American writers museum holds a wealth of information for those interested in becoming a writer or those that love to read.. the entire museum is interactive, I especially love the squirrel tree in the children’s room. The Word Waterfall is a spectacular display that changes to reflect quotes and images featuring American history. The typewriters set up for patrons can be used to add to a story or type a letter to a loved one. If you want to really digest everything that is offered plan on spending at least an hour.

Its pretty small and just basically an overview of some of Americas most well known and impactful writers. There are so many more that are not included in this museum. I am obsessed with books so this was fun but not very informative for me. There are a bunch of interactive exhibits that kids would like to mess with. I really loved the big writers wall that was constantly changing. Some of my favorite quotes were up there.

This place feels like it should be an exhibit in a larger history museum. Very informative and well done. Some of the typewriters were broken in the writing area. For a $12 admission, would have been nice to have a memento or just drop the price a little... giving 5 stars anyway because it represented diverse authors and historical periods, and it was really informative and interesting.

A great space for literary fans. I loved the Word Waterfall and the bay of working old-fashioned typewriters!! There are many interactive parts to the museum as well. The special exhibit focused on Bob Dylan. The gift shop is small but well appointed. There is a $12 admission fee and only a student discount.

This museum is a hidden gem in Chicago. The information you learn about the many writers and genres of the past and the present are valuable and incredibly interesting. It is a clean, modern, and sleek museum. The many hands-on experiences you get make this one of the best museums in Chicago to spend your time in. If you invest yourself in the many interesting activities to do here (such as typing your own messages on an antique typewriter), it would be a very educational and fun way to spend 2 hours. This museum is a shining star among the many wonders in the city of Chicago.

Just a really neat place. I found this place by accident, and adore it. Excellent for readers, writers, history-lovers, students, teachers, and just about anyone. A very interactive museum, well-organized, and neat design. You could spend hours just reading in this place, and its not even that large! Its on the second floor in its building. Highly, highly recommend. So worth it.

Love this museum! Place for you who enjoy any kind of literature, from novel, speech, song, poem, poetry, history of literature, etc. When I visited this museum, they have Bob Dylans exhibition, which I found it really interesting. There is one section for children (with children books and activity). I also love their 3D lighting in the wall with many pieces of writing. Another favorite section, we can type our own poetry, poem, plot of story and hang it on the wall or let it in the typewriter machine to continued by others. Last thing, I enjoy the interactive part and some motivational quotes by famous writers. Great job and thumbs up for this museum!

Amazing place to visit in Chicago!Staff is super friendly and the museum is just amazing. I loved the part were they displayed the typewriters used by famous writers, and also the interactive areas where you can write stories with a typewriter. In a world were there are less and less people reading, this museum is fundamental to remember and recognise the writers that made the American history of writing.

By far one of the best museums I have ever been to! Not only is it really interactive, it’s extremely informative and you can easily spend hours here. Absolutely loved it and would come back!

Very interesting to see the evolution of literature in America. I appreciated the inclusion of the immigration exhibit. Also what isnt cool about seeing the typewriters used to write classic literature?

Even though its one floor, theres so much to interact with and experience! As a dedicated reader and writer, I highly recommend checking this museum out!

I have very fond childhood memories of the Academy of Sciences and a trip back as an adult was fun and nostalgic. Highlights of the museum: penguins during feeding time, white alligator, the stuffed animal displays (nostalgia), and the earthquake exhibit. As someone who has an innate fear of butterflies, the rainforest exhibit was terrifying (but everyone else seemed to enjoy it). Great for kids, and great for kids who are all grown up.

Great museum, so worth the cost. They have packed in tons of information on all kinds of writers and its very interactive. Fully approved for your inner nerd!

Great little museum to learn about the diverse history of writers who shaped America.

I did not have a lot of expectations for this museum, but surprisingly, I quite enjoyed my trip here. It introduced me to a lot of writers that I am not familiar with, and I did not know Chicago does have a rich history of writers too. I really like that it recognizes all sorts of medium as part of writing, which includes comic books, and there is an interactive section that makes the patron reevaluate the writing process. Overall, it is very well-organized, and I would definitely recommend a visit, though not essential.

