Museums for Writers

Artists, scientists and history buffs have no shortage of interesting museums in which to waste away a Saturday afternoon. But where do writers go to feel smart and important? You'll be relieved to know there are quite a few museums out there in the world catering to the interests of us literary-minded folks. Here are five wonderful museums for writers to check out.

DublinWritersMuseum

Anyone interested in Irish writers will love the Dublin Writers Museum. It is dedicated to the Irish tradition in literature, with rooms dedicated to Ireland's literary history. What makes this museum particularly appealing for writers is the Gorham Library, dedicated to rare books and first editions.

The Dublin Writers Museum is located at No 18, Parnell Square in Dublin, Ireland. An adult ticket costs €7.25. For €12.50, you can also use your ticket for admittance to the James Joyce Museum or the Shaw Birthplace.

Website:http://www.writersmuseum.com/

Columbia College Chicago's Center for Book and Paper Arts

While Columbia's Center for Book and Paper Arts is more of a gallery than a museum, the works housed within are sure to amaze and delight all writers. With its heavy emphasis on artists' book, writers can explore all sorts of possibilities for what a book can be. Exhibits have focused on altered books, experimental literature, historic bindings, and the fine art of the postcard. The Center for Book and Paper Arts also housed the Kerouac Scroll on the Chicago leg of its tour and hold an annual edible book show with an open call for entries.

Columbia's Center for Book and Paper Arts is located at 1104 South Wabash, 2^nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60605. Hours are from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The best part: admission is always free. Check the website for the current exhibition.

Website: www.colum.edu/book_and_paper/Gallery/

The RosenbachMuseum and Library in Philadelphia

The Rosenbach Museum and Library is sure to appeal to both writers and their patient friends. The Museum is home to art and literature, with exhibits featuring everything from Philadelphia artists to classic children's books. The Rosenbach Library is a museum for writers in itself and a world-class research destination for scholars. The library holds manuscripts and rare books. Treasures like Marianne Moore's papers and Maurice Sendak's drawings are permanently on display in the museum. The Rosenbach Museum and Library also boasts a draft of the Declaration of Independence, a list of Thomas Jefferson's slaves, and Charles Dickens' manuscripts.

The Rosenbach Museum and Library is located at 2008-2010 Delancey Place, Philadelphia, PA 19103. An adult admission is $10, and an appointment is required to do research in the library. Hours vary by day.

Website: http://www.rosenbach.org/home/home.html

The Morgan Library and Museum in New York

Dedicated to a range of literature and art spanning from ancient Egypt to contemporary New York, the Morgan Library and Museum is a museum that will appeal to every kind of writer. For the irreverent, the Morgan houses New Yorker cartoons and Babar the Elephant illustrations. For the serious, check out the Gutenberg Bible, medieval religious texts, and Thoreau's autographed diary entry.

Find the Morgan Library and Museum at 225 Madison Avenue at 36^th Street, New York, NY 10016. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday; check website for hours and admission prices.

Website: http://www.themorgan.org/index.html

The Virtual TypewriterMuseum

Virtual museums are great, because they're always open and always free. If you can't make it to any of these awesome brick-and-mortar museums for writers, check out this amazing collection of typewriters and learn about their histories at the Virtual Typewriter Museum. Any writer who has ever plunked away at the keys of a typewriter will instantly fall in love with the depictions of typewriters in art, typewriter factories, and extensive book list found in the site's library.

See it here: www.typewritermuseum.org