Dendermonde is a true jazz city. Since the 1960s, there has been an active jazz scene centered around the Honky Tonk Jazz Club, with jazz festivals, jazz boat trips, bunker concerts, and more.
At the Jazz Centrum Vlaanderen, the rich history of Honky Tonk comes to life, and you will be introduced to all aspects of jazz in Flanders. The center collects and archives music and documentation and regularly organizes tours, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and concerts.
The brick munitions laboratory was originally (1828-1829) about 35 m long and 11 m wide. After 1860, the rear of the building was shortened to make way for a series of bunkers. The remaining space was used as storage for barrels of gunpowder.
After World War I, the building served for a time as emergency housing for no fewer than seven families. In 1937–1938, the building was shortened again and given a new façade for the widening of Leopoldlaan. It served until 1995 as the residence of the “city fountain keeper” who managed the nearby water tower.
In 2004, the “Jazz Centrum Vlaanderen” opened its doors in the renovated house. During the renovation, original features such as painted woodwork, beams, and the wooden floor on the upper level were preserved and highlighted to emphasize the historical value of the building.