This museum is fantastic! I heard good things about it, and the experience didnt disappoint in the slightest. While its only a single floor, my dad and I were there for hours. Theres so much to see (and read, naturally!). Admission is fairly priced as well and the staff was so nice. Definitely check out this place!

We really enjoyed our visit to the American Writers Museum on a cold and rainy weekend afternoon. The museum had a lot of very interesting exhibits and information, and I loved getting to type on some classic typewriters. Id definitely recommend this spot if you are looking for a quicker, more unique museum experience--it was perfect for when we only had a few hours but wanted to get out of the apartment.

Absolutely incredible museum that presents so many incredible writers of all types. Theres a nig focus on people who immigrated to America from all over the world and became writers.

Beautiful museum for the writer and the reader in me . Very well done. $12 entrance fee was reasonable. You experience the significant authors, essayiste, speech writers, key story teller movers and shakers in American history and it is so well done. Didn’t really care for the Bob Dylan section. He was a singer and then wrote something but a whole wing dedicated to him? Eh. Rest was great. Great great for writers and avid readers.

A must visit for anyone who cares to learn more about the esteemed writers of the current and the bygone era.

I am 11 years old and I went on a field trip onJan-23-2020 and I did not have fun you go with your kids you will not like it at all . And I was looking forward to this . Instead of having a good time they gave us work to do .you see the photos below they are not that bright it is all dark . Their was no activates what so EVER .I Was looking forward to seeing a author nobody came sadly . The room looks so tiny . Yes it might look nice on the outside but it was not fun at all .worst field trip in my LIFE. IF I WANTED TO BE A WRITER I WOULD NEVER GO TO THIS PLACE FOR KNOWLEDGE OR ANY INFORMATION!.

This place is fantastic. Nice museum covering American writers. Books, speeches, some advertising thrown in. A very enjoyable place if you like reading. There is a traveling or temporary display from time to time, childrens display, and other enjoyable exhibits not to be missed.It is about $15 to get in and opened every day. small giftshop to grab a souvenir or two. and also, some free book marks to grab. Hemingway and Steinbeck for me.

Well-designed, thorough, and compact. Will make you want to read and re-read many American authors.

Great museum, if you like to read as one would assume most patrons of the American Writers would. Amazing digital art, fun interactive exhibits, nice staff, great location for tourists. As I local I took an Uber from the north side to avoid the expensive parking. Wonderful trip, helped me make a better informed must read list. Would definitely return over and over again.

Perfect Place for a Reader. This museum has an entire wall with mini-stations floor reading about famous American authors, as well as some fun interactive exhibits. On display in September 2019 were the typewriters of famous authors and a fabulous collection of Dylan memorabilia with videos to view & audio listening stations, records, magazines, and memorabilia. Best exhibit are the large broadsheets about Chicago-born and based authors, newspapermen & women and activists. That exhibit is permanent. Large reading space. A++

As a writer myself, I was excited to see this museum. The quality of the exhibits is stellar! There is tons of interactivity to make it fun, and the information shared was truly interesting. Each writer display includes a mini biography, a small excerpt of their work, and a comment from someone who knew them summing up the nature and value of their work. My favorite part was the room full of typewriters that belonged to famous writers, from Hemingway to Angelou. The interactive tables with audio readings was amazing! All of the interactive activities related to writing at first seemed gratuitous, but I did find myself enjoying them. To really enjoy this museum, be sure you have plenty of time to immerse yourself in the abundance of written material! And put yourself in the frame of mind to think, not just hear. The only disappointment for me was that there were not more artifacts from famous writers. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon!

Great educational resource! Entertaining place as well. Will surely take my daughter here!

Awesome little museum. Absolutely loved the set up and all the information provided about so many wonderful people.

