Did you know that the United State has a museum devoted to authors? The doors opened in May 2017 on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The mission of the American Writers Museum is to engage the public in celebrating American writers and exploring their influence in history, culture, and daily lives. Volunteers and staff strive to educate the public about past and present American writers and help visitors explore worlds created by the spoken and written word to instill appreciation for good writing in all forms
In order to motivate visitors’ love of reading and writing and inspire the young writers of tomorrow, the museum has more than static displays. Recent ticketed events include lectures by authors, book readings for children, and performances by songwriters. Field trips are also available for school groups. Write In is an in-museum program for middle and high school students with specially-designed curriculum that uses exhibits and featured authors to encourage creative writing. The AWM also has a Story of the Day exhibit where visitor can bang away on old typewriters. The best will appear in https://americanwritersmuseum.org/blog/.
Have a favorite author whose home you always wanted to visit? In addition to programs at the Michigan Avenue building, the American Writers Museum has a reciprocal arrangement with twelve author’s homes across the country. AWM affiliates get free admission below for themselves and a guest. If you’re visiting Massachusetts, I highly recommend a stop at both Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House and Thoreau Farm. (Throw in the Edmund Gorey House for a threesome.)
Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, Concord, Massachusetts
The Beat Museum – Jack Kerouac, San Francisco, California
Pearl S. Buck House, Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Edward Gorey House, Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts
Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center, Piggott, Arkansas
Frances Parkinson Keyes, New Orleans, Louisiana
Wadsworth-Longfellow House & Garden, Portland, Maine
Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore, Oklahoma
National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, California
Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati, Ohio
Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, Indianapolis, Indiana
Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, Indianapolis, Indiana
Thoreau Farm, Concord, Massachusetts
The American Writers Museum is open daily from 10-5. For ticket information and a schedule of exhibits, check out the website at https://americanwritersmuseum.org/
