Central Harlem in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Minton's Playhouse
206-210 West 118th Street
is listed in the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1938.
Location. 40° 48.285′ N, 73° 57.133′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Central Harlem. It is on West 118th Street east of St. Nicholas Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 208 W 118th St, New York NY 10026, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New York City. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: GreenThumb (within shouting distance
this page online
Other markers no longer nearby. A. Philip Randolph Square (was about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been permanently removed); Swing Low: Harriet Tubman Memorial (was approx. Ό mile away but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places nomination form for Minton's Playhouse.
This form was prepared in July 1985 by Merrill Hesch of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The statement of historical significance can be found on page 4:
Minton's Playhouse, located on the ground floor of the Cecil Hotel in Harlem, is significant in the history of American music for its pivotal role in the development of jazz during the 1940s. Recognized(Submitted on July 12, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)by musicians and historians as one of the foremost jam session nightclubs in the United States, Minton's is famed especially as the principal site of the formal and informal experimentations during the 1940s that led to the "bebop revolution," a fundamental transformation of the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic basis of jazz composition and improvisation that ushered in a distinctly sophisticated and virtuosic approach to jazz music.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 12, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 105 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 12, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