I absolutely loved this museum. I live 13 hrs away from Chicago, but I am so glad that I was able to fit a visit in here. There were two places I wanted to see - Millenium Park and American Writers Museum. Chicago has a lot of things to see, but Ive never seen a writers museum before... close to it would be the Edgar Allen Poe museum in Virginia. But this included more vast exihibits of genres and had many interactive sections.I specifically loved the typewriter area where you can sit and add to a story. The digital tables with word games were fun, too. The Bob Dylan exhibit was fantastic! I spent the majority of my time browsing through just that.If I lived here, I would definitely have a membership and spend much of my free time there.

The best museum Ive ever visited! With it only being one floor, I assumed it wouldnt take long to peruse; however, the Writers Museum packs plenty of experiential exhibits into one small space to keep a patron busy for at least 2 hours. From trying your hand at typing a letter on an early 20th century typewriter to computerized tables with writing exercises and games, this place immerses the visit into a highly interactive experience. If youre an English teacher, this museum is for you! If youre not, this place is still worth the price of admission.

In a place that could be bogged down by plaques, this innovative museum offers amazingly interactive, unique exhibits. A must for anyone who writes or loves writing!

This is a nice little museum right on the main street near other Better known Chicago attractions. It’s very interesting and well put together. Worth the visit if you have extra time in Chicago. The list of American authors is both informative and interesting.

Went on a field trip with our students and it was beyond beautiful. The kids had an opportunity to listen and speak to an actual author Keah Brown and they loves every minute of it. She also signed and gave them each a copy of her book and they enjoyed that too. So much to learn and explore in this museum. I will definitely be returning soon with my family. Ty so much everyone @American Writers Museum we appreciated everything.

A unique and interactive take on the history of American ideas as shown through the written word. Great activity, specially when the weather is not as forgiving in Chicago.

I had the good fortune of working in the same building as the American Writers Museum and was so impressed with it upon my first visit that I decided to take out a membership. This museum is a great place to come for both inspiration and solid reading recommendations. For me, being normally influenced by international writers of global genres, the American Writers Museum is a good place to come to center myself on writers from my own Nation-State, the United States, and writers pivotal to our national history. I recommend sitting down and taking the time to read from some of their books on display and allowing ample time to slowly meander down their timeline.For me, this museum is an important place, because I would rather be well-versed in the writings of Frederick Douglass before knowing those of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, but ideally to know both of the two: writers both of the domestic sphere and the international, or global variety, but first to know the American. To know thyself before others. I highly recommend this museum.

Awesome experience! A very small space, but completely packed full of information and interactive experiences. A must-do in Chicago for readers and book-lovers.

Really really interesting exhibits! I learned a lot about American writers, especially those from Chicago. It was interactive and that made everything so much more interesting. I absolutely loved being able to use typewriters from different ages.

Was a nice museum, had fun going through it with my girlfriend. Was only $12 to get in.

A must-see for all ages, anyone interested in writing and writers.

This is a great place to go if you want to relax and enjoy history.

So well laid out and so many interesting ways of presenting information.

I think you should go! This was the main thing I wanted to do on my most recent trip to Chicago. Ive been enjoying several kinds of writing for a while now, so I was curious what I could learn and enjoy here. They do have a couple exhibits showing historical things (incl. how public libraries got started!), about half of the place dedicated to all sorts of writers and their works, and then interactive exhibits. Definitely a fun and interesting place. I also learned about a couple classics that I need to read that Id so far figured I wouldnt enjoy (mainly Death of a Salesman). Maybe youll find something, too!

Good for its size. On the second floor of the building.

An exceptionally well designed, unexpectedly interactive museum. Its not too big, an hour would be ideal to spend here. Enjoyed it!

This place exceeded my expectations. Very well done, informative and engaging. The exhibits are interactive and immersive, with engaging technology intermingled with history. I sat and watched the Word Waterfall twice. I highly recommend for all.

Decent value. Museum is on the small side and geared more towards kids.

This is a wonderful museum. It is very interactive (interactive screens, typewriters where you can write your own story, or contribute to what others have started) and theyve done a lot to bring writing alive. I highly recommend!

The Bob Dylan exhibit is small but excellent !!

Lots of great information without being laborious. Presented in a fun way....second time here. I would go again

AWM is like the novella of museums...it can strike all the emotional notes; make you feel happy, humbled and inspired in far less time than a Clancy-esque sized museum. Eat the burrito at your desk, and enjoy your next lunch hour there!

