Chicago's literary tradition is arguably as rich, if not richer, than its architecture. Authors like Carl Sandburg, Saul Bellow, Studs Terkel, Gwendolyn Brooks, Sandra Cisneros and Aleksander Hemon stand as towering influences, like skyscrapers cast shadows over the Loop. So we're stoked to see the American Writers Museum has chosen to call Chicago home, starting in 2017.

The museum will be on Michigan Avenue, near other cultural institutions like the Art Institute and the Chicago Cultural Center. The museum signed a 10-year lease at 180 N Michigan. It needs to raise $10M by the end of 2016 in order to meet its 2017 target opening, and has raised $3.2M so far.

Once opened, the museum will focus on themed exhibits  centered on the country's most influential writers, interactive exhibits and educational programs, and aims to include social media and digital journalism in its mission statement. What we wouldn't give to see some Bisnow reports preserved in the museum.