The Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park s the restored Queen Anne home where the author was born in a second-floor bedroom on July 21, 1899.
This guide was updated in August 2026. Adult admission is now $20 — a recent Illinois travel guide still lists the older $17 rate. You can book your admission ticket in advance through Viator.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 339 N. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 |
| Hours (Thu, Fri, Sun) | 1pm–5pm |
| Hours (Sat) | 10am–5pm |
| Adult admission | $20.00 |
| Children under 10 (with adult) | Free |
| Nearest transport | Six blocks north of the Green Line “L” stop |
| Typical visit duration | About 50 minutes, guided tour |
Why book Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum tickets?
- 🏛️ Where Hemingway was born: In a second-floor bedroom on July 21, 1899, in his maternal grandparents’ home.
- 🎟️ Prices recently updated: Adult admission is $20, above the $17 rate a recent Illinois guide still quotes.
- 🌿 The first house with electricity: Built in 1890, this Queen Anne home was the first in Oak Park to have it.
- 📜 Two sites, one ticket: Admission also covers the separate Ernest Hemingway Museum down the street, with manuscripts, photos, and memorabilia.
- 💰 Free for under-10s: Children under 10 visit free when accompanied by an adult.
Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum opening hours
Regular hours run Thursday and Friday, 1pm to 5pm, Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 1pm to 5pm. During winter (December 1 to March 15), the schedule stays the same except Sunday hours are suspended entirely, and advance reservations are recommended. Tours begin on the hour, with the last tour departing at 4pm. The museum is closed on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Labor Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve and Day.
Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum ticket prices
Admission includes both the Birthplace tour and the separate Hemingway Museum down the street.
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | $20.00 |
| Senior (65+) | $18.00 |
| Youth (18 or younger) / College student (with ID) | $18.00 |
| Children under 10 (with adult) | Free |
Foreign language tours are also available for visitors who prefer a guided tour in a language other than English. Book in advance through Viator to secure your preferred tour time.
How to get to the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
The museum sits in the Hemingway Business District of Oak Park, about six blocks north of the Green Line “L” stop on North Oak Park Avenue. Metra’s Union Pacific West Line also serves Oak Park, a short walk from the museum.
Parking at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
Street parking is available in the immediate area around the museum.
How long to spend at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
The guided Birthplace tour runs about 50 minutes. Add extra time to visit the separate Hemingway Museum down the street, included with the same ticket.
Accessibility at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park states it offers accessible programming to accommodate the diverse needs of its visitors. For specific accessibility questions, it’s worth checking the museum’s dedicated accessibility page or contacting the foundation directly ahead of your visit.
What to see at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
Similar to Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, Georgia and the Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum in Milan, Ohio, this US historic house museum is as much about who lived there as the house itself.
The Queen Anne home itself, built in 1890 for Hemingway’s maternal grandparents, was the first house in Oak Park with electricity, and has been restored since 1992 to its 1890s Victorian appearance.
The second-floor bedroom where Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, anchors the docent-led tour, which explores the family’s life in the home until 1905, when the death of Hemingway’s grandfather, Ernest Hall, prompted the family’s move to a new house nearby.
The separate Ernest Hemingway Museum, a short walk away and included with the same ticket, displays the author’s childhood diary, rare early photographs, a break-up note from his first love Agnes von Kurowsky, military uniforms, typewriters, and early manuscripts.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book ahead in winter | Sunday hours are suspended December 1 through March 15, and reservations are recommended. |
| Arrive in time for the last tour | Tours start on the hour, with the final tour at 4pm. |
| Visit both sites on one ticket | Admission includes the separate Hemingway Museum down the street. |
| Bring student or senior ID | Both qualify for a discounted rate. |
| Ask about foreign language tours | Available for visitors who prefer a tour in another language. |
Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the opening hours? | Thursday and Friday 1–5pm, Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 1–5pm; winter hours drop Sunday entirely. |
| How much does admission cost? | $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and youth; free for children under 10 with an adult. |
| What does the ticket include? | Both the guided Birthplace tour and self-guided access to the separate Hemingway Museum down the street. |
| How do I get there? | Six blocks north of the Green Line “L” stop on N Oak Park Ave, or via Metra’s Union Pacific West Line. |
| How long is the tour? | About 50 minutes, led by a museum docent. |
Things to do near the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio, a short walk away, was the architect’s own residence and workplace from 1889 to 1909. It’s best seen on an Oak Park architecture tour.
Unity Temple, also nearby, is one of Wright’s most significant early public buildings, still an active Unitarian Universalist congregation.
Pleasant Home, another short walk, is a Prairie School mansion designed by architect George W. Maher, now a house museum.
Cheney Mansion, set on two acres of gardens, offers a contrasting English country house style within Oak Park.
Downtown Oak Park, a short walk from the museum, offers restaurants, cafes, and shops for before or after your visit.
What to visit tomorrow
The American Writers Museum, in downtown Chicago, about 20 to 30 minutes away via the Green Line, is the country’s only museum dedicated to American writers broadly, and includes its own gallery covering Oak Park’s own Ernest Hemingway alongside other Illinois authors.
Further afield, the classic site for Hemingway fans is the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida.
More Chicago neighbourhood attractions
Best neighbourhoods for visitors · Pizza styles in the West Loop · Lincoln Park Zoo · Lincoln Park Conservatory · Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum · Chicago Children’s Museum · Hotel EMC2 and its robot room service · Garfield Park Conservatory