This Museum is a hidden gem for anyone who enjoys or has been influenced by American writers. Its compact but extremely informative. Right now theres a Dylan retrospective that I found mildly interesting. But the design and the interactive access to information is very well thought out and executed. Theres even a childrens section, which of course as an adult I had to visit. Maurice Sendak? You can type on some old manual machines that are adjacent to the exhibit of actual typewriters used by noted authors. Not to be missed IMO.

If you are into literature, this place is a must see. Not a very big museum but the timeline about American writers is very beautiful and informative. There are many interactive sources as well. The gift shop was excellent and the employee were very friendly.

It is a beautiful museum. It has a childrens room that our 4, 7 and 8 year olds enjoyed very much. Many of the exhibits are interactive. The 7 and 8 year old boys enjoyed the museum as much as the adults in the group.

Great museum for people who love writers and writing! There is a small section for kids and childrens literature. Its a great place to go and read. My favorite part was the writers portion, where you can try your chance on old typewriters, it makes you realize how much you rely on spellcheck and auto fill.

Thus place is Amazing!!!I wish I could spend all day here!Very kid friendly and I like the respectful hush as everyone was reading about their favorite authors. Lots of hands on. Tons of history!

Great museum to visit!

Best downtown museum. Perfect for an intimate visit.

A must see attraction for readers, writers, and lovers of history while visiting Chicago. Nearby to downtown Michigan Ave. Inspirational and excellent value with the Groupon deal. Everything is interactive and a great space to reflect if you’re seeking motivation for a writing career

This little museum was highly interactive. They use multiple ways to help people learn- hearing, reading, even displays that are a bit more tactile/ interactive. They have touch screen displays and a wall of quotes that are a mix of audio, script etc on the source if you flip it. Very cool. Loved the Frederick Douglass room that even had QR codes that link to an online source.

Really interesting and informative exhibits. Very fun experience that is a little more off the beaten path. Really good price for what is inside. Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to do something for around 2 hours.

A truly inspiring place where the greatest poets like Edgar Allan Poe have their special spots. There should be more museums like this in Chicago, we as the nation dont read much and thats how we are losing the knowledge of previous generations... The $12 fee seems symbolic, definitely worth visiting.

Small museum that you can see in an hour of you have some time to kill. Will give you some ideas of books/authors that should be added to you reading list. Dont set your expectations too high though.

A wonderful hidden gem in Chicago! A must see for fellow writers, those who enjoy writing and a place where you are such surrounded by the history and stories of American literary giants. They also have a fantastic childrens section!

Highly interactive and beautifully designed. Kind of small/brief for $12. Free bookmark.

Went to an evening event. I did not even know about the museum. It was so impressive I bought a membership. A great cultural addition to Chicago.

A lot of interesting info on writers. If you like to read I highly suggest.

What a fantastic museum.Ive never been as impressed by the way information is presented.Every exhibit was broad enough to tell a full story and be taken in at face value but also deep enough to dig into.

This was really rad! I enjoyed the Bob Dylan section. I thought making your own book mark was cool! I learned a lot here. I had no idea E.B. White wrote Stuart Little.

Very interactive little museum. So much info and very well organized.

Wonderfully interactive and fun. The staff was friendly and helpful.

It was an awesome experience to feel the majority of American writers in one place.If I had more time, it would be much better.

A hidden gem! I could have spent all day in this intimate, interactive venue. All senses are engaged (except taste!). Set aside at least an hour of your time to escape the hustle and bustle of the city outside. Plan to return over and over again. A visit to the museum will definitely compel you to wipe the dust off of a cherished book and immerse yourself in the prose of a favorite author.

The writer in me was inspired. (Bring pen and paper!)The literary enthusiast in me geeked out.I love this place! Went with my sister and was enthralled from the moment we walked inside.I loved the Bob Dylan exhibit, which was a wonderful reminder and exploration of what it means to be a writer.The typewriters were a highlight of my visit. Ive never used one before, and found them very inspiring. It was such a special experience to write poetry on a typewriter, where I cant erase and each mark I make is permanent.I definitely recommend a visit to all who love writing, reading, and all things books.

