Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
4
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Ernest Hemingway's Birthplace Museum is nestled just west of downtown Chicago in Oak Park, Illinois. This is the ideal place to begin exploring the roots of the author's life and work. It is here that Ernest Hemingway was born in a second floor bedroom on July 21, 1899. This Queen Anne home was built in 1890 by his maternal grandparents and was the first home in Oak Park to have electricity. The famed Pulitzer Prize winning author spent the first six years of his life at what is now 339 N. Oak Park Ave. The restoration, which began in 1992, authentically returned the house to its 1890s’ Victorian heritage; ensuring that your experience of the furnishings and stories told reflect the young man who lived there.
Duration: < 1 hour
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- Oak Park • 9 min walk
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4.0
141 reviews
Excellent
60
Very good
59
Average
19
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Debbie A
102 contributions
Feb 2020
Oak Park may be better known for the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, but you shouldn't overlook this hidden gem. Hemingway's birthplace home has been beautifully restored. Volunteers lead one hour, small group tours, using not only the furniture and artifacts in the home, but also a portable iPad. I particularly enjoyed seeing the photos of a young Ernest Hemingway and hearing the stories behind them. The volunteer leading our tour was engaging and we could linger in each room to absorb what she said and take photos. I definitely learned a few things that helped me better understand him as an adult. Did you know that his mother often dressed him like his older sister, in a dress and flowery hat? Maybe that started his ill will toward his mother. Very impressed by the research and knowledge of the volunteers here.
Written 3 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fanky_66
Arona, Italia24 contributions
June 2012 • Family
If you are a Hemingway’s fan this is a perfect place. The museum and the birthplace are in Oak Park, a beautiful suburb bordering the west side of Chicago.
The museum is very quiet and features rare photos of Hemingway, his childhood diary, letters, early writings and other memorabilia. There is also a store.
Near there is the Hemingway's birthplace and it is open for guided tours. The house tour is very interesting and provides lots of information on the early life of the writer and his family.
In Oak Park you can also visit the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio.
The museum is very quiet and features rare photos of Hemingway, his childhood diary, letters, early writings and other memorabilia. There is also a store.
Near there is the Hemingway's birthplace and it is open for guided tours. The house tour is very interesting and provides lots of information on the early life of the writer and his family.
In Oak Park you can also visit the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio.
Written 30 July 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mmargo3537
Chicago, IL230 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
A hidden gem in Oak Park not far from Frank Lloyd Wright's home. We took both the Hemingway and Wright tours and I must say, the Hemingway was so much better! From the tour guide to the history to the over all friendliness...If you only have time for one of these - choose Hemingway childhood home
Written 28 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
D P
Washington DC, DC151 contributions
July 2022 • Solo
You can’t visit unless you take a guided tour, offered only on the hour. From what I could see, it wasn’t worth the wait. Better to walk the neighborhood and look at Frank Lloyd Wright houses on every block.
Written 16 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
you chose not experience our tour, but at least we can agree the neighborhood is worthy of exploring and an added bonus if one does visit us.
Written 25 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
UCLA72
Ashburn, VA159 contributions
July 2015 • Couples
As one ticket covers both the house and the museum you might as well try both. Keep in mind that Hemingway left Oak Park at age 20 or so after a dispute with his strong-willed (and very interesting) mother and never returned, so both sites focus on his youth. We enjoyed the house tour, mainly because the tour guide, a retired English teacher, was excellent. He gave us a great feel for the childhood influences, or possible influences on the writer. The museum was less interesting, but take that with a grain of salt as we did not use the services of a docent. Serious scholars/fans should be aware that the museum is the only place in the U.S. they can watch the excellent four-part BBC video on Hemingway, as the family would not allow it to be shown elsewhere in this country.
Written 22 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ktgrate
Chicago, IL7 contributions
Oct 2012 • Family
When you think of Hemingway, you may think of Paris or Havana. If you are in Chicago, or live near Oak Park, you don't want to miss this great tour and museum. The tour offers great insight into the man he was to become, telling you not just his history, but the history of his parents and grandparents. There are interesting artifacts in the museum and a great tour of the birthplace! Have a question about Hemingway? The tour guide was a fount of knowledge!
Written 16 June 2013
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DoctorJoeE
North Caldwell, NJ459 contributions
If you're a Hemingway groupie like I am, and you're in Oak Park, you'll want to go, and you probably should -- but don't, if it means missing the important Oak Park attractions: Frank Lloyd Wright's home/studio and the surrounding neighborhood dotted with gorgeous houses designed by FLW and other early 20th-century masters (see reviews elsewhere in this category); FLW's Unity Church (also reviewed elsewhere in this category); and the historic Pleasant Home, designed by Maher, a Wright contemporary. (Note: the last Pleasant Home tour starts at 2:30.) Once you've visited all three (or at least the two FLW attractions), mosey on over to Hemingway if you have the time & inclination.
