p-3p. We will have refreshments, arts & crafts, free giveaways, and a chance to meet Santa.