Hemingway Museum in Oak Park, Illinois

Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21st, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. He was a novelist and winner of both the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize for his many writings. The Hemingway Museum is located in Oak Park, Illinois and houses both permanent and temporary exhibits of the author Ernest Hemingway. The museum reflects the influence and impact the family and community had on the author.

The Hemingway Museum explores the life and times of the historic writer. The museum houses an early childhood diary of the man. The rare exhibit shows the early potential of the author that was to pen some of the greatest novels ever written, and many of Hemingway's writings are considered to be American classics.

The famous letter from Agnes von Kurowsky is on display in the museum. Hemingway first met Agnes von Kurowsky at the Red Cross Hospital in Milan, Italy. The nurse took care of the Hemingway when he was wounded in World War I, and the couple soon fell in love and were engaged. The engagement was short lived however, when Hemingway moved back to the United Sates. Agnes wrote a letter in which she stated she was ending the engagement and marrying an Italian officer. Hemingway was left heartbroken and the relationship provided the inspiration for the novel, "A Farewell to Arms''.

A special exhibit in the museum highlights the love of the outdoors that the author had. Hemingway was taught by his father to fish, hunt and camp and being in the outdoors soon became one of Hemingway's most loved hobbies. Hemingway spent many summers of his younger years at Walloon Lake. These experiences prompted Hemingway to travel abroad and live in remote places, and provided him with the inspiration needed to write novels set in distant locations.

One of the exhibits tells about Hemingway and his affection for the arts. His mother was an aspiring opera singer at one time; she earned money by giving music and singing lessons in the family home. Hemingway's mother made sure that he was exposed to the arts, by taking him to operas and museums in Chicago quite frequently. Hemingway soon developed a deep appreciation for music and the arts, which was reflected in his writings.

The Hemingway Museum also focuses on the informal education the author received when growing up in Oak Park, Illinois and the surrounding Chicago area. Hemingway was soon writing about the people, places and events he had witnessed as a teenager. The lasting effects of the events can be traced in earlier works by Hemingway.

The Hemingway Museum provides visitors with the chance to read rare writings and study a complete history of the author. The special exhibits on display give guests a better understanding of the influences muses in his life has on his writing. Guests will be impressed by the collection of artifacts and writings on display, and the museum provides a comprehensive look at the life and times of the award winning American writer.