American Writers Museum in Chicago

American Writers Museum celebrates the breadth of American writing through interactive exhibits and programming that honors the past, promotes the present and inspires the future of writing in the United States.

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Typewriters to Touchscreens

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Upcoming Events & Series

View our upcoming programs currently being offered. New programs are added regularly, so come back often to check for updates.

Exhibits

Learn more about our interactive exhibits, various galleries, and temporary installations.

Membership

Enjoy the benefits of Membership! Unlimited free admission to the museum, exclusive invitations to members-only events, exhibits, author readings and lectures, discounts, guest passes and more.

A National Museum Celebrating American Writers.

We're plugged in, sound check is done, the stage is set...we're ready to rock! BOB DYLAN: ELECTRIC, now open through April 2019! Join us for a special opening weekend of our new exhibit featuring @bobdylan's iconic electric guitar he played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the first time he played an electric guitar live and changed the game.
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Want to win some sweet swag? Yes, of course! Now through the rest of November, share a photo of yourself in the exhibit or a photo of your favorite Dylan memory, tag us, and use #BobDylanElectric. You'll be entered to win a Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our Dec. 1 event with Robbie Fulks, whiskey from @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition exhibit poster and an AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins!
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#BobDylanElectric #BobDylan #BobDylanGuitar #BobDylanQuotes #rockandrollmemorabilia #RockandRoll

We're plugged in, sound check is done, the stage is set...we're ready to rock! BOB DYLAN: ELECTRIC, now open through April 2019! Join us for a special opening weekend of our new exhibit featuring @bobdylan's iconic electric guitar he played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the first time he played an electric guitar live and changed the game. * * Want to win some sweet swag? Yes, of course! Now through the rest of November, share a photo of yourself in the exhibit or a photo of your favorite Dylan memory, tag us, and use #BobDylanElectric. You'll be entered to win a Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our Dec. 1 event with Robbie Fulks, whiskey from @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition exhibit poster and an AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins! * * #BobDylanElectric #BobDylan #BobDylanGuitar #BobDylanQuotes #rockandrollmemorabilia #RockandRoll

⚡SNEAK PEEK⚡ Our new exhibit #BobDylanElectric opens this Friday, November 16. Check out these original, handwritten lyrics up close along with other rare personal items from Dylan's life like the electric guitar he played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the first time he played live with an electric guitar.
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Share your Bob Dylan memorabilia, photos, and memories with us! Post a photo of Dylan and tag us with #BobDylanElectric for a chance to win an amazing Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our December 1 event with Robbie Fulks, a gift basket from @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition exhibit poster, and an AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins!
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#BobDylanElectric #BobDylan #BobDylanLyrics #BobDylanQuotes #Highway61Revisited #JustLikeTomThumbsBlues #RockandRoll

⚡SNEAK PEEK⚡ Our new exhibit #BobDylanElectric opens this Friday, November 16. Check out these original, handwritten lyrics up close along with other rare personal items from Dylan's life like the electric guitar he played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the first time he played live with an electric guitar. * * Share your Bob Dylan memorabilia, photos, and memories with us! Post a photo of Dylan and tag us with #BobDylanElectric for a chance to win an amazing Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our December 1 event with Robbie Fulks, a gift basket from @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition exhibit poster, and an AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins! * * #BobDylanElectric #BobDylan #BobDylanLyrics #BobDylanQuotes #Highway61Revisited #JustLikeTomThumbsBlues #RockandRoll

Our #MondayMood today is provided by Ketch Secor of @crowmedicine, who collaborated with @bobdylan in writing their hit song

Our #MondayMood today is provided by Ketch Secor of @crowmedicine, who collaborated with @bobdylan in writing their hit song "Wagon Wheel." Secor performed this October 6, 2018, when he visited to read his new children's book "Lorraine" to kids. We of course sang and danced too. * * Our new exhibit BOB DYLAN: ELECTRIC opens November 16 and if you have any photos or memories of Dylan we want to hear about them! Share your photos, tag us and use #BobDylanElectric for a chance to win a Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our December 1 event with #RobbieFulks, a gift basket from @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition exhibit poster, and an AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins! * * #BobDylanElectric #KetchSecor #OldCrowMedicineShow #RockMeMomma #WagonWheel #rockmemommalikeawagonwheel #MondayMood

This week is #loveyourbookstore week. And do we ever love bookstores! This is our gift shop, featuring classic books on writing, authors, and more, as well as book shirts, socks, scarves, and other book-themed items. We also want to give special love to our Chicago bookstore friends like @57thstreetbooks, @openbooksltd, @thedialbookshop, @sourcebooks, @wcfbook and all the other great independent bookstores in Chicago!
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Do you have a favorite bookstore? We want to see! Show your favorite bookstore some love by sharing your photos using the caption #loveyourbookstore. And then support independent booksellers!

