Editor’s Note: Prior to the ribbon cutting, Joseph Rulli had taken a full tour of the museum. Read his full report here – “American Writers Museum PREVIEW— Bibliophiles Rejoice!”
If there is anything in our contemporary world or American Society or the “Good Ol’ USA” or “Chi-town” that can be agreed upon, it is the importance of the written word. Whether that word is digital, photocopied, written in graphite or ink, human thoughts (the number of which would have lots and lots of zeros!) are still a treasured reality. Writing even got Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Alderman Ed Burke, and (through letters from former Presidents Obama and G. W. Bush) to hang out together and play nice for a couple of hours!
The power of the written word!! Who’s not gonna come out in favor of writing and reading?
American Writers Museum is a FIRST
The grand opening of the first-ever museum in the United States dedicated to the art of writing and the gift of reading took place on Monday, May 15, 2016 in downtown Chicago. The American Writers Museum is the product of a decade’s old effort of many people to collect some of the national treasure-trove of literature into one place.
It is to serve as a clearing house, an interactive place of inspiration, a quiet space for celebrating the written word and those who have been gifted to share it with us. Festivities included great homage to American writers of the past, words from one of our present greats, David McCullough, and pieces written and read by present-day students of literature in our Chicago school system. The exhibits all showcase our experiences, as a people, of a mélange of the human person as individual and as part of a greater body.
First Impressions
The inclusivity of the museum is evident from the moment a visitor steps into the museum’s main entrance. The friendly staff, an inviting welcoming area, and a very hands-on oriented style of the entire space encourages visitors to explore the American experience of writing (and reading) over the past four centuries.
The American Writers Museum has gathered information from participating “author home museums” and has become the de facto national clearing house of visitor-focused sites where one can find out where our home-grown scribes were born, lived or worked.
YES! to Humanity
Creativity and the expression of it through the written word are gifts that human beings possess. The dedication of the museum is not only relevant for our day, it is essential and timely in our present situation of emotionalism, nationalism, materialism and nihilism. The museum is a grand “YES!” to Humanity in this corner of the globe, reaching across our big blue sphere in search of those common threads that hold us together.
When
Sat/Sun 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closed Mon
Tues/Wed 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where
American Writers Museum
180 N. Michigan Ave., 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
Visit the American Writers Museum at AmericanWritersMuseum.org
Tickets
Adults $12
Students (with ID) $8
Seniors (65+) $8
Kids (0-12) FREE
Editor’s Note: Prior to the ribbon cutting, Joseph Rulli had taken a full tour of the museum. Read his full report here – “American Writers Museum PREVIEW— Bibliophiles Rejoice!”
