John Coltrane’s New York home will reopen as an interactive museum in 2026. The John and Alice Coltrane home in Dix Hills, New York, was deemed a national treasure in 2018 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The saxophone innovator and his wife, Alice, who was a respected jazz harpist and pianist, moved their family from New York City to Long Island in 1964 seeking a place that would be more conducive to their musical, spiritual, and parental goals. The home is where he created his masterpiece, A Love Supreme, and Alice produced all of her music for the Impulse! label.
Visitors will be able to attend workshops, residencies, and performances. Steve Fulgoni, founder and president of the Friends of the Coltrane Home nonprofit organization, says, “In an age of digital isolation, the Home will remind us of the power of presence, mentorship, and shared human experience.” The home’s stewards want to promote community-driven creative growth. “Community service is the essential part of it, especially for young people,” said Kathleen Hennessy, vice president of Friends of the Coltrane Home. “There’ll be music playing throughout the house … opportunities for people to learn, play music, explore meditation, and self-expression.” She added, “It’s not supposed to be behind a velvet rope. We’re going to let people come in and sit on the furniture and listen to the music.”
The museum is scheduled to have a soft opening in September 2026 which would have been John Coltrane’s 100th birthday. Visitors will have access to the entire house, including John and Alice’s master bedroom that still has the original purple carpet. Alice’s studio is part of the home and it serves as a place for artists of all ages. The studio will resume its Live From Alice Coltrane’s Studio series that began during the pandemic. Harpist and composer Brandee Younger, who is on the board of the Coltrane Home, spoke on the history of the studio.
“Alice didn’t project the image of a business trailblazer, but she absolutely was one. Although John passed away [in 1967] before they could complete that vision together. Alice carried it forward. She finished the studio and the music, and she ultimately negotiated what I see as a groundbreaking deal with Impulse! Records. Producing one’s own album was something unheard of for Black artists in that era, whether in jazz or any other genre. As a young Black harp student, Alice Coltrane was one of the few role models I had who showed me that someone who looked like me could play the music I loved and bring the harp into unexpected genres, and the fact that she lived right here made it all the more meaningful.” Younger is a Long Island native and she has performed using Alice Coltrane’s restored harp.
The Coltranes’ home in Philadelphia is also being restored with help from The African-American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. The progress of the Dix Hills home and museum can be watched via the official website.
