Books

6018North

6018North has an extensive artists' book and multiples collection, including a Fluxus piece which records the house’s history. These can be viewed by appointment.

Adlai Stevenson II Historic Home

When at home Adlai E. Stevenson II spent a majority of his time in his study. Here he wrote his speeches and books, including "Putting First Things First," and welcomed dignitaries such as Eleanor Roosevelt, a close friend and frequent guest, and John F. Kennedy.

Charnley-Persky House Museum

James Charnley, a Chicago lumberman, was a dedicated member of the Chicago Literary Club. His family’s interest in reading is evidenced by the built-in bookcases lining the walls of the library.

The Ernest Hemingway Birthplace

Ernest Hemingway’s work, drawing on themes of the natural world, was inspired by the learning that took place inside his childhood home. As a physician, his father’s study was filled with medical texts and natural journals.

Frances Willard House Museum

The Frances Willard House Museum contains two large libraries of books from the mid- to late 19th century. The parlor contains the family’s collection, including the family Bible, while Frances Willard’s den contains her personal collection. Many of the books have annotations in them, written by Frances and other family members.

Glessner House

Centered by a huge partner’s desk used by John and Frances Glessner, the library contains nearly 3,000 original volumes, including many inscribed by the authors, as well as books read and discussed in Frances’s Monday Morning Reading Class, which met for over 35 years in the room.

Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts

Situated in the Madlener House’s former kitchen, the Graham Foundation’s non-lending library showcases hundreds of books funded by its grantmaking initiatives, from the beginnings in 1956 to recently published titles. In the former dining room, a new bookshop contains a specially curated selection of architecture and design books and periodicals.

The Grove National Historic Landmark

Two famous nature authors, Donald Culross Peattie and his wife Louise Redfield Peattie, lived at Redfield Estate in the 1930s. Donald published his book A Prairie Grove, which tells of his experiences living at The Grove, in 1938.

International Museum of Surgical Science

The International Museum of Surgical Science library is the room that best represents the original appearance of the mansion as a residence. Now it contains over 5,000 volumes of medical texts, including significant works from greats such as Vesalius, Frederik Ruysch, and museum founder Dr. Max Thorek.

Kalo Foundation/Iannelli Studio

The Studio boosts a resource room with not only the books written on the famous who lived and worked there but many other art related books as well

Pleasant Home

The library, with its glass-domed light fixtures, gilded frieze, and large, curved picture windows, was the first room in the home to be fully restored. Books about local history and architecture are sold in the Museum Shop, enjoyed by visitors from all over the world.