This week is #loveyourbookstore week. And do we ever love bookstores! This is our gift shop, featuring classic books on writing, authors, and more, as well as book shirts, socks, scarves, and other book-themed items. We also want to give special love to our Chicago bookstore friends like @57thstreetbooks, @openbooksltd, @thedialbookshop, @sourcebooks, @wcfbook and all the other great independent bookstores in Chicago! * * Do you have a favorite bookstore? We want to see! Show your favorite bookstore some love by sharing your photos using the caption #loveyourbookstore. And then support independent booksellers!

Throwing it back to the summer of 1961 when @bobdylan read this copy of J.D. Salinger's classic novel 'Catcher in the Rye.' He even showed off his illustration skills with a little doodle in the back! The bottle of rye drawing a prelude to @heavensdoorwhiskey, perhaps?? This book is among many of the never-before-seen items from Dylan's life that will be displayed in our new exhibit BOB DYLAN: ELECTRIC, including the electric guitar he Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the first time he played live with an electric guitar.
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Do you have any favorite photos or memorabilia or memories of Bob Dylan? We want to see them! Through the end of November share your photos, tag us, and use #BobDylanElectric for a chance to win an amazing Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our December 1 event with #RobbieFulks, a gift basket from Dylan's own @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition exhibit poster, and an AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins!
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#ThrowbackThursday #BobDylanElectric #BobDylan #CatcherInTheRye #JDSalinger #BobDylanArt

Throwing it back to the summer of 1961 when @bobdylan read this copy of J.D. Salinger's classic novel 'Catcher in the Rye.' He even showed off his illustration skills with a little doodle in the back! The bottle of rye drawing a prelude to @heavensdoorwhiskey, perhaps?? This book is among many of the never-before-seen items from Dylan's life that will be displayed in our new exhibit BOB DYLAN: ELECTRIC, including the electric guitar he Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the first time he played live with an electric guitar. * * Do you have any favorite photos or memorabilia or memories of Bob Dylan? We want to see them! Through the end of November share your photos, tag us, and use #BobDylanElectric for a chance to win an amazing Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our December 1 event with #RobbieFulks, a gift basket from Dylan's own @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition exhibit poster, and an AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins! * * #ThrowbackThursday #BobDylanElectric #BobDylan #CatcherInTheRye #JDSalinger #BobDylanArt

October has come and gone, and if you're anything like us you ate too much delicious candy and read a lot of fantastic books by super talented authors. Head to our website to see the full list of authors and books! What are y'all reading these days? Let us know in the comments!
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#AWMStaffReads #amreading #DouglasAdams #HitchhikersGuidetotheGalaxy #RichardBach #NickCarbo #EileenTabios #RinChupeco #TheBoneWitch #KevinCoval #Dessa #MyOwnDevices #VeronicaGerberBicecci #JeffJacksonAuthor #KevinKwan #CrazyRichAsians #HarukiMurakami #NnediOkorafor #Binti #KarenRussell #DonnaTartt #MoniqueTruong #RZamoraLinmark

October has come and gone, and if you're anything like us you ate too much delicious candy and read a lot of fantastic books by super talented authors. Head to our website to see the full list of authors and books! What are y'all reading these days? Let us know in the comments! * * #AWMStaffReads #amreading #DouglasAdams #HitchhikersGuidetotheGalaxy #RichardBach #NickCarbo #EileenTabios #RinChupeco #TheBoneWitch #KevinCoval #Dessa #MyOwnDevices #VeronicaGerberBicecci #JeffJacksonAuthor #KevinKwan #CrazyRichAsians #HarukiMurakami #NnediOkorafor #Binti #KarenRussell #DonnaTartt #MoniqueTruong #RZamoraLinmark

