National Blues Museum In St. Louis, Missouri. Editorial Photo

The 23,000-square-foot space, designed by Gallagher & Associates, tells the history of the blues from its origins in Africa to its place in the world of today’s social media and digital music. Using artifacts, audio, video and interactive elements, the museum hits on key areas, including women in the blues, such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey; blues and the Great Migration, depicted via a wall composed of suitcases and trunks; the influence of the Delta, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin and other cities on the blues; the British Invasion and its role; and how the genre influenced other more popular forms of music.