THE LOOP — Chicago museums are turning the page.
The American Writers Museum, a new museum dedicated to American authors, will open May 16 at 180 N. Michigan Ave., museum and city officials announced Thursday.
Though museums long have dedicated themselves to specific authors, the American Writers Museum bills itself as the first dedicated to scribes across the country.
And city officials deem the museum an important addition to a stretch of Michigan Avenue that's also home to the Art Institute and other cultural destinations.
"This is not the last chapter in Chicago's literary legacy, but the next chapter," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday.
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The museum is working with 58 authors' homes and museums across the country to support its exhibits and programming. Once open, the museum will have five permanent galleries, two rotating galleries and more exhibits showcasing American authors "across history, genre, and mediums," according to a news release.
Being home to such authors as Gwendolyn Brooks, Carl Sandburg, and Richard Wright, Chicago was a natural choice for such an ambitious project, Emanuel said. He hopes the museum will attract a global audience as the city hopes to nurture "new voices" in literature, the mayor said.
The museum also will include a "Readers Hall" hosting films, workshops and readings.
The museum is privately financed, and already has raised more than $8.5 million of its $10 million fundraising goal, museum officials said. Corporate sponsors include Meijer, Wintrust Financial and law firm Mayer Brown.
Tickets will cost $12 for adults and $8 for children. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday. Visit the museum's website or call (312) 374-8790 for more information.