The complex consists of the museum and his birthplace, roughly caddy-corner to each other, and one ticket admits you to both. There are some interesting artifacts; but frankly, if you've seen Hemingway's house in Key West, Florida, you aren't going to find this exhibit particularly exciting. However, if you simply can't get enough Hemingwayana (if there is such a word), it's worth an hour or two of your life.
The complex consists of the museum and his birthplace, roughly caddy-corner to each other, and one ticket admits you to both. There are some interesting artifacts; but frankly, if you've seen Hemingway's house in Key West, Florida, you aren't going to find this exhibit particularly exciting. However, if you simply can't get enough Hemingwayana (if there is such a word), it's worth an hour or two of your life.
Written 9 August 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheFrenchWanderer
Atlanta, GA91 contributions
The docent was unbelievably good with a multi-pronged narration to the person called Ernest Hemingway. She was open to all questions and clearly was passionate in her explanation about the family, social circumstances and historical context. I am left with an adjusted understanding of Hemingway who was far more complex than i had previously known.
Written 17 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
very much appreciate your taking the time to provide feedback of your experience.
Written 25 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
460Maggie49
Louisville, KY131 contributions
Oct 2019
A very interesting place made even better by the man leading the tour. He just gave us the facts about the home and about Hemingway’s life. He did not speculate or embellish. I had a wonderful time.
Written 23 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rareathlete
Roanoke, VA228 contributions
Nov 2019
I'm not particularly a Hemmingway fan. Actually I don't think I've ever read a thing he's written. That being said, I wanted by this place and opted to stop in. I'm glad I did! I love seeing old homes and learning about daily life during different periods in history. Bonus, I learned a bit about Hemmingway as well. Tragic soul! The tour lasts over an hour. The tour guide was knowledgable, interesting, and appropriately entertaining. Well worth the $15 admission price.
Written 26 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Se puede hacer la visita en español, con folleto en papel o audioguia? Gracias
Written 2 June 2024
Hola , la visita a la Casa Natal de Hemingway puede ser en español? con aiudioguia? con folleto?
Written 2 June 2024
We were planning on taking the green line from Chicago. It’s then a short walk to the house. Is this the best way to go?
Written 24 November 2019
Of course you can always Uber it but you may get stuck in traffic. We had many drivers in Chicago, unfailingly friendly, generous and efficient. Even if you go by train have Uber on the phone as a back up.
Written 12 December 2019
Are any souvenirs, books, etc offered for purchase?
Written 31 October 2019
Is the Hemingway Birthplace in a high crime area? I'm trying to plan a visit for the Fall. We'll be staying in downtown Chicago. This is about 10 miles to the west.
Written 2 June 2019
It's a very nice neighborhood, with beautiful houses, nice coffee shops and restaurants.
Written 2 June 2019
Saludos,
El dĂa 16 de mayo de 2018, en la finca VigĂa, La Habana, Cuba, se llevĂł a cabo la presentaciĂłn de mi libro "Ernest Hemingway y los muchachos del barrio " donde narro mis testimonios cuando conocĂ al cĂ©lebre escritor norteamericano en la Ă©poca en que entraba, junto a otros muchachos, a comer sus deliciosos mangos. AsĂ como tambiĂ©n la entrega de la ProclamaciĂłn de la fecha 21 de julio ( nacimiento de Hemingway) como el DĂa de Ernest M. Hemingway en la Ciudad de Miami por el Alcalde de dicha Ciudad, Mayor Tomás Regalado. TambiĂ©n hice entrega del HONORIS POSTUME a Ernest "PAPA" Hemingway emitido por la Academia Norteamericana de Literatura Moderna (ANLM) y un Certificado de apoyo del Centro Cultura UNESCO de Puerto Rico.
La actividad se llevĂł a cabo con invitados especiales: los actuales muchachos del barrio, es decir, estudiantes del nivel de Secundaria Básica y de Pre Universitarios que viven en la localidad de San Fracisco de Paula donde está ubicada la finca VigĂa. AllĂ di a conocer mis experiencias con Hemingway 60 años atrás,
Cordialmente,
Escritor Alfredo A. Ballester
Written 4 June 2018
How do you get here from Chicago city centre?
Written 20 February 2016
Hi,
Take the green line from (State and Lake) or many other locations towards Harlem. Get off at Oak Park Ave and walk north about 2 blocks. The museum will be on your right side.
Hemingway's birth place is a block north of there. His childhood home is close as well, but that is not open to the public since it is a private home.
Other places close by are Frank LLoyd Wright's home and studio, plus many of his buildings and homes.
There are two of Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan) homes in Oak Park as well. One on the corner of Augusta and Linden. (both homes are private) About 14 min walk from the Hemingway Museum.
Hope this helps.
Written 23 February 2016
Ari B
Oak Park, Illinois
Admission is $15, which includes both the birthplace home and the museum. I think it is $13 for seniors and students, and they have a variety of discounts (military, AAA, etc.) that reduce it by $1.
Written 14 June 2015
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