Billet d'entrée American Writers Museum

Walked in here to kill time while we waited for our hotel room. What a hidden gem of a place right on Michigan Ave especially if you’re a literary nerd! You can try an old fashioned type writer and play word games or learn about American writers who have made a huge impact.

This was our second visit to the American Writers Museum. I used a pass available through our local library via Explore More Illinois. This place is a gem; you can visit more than once and have new experiences each time. We enjoyed the "jukebox" with samples of songs/lyrics. The typewriters are fun for those who are younger than me! The museum is inspiring and interactive. It is very accessible for wheelchair users. We stayed just under an hour. It was not crowded. It's a nice diversion after seeing the Bean, etc... We will be back!

As an avid reader for 55 years, and a huge fan of niche museums, I expected to love this museum. The children’s section was fun with displays and back stories on the authors of childhood favorites. The”which March sister are you?” was worth looking at. Learned that the illustrator for Charlotte’s Web also illustrated the Little House on the Prairie series. Wonderful mural of a tree featuring many childhood favorite books amongst the branches. The section on adult books, however, I found boring. It was somewhat interesting to consider that advertising slogans, song lyrics and screenplays are all “writing work products “too. But the interactive pieces didn’t hold my attention and my friend and I gave up after looking at a half dozen of them. The museum was crowded this Saturday but few people were looking at the adult book displays. While both my friend and I are well educated and lifelong readers, we guesstimated that we had read <5% of the books featured. There is a 1950’s soda shop booth with a tabletop jukebox and a “menu” with song lyrics. This might have been engaging but one of the buttons was stuck and it wasn’t working well. The gift shop was tiny but well stocked with several amusing things for sale like a spiral notebook mocked up to look like a Nancy Drew book and a purse that resembled a typewriter. Guests were invited to take a complimentary bookmark featuring their favorite author which was generous. Who knows what the mission of this museum is, but I would recommend skipping it.

Lots of fun ways to interact with the work of American writers and see what their inspiration and influences were. If you like reading and literature, this is the museum for you.

Fascinating museum about writers in American. Stayed much longer than we expected. Free tours on the hour - highly recommend.

The staff gave a helpful 3 pm tour that explained the organization and features of the many exhibits. Inspiring. Especially enjoyed the section on Chicago writers as an out-of-town tourist.

Vet informative in a very creative presentation.. you learn what an art writing ia. Great value too.

There is so much packed into this small space. Great reminders of the literary legagy of many writers. Interactive, including gaming, LARP, and a children's room. An unexpected gem.

A dream for book lovers (and probably writers as well). We were there for three hours, but could easily have stayed much longer. Exhibits are extremely interactive, so children and teens will love this place, too. Try typing on a manual typewriter! (It’s not easy!) School teachers should consider bringing students here. New exhibit on video games! A hidden gem. Highly recommended!

I loved how the museum presents the information about many great American writers. I was glad to see some of my favorites represented: Hemingway, Chandler, Hammett, among others. The museum shop is also nice. There are many interactive displays and stations, which made the experience even better. The building and the museum itself is beautiful. Also, really close to many restaurants and other places of interest.