It is worth visiting with kids. Not only that the Museum is informative, well organized, the most important it is very interactive and fun to explore. Try you literature and typing skills on old typewriters, listen to qutes from the most nobile writers, rate your favorites.

Worth every minute spent here

I really appreciated this museums expanded view of what it means to be a writer -- they include information on not just authors but also songwriters, chefs, and rappers. The graphics used in the displays are interesting and interactive as well.I spent about 1.5 hours here, but you could really go fast and spend less than 45 minutes. Although the information was extremely varied and interesting, its really only presented at a High School level. A great place for families with young kids, not so much people in their 20s.

Our BookClub had the pleasure of meeting the author. The museum is awesome!

Great place to expand your knowledge of American writers and authors

Outstanding collection! The museum is interactive. I took my 12 yr. old grandson and we both found something to like (I am 83.) A collection of typewriters you could use. A temporary exhibit featuring Bob Dylan. A reading room with iconic books. Convenient location and parking near Millenium Park. I cant wait to go back by myself!

If youre a book lover this place is everything. Very interactive and easy to get around. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here.

Great museum for people who like to read. Admission is very reasonable!

Very cool museum with a lot of technology.

Interactive informations, typewriters, wordplay. Heres a bit of everything you will enjoy if you are interested in the stories and history of american writers.

Loved this place. Fun to learn about the writers! We only had one hour. Could have easily spent more time.

This is a really nicely laid out museum. Loads of content you can interact with, and lots to read and learn. Its easy to spend an hour here, which is great for the entrance fee. They have restrooms, but no cafe. The shop has a few interesting bits too. Glad I popped in today!

Super interactive displays that actually work! Fabulous small museum - a Chicago treasure!

If you are a lover of words, where writing began and all of the incredible writers who came before us, this is your kind of place.

Fascinating museum. They managed to pack quite a bit of content in, considering the space is not that big. Loved the Bob Dylan exhibit. Highly recommended for anyone remotely interested in American writing and its history.

Like a kid in a candy store I could have stayed here for hours upon hours. Packed with fun interactive and educational exhibits on over 100 influential writers of books, music, poetry, news and much more. The wall of wonders engages all of your senses (sight, sound, touch, and even smell!). Childrens section, word games, and two rotaing exhibit rooms are just a bit of the continual never boring elements! A must visit destination in downtown Chicago!!

Very boring. I would rather stare at a rock for hours then be here for 10 min.

Really high quality museum—I learned a great deal about America’s writers, and each part of the museum was engaging!

Interactive and engaging. Can easily spend two hours.

A unique museum with hands on opportunities for the guests. A wonderful time line of writers through the centuries that have completely influenced culture and given us an imagination and reason to think. A Chicagos writers area is to be expected with nods to Studs Terkle, Nelson Algren and Mike Royko. Good to see Illinois first poet laureate Gwendolyn Brooks totally represented.

This museum is fairly new. It has something for everyone, including children. The displays are varied, interactive, and informative. We had a great visit. Theres a small shop where you can purchase unique souvenirs. Anyone that loves reading will find something to enjoy. Highly recommend!

Fun place to visit. Loved the writers party with the bourbon May I Have Another. Yummy.

Wonderful place that celebrates American authors. Lots of interactive exhibits. And theres a childrens room

Nice little hole in the wall place. Great history on writers.

I took my girlfriend that is a writer and she absolutely loved it! I am not as into this stuff but I enjoyed everything about this museum when I walked in. There are so many interactive pieces and things to get anyone excited about writing. There were funny dialogue generators, a word game you could play with others, and even typewriters for people to write their own or continue anothers story. Even if you dont think youre into writing, youve made the wrong choice if you skip this museum.

Interesting and highly entertaining! There are interactive bits all throughout the museum with trivia, games, and move this bit for more information. We really enjoyed the typewriters and story canvas stations. Must see, even if you only remotely like the written word or history.

Fun discussion of the hunting accident