The American Writers Museum

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

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/