Ray Bradbury Experience Museum in Waukegan: Closure Announced

Sad news: the Ray Bradbury Experience Museum in Ray's home town of Waukegan, Illinois, has announced that it is permanently closing. This sad news follows a tough few years - including the pandemic, of course, in which the RBEM has struggled to establish and maintain its presence. This was especially true after the Museum lost its downtown exhibition space.

Waukegan's historic Carnegie Library is currently being renovated, so as to serve as the new home to the Historical Society. I understand that a section of the building's interior will feature a display of books bequeathed by Ray to the city - so there will be something for Bradbury tourists to seek out in the downtown area.

 

(And please note that the Ray Bradbury Center in Indiana is unaffected by the closure of RBEM. The two organisations (RBEM and RBC) are not connected, except in spirit.)

 

Below is the full text of the announcement from the Museum committee chair, Sandy Petroshius.

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RBEM Announces Closing

 

Ray Bradbury to “Live Forever” in Green Town 

 

In 2017 a group of dedicated volunteers came together to honor Ray Bradbury in his hometown Waukegan, Illinois, with an interactive museum. As the Ray Bradbury Experience Museum Committee, we operated the museum out of a space in downtown Waukegan, donated by the Greater Waukegan Development Coalition. 

 

Now, after much consideration, the RBEM Committee has decided to officially close in May 2023. This decision followed challenging realities. COVID was a daunting obstacle. Many donors shifted their attention to other, more pressing social needs. In addition, it was immensely difficult to secure a much-needed permanent location in downtown Waukegan.

 

Over the years, we worked with museum designers to develop plans for the future museum. At the same time, the RBEM Committee and volunteers welcomed visitors to events, readings, performances, and exhibits in Waukegan and at national and regional conventions. We presented Ray Bradbury programs, online and in-person, for local and regional schools and libraries. A highlight event was the August 22, 2020, celebration of the Centennial of Ray Bradbury’s birth in Waukegan. 

 

April 2023 marked our final program. Partnering with the Waukegan Public Library and the Waukegan Historical Society and funded by an Illinois Humanities grant, we presented Explore Ray Bradbury, a weekend of multi-media and hands-on engagement with Bradbury’s classic books and themes. Excited visitors of all ages heard Bradbury stories, created Bradbury-themed crafts, invented banned book slogans and pins, and experienced a virtual reality journey to the International Space Station. 

 

While our vision of an interactive Ray Bradbury museum will not come to fruition, Ray Bradbury’s legacy is flourishing in Waukegan. “Fantastical Traveler,” the brilliant Ray Bradbury sculpture, greets everyone outside the Waukegan Public Library at 128 County Street, with Bradbury’s own typewriter on view inside. The historic Carnegie Library, currently under renovation, will open as the Waukegan History Museum. It will house Ray Bradbury’s personal collection of books. 

 

Thank you to the RBEM Committee for your boundless dedication, creativity, expertise, and generosity.

 

Thank you to our “Visionary Contributors” listed below. Your support energized all our efforts. 

 

Thank you to so many others not listed, who supported RBEM’s vision and work over the years by contributing thousands of hours volunteering, professional expertise, in-kind donations of goods and services, and communications. You made everything possible.

 

Thank you to Ray Bradbury for your lifelong passion for writing and your hundreds of stories. Your imagination inspired us from the very beginning. 

 

Ray, “live forever” in your beloved Green Town!

 

With heartfelt gratitude,

Sandy

 

Sandra Sarsha Petroshius, RBEM Committee Chair

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