Contest Alert! Our new exhibit BOB DYLAN: ELECTRIC opens November 16, and to celebrate we're hosting a photo contest! From now through the end of November, share your favorite Bob Dylan photos, memories, quotes, memorabilia, art, etc. using #BobDylanElectric. Tag us in the post and you'll be entered to win a Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our Dec. 1 event with Robbie Fulks, a gift basket from @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition commemorative exhibit poster, and an annual AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins, simple as that. Let's get rockin!
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#BobDylanElectric #BobDylan #BobDylanQuotes #BobDylanArt #BobDylanPoetry

Contest Alert! Our new exhibit BOB DYLAN: ELECTRIC opens November 16, and to celebrate we're hosting a photo contest! From now through the end of November, share your favorite Bob Dylan photos, memories, quotes, memorabilia, art, etc. using #BobDylanElectric. Tag us in the post and you'll be entered to win a Rock 'N' Roll prize package that includes two tickets to our Dec. 1 event with Robbie Fulks, a gift basket from @heavensdoorwhiskey, a limited-edition commemorative exhibit poster, and an annual AWM membership. The post with the most likes wins, simple as that. Let's get rockin! * * #BobDylanElectric #BobDylan #BobDylanQuotes #BobDylanArt #BobDylanPoetry

Hey Chicago! This Monday, November 5 at 6:30 pm join @wellreadblackgirl founder @guidetoglo and activist @charlenecarruthers right here at the American Writers Museum! We are super excited for this event and to read this collection of essays featuring some of your favorite black women writers. We'll talk reading, writing, and the importance of finding ourselves in literature. It'll be a fun, engaging, inspiring conversation and you're sure to leave feeling motivated to connect with books. Get your copy of the Well-Read Black Girl anthology at the event and get it signed by Glory Edim herself! Link in bio. See you Monday, friends.
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#WellReadBlackGirl #WRBGBook #readwithglo #GloryEdim #CharleneCarruthers #AmericanWritersMuseum #AWMAuthorTalks

Hey Chicago! This Monday, November 5 at 6:30 pm join @wellreadblackgirl founder @guidetoglo and activist @charlenecarruthers right here at the American Writers Museum! We are super excited for this event and to read this collection of essays featuring some of your favorite black women writers. We'll talk reading, writing, and the importance of finding ourselves in literature. It'll be a fun, engaging, inspiring conversation and you're sure to leave feeling motivated to connect with books. Get your copy of the Well-Read Black Girl anthology at the event and get it signed by Glory Edim herself! Link in bio. See you Monday, friends. * * #WellReadBlackGirl #WRBGBook #readwithglo #GloryEdim #CharleneCarruthers #AmericanWritersMuseum #AWMAuthorTalks

Happy Halloween! Start your spooks off right with one of our final Edgar Allan Poe Tours today, at 11am and 2pm. After today the tours will be offered Nevermore.....until next October. Oh yeah, trick-or-treat with 10% off all Poe merchandise in our gift shop when you join our tour!
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#EdgarAllanPoe #TheRaven #Spooky #HappyHalloween🎃👻🕸

Happy Halloween! Start your spooks off right with one of our final Edgar Allan Poe Tours today, at 11am and 2pm. After today the tours will be offered Nevermore.....until next October. Oh yeah, trick-or-treat with 10% off all Poe merchandise in our gift shop when you join our tour! * * #EdgarAllanPoe #TheRaven #Spooky #HappyHalloween🎃👻🕸

Today we say goodbye to our exhibit Capturing Stories: Photographs of Writers by Art Shay. Art was an iconic Chicago photographer whose wit, energy, and passion for stories lives on in his photographs. We were honored to share his portraits of renowned writers like Gwendolyn Brooks, Carl Sandburg, James Baldwin and more. Thank you to all who visited and contributed to our #CaptioningStories interactive exhibit, we had fun hearing and seeing your ideas. Stay tuned for news about our next exciting exhibit...
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#CaptioningStories #ArtShay #AmericanWritersMuseum

Today we say goodbye to our exhibit Capturing Stories: Photographs of Writers by Art Shay. Art was an iconic Chicago photographer whose wit, energy, and passion for stories lives on in his photographs. We were honored to share his portraits of renowned writers like Gwendolyn Brooks, Carl Sandburg, James Baldwin and more. Thank you to all who visited and contributed to our #CaptioningStories interactive exhibit, we had fun hearing and seeing your ideas. Stay tuned for news about our next exciting exhibit... * * #CaptioningStories #ArtShay #AmericanWritersMuseum