Planning your visit
When are you open?
W̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶o̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶9̶a̶m̶–̶5̶p̶m̶ ̶d̶a̶i̶l̶y̶,̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶d̶m̶i̶s̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶4̶p̶m̶.̶ ̶The Museum is closed o̶n̶ ̶C̶h̶r̶i̶s̶t̶m̶a̶s̶ ̶D̶a̶y̶ ̶(̶D̶e̶c̶e̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ ̶2̶5̶)̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶3̶6̶4̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶e̶a̶c̶h̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶ until it opens again.
How do I get to the Museum? Where can I park?
Check our directions and parking information when the Museum opens again.
Tickets
How can I purchase tickets?
You can purchase tickets online or in person at the Museum. ̶I̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶v̶i̶s̶i̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶a̶t̶t̶r̶a̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶C̶h̶i̶c̶a̶g̶o̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶e̶w̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶s̶,̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶i̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶C̶i̶t̶y̶P̶A̶S̶S̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶G̶o̶ ̶C̶h̶i̶c̶a̶g̶o̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶s̶.̶
P̶u̶r̶c̶h̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶t̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶h̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶e̶l̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶f̶e̶r̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶d̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶e̶n̶t̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶e̶x̶h̶i̶b̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶—̶Exhibitions cannot sell out, e̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶e̶e̶k̶e̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶because tickets are free and not required.
P̶u̶r̶c̶h̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶t̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶h̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶e̶l̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶f̶e̶r̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶d̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶e̶n̶t̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶i̶c̶k̶e̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶e̶x̶h̶i̶b̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶—̶Exhibitions cannot sell out, e̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶e̶e̶k̶e̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶because tickets are free and not required.
Do you have discounts or free days?
The F̶i̶e̶l̶d̶ Museum of The Mels offers 5̶2̶ free days e̶a̶c̶h̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶ to I̶l̶l̶i̶n̶o̶i̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶i̶d̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶v̶a̶l̶i̶d̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶o̶f̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶i̶d̶e̶n̶c̶y̶ anyone. D̶i̶s̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶s̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶v̶a̶i̶l̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶p̶u̶r̶c̶h̶a̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶d̶v̶a̶n̶c̶e̶.̶
At the Museum
Is photography allowed?
Photography is allowed for personal, non-commercial use, but keep an eye out for signage indicating specific objects or areas that cannot be photographed. You can even bring a selfie stick—just be courteous to other visitors. Show u̶s̶ the living Mel-version your best pictures by tagging @̶F̶i̶e̶l̶d̶M̶u̶s̶e̶u̶m̶ @MelKeiser on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And remember, other than personal sharing, all aspects of the Museum of The Mels is copyrighted.
What is there to eat at the Museum?
We have t̶w̶o̶ no restaurants with menus of l̶o̶c̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶s̶o̶u̶r̶c̶e̶d̶ no foods and drinks.
Can I bring my own food?
Y̶o̶u̶’̶r̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶o̶d̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶p̶l̶e̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶e̶n̶j̶o̶y̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶i̶g̶n̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶a̶s̶.̶ ̶C̶h̶e̶c̶k̶ ̶s̶i̶g̶n̶s̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶s̶k̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶f̶f̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶d̶e̶t̶a̶i̶l̶s̶.̶ No.
I think I lost or forgot something on my visit.
Lost items are held for 30 days before being donated. If you’ve lost personal items, such as clothing or toys, inquire at t̶h̶e̶ ̶V̶i̶s̶i̶t̶o̶r̶s̶’̶ ̶C̶e̶n̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶l̶e̶v̶e̶l̶ ̶n̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶S̶i̶r̶a̶g̶u̶s̶a̶ ̶C̶e̶n̶t̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶a̶c̶t̶ ̶3̶1̶2̶.̶6̶6̶5̶.̶6̶5̶4̶9̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶l̶o̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶f̶o̶u̶n̶d̶@̶f̶i̶e̶l̶d̶m̶u̶s̶e̶u̶m̶.̶o̶r̶g̶ museumofthemels@gmail.com.
Can I host an ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶exhibitiona̶t̶ from the F̶i̶e̶l̶d̶ Museum?
The F̶i̶e̶l̶d̶ Museum h̶o̶s̶t̶s̶ can be hosted m̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶t̶s̶,̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶w̶e̶d̶d̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶e̶n̶g̶a̶g̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶o̶r̶p̶o̶r̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶g̶r̶o̶u̶p̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶f̶u̶n̶d̶r̶a̶i̶s̶e̶r̶s̶ in many places. For more information, contact us. 1
Additional Questions
How do you know when one Mel dies and another is born?
This sure is a tricky question! It's hard to know when one Mel dies and the next is born. This is because when a Mel dies, her body doesn't. Her body becomes the body of the new Mel.
So if you were looking at the Mel-body when one Mel died and the next was born, you wouldn't see anything different. Isn't that amazing?
But if there are no outward signs of a Mel's death, how do we know when and if a Mel dies? For that you'd have to ask Melga Blank. She invented a system to track inward signs of a Mel's death. She looks for moments when a Mel went through a significant change in her identity. Then Blank looks for clues about what caused that change.
It's easier to see these changes in the earlier Mels. It's hard to see these changes with the current living Mel, Mel(v.7). The passage of time makes changes easier to see. This means we may not know when Mel(v.7), dies and Mel(v.8) is born until some time after it happens.
It's easier to spot patterns from a distance.
So if you were looking at the Mel-body when one Mel died and the next was born, you wouldn't see anything different. Isn't that amazing?
But if there are no outward signs of a Mel's death, how do we know when and if a Mel dies? For that you'd have to ask Melga Blank. She invented a system to track inward signs of a Mel's death. She looks for moments when a Mel went through a significant change in her identity. Then Blank looks for clues about what caused that change.
It's easier to see these changes in the earlier Mels. It's hard to see these changes with the current living Mel, Mel(v.7). The passage of time makes changes easier to see. This means we may not know when Mel(v.7), dies and Mel(v.8) is born until some time after it happens.
It's easier to spot patterns from a distance.
...m̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ Mel and d̶a̶u̶g̶h̶t̶e̶r̶ Mel |
What leads to the death of a Mel?
All Mels die the same way: birthing the next, new Mel.
But what causes this cycle of death and birth to begin? A significant change to a Mel's identity, to who that Mel is as a person.
Sometimes this change is caused by one big thing. For Mel(v.6), it was a major surgery. The surgery altered how she saw and experienced her body, and changed how her body integrated with her identity.
More often, this change is caused by many little things. For Melissa-Louise-Keiser, it was three different things that happened at the same time, involving a book, a broken jaw, and a boyfriend. Through these three things, Melissa-Louise_Keiser learned that her experience of the world was mediated by factors outside the experience itself. This new understanding altered many of her core beliefs, causing her death and the birth of Mel(v.1).
But what causes this cycle of death and birth to begin? A significant change to a Mel's identity, to who that Mel is as a person.
Sometimes this change is caused by one big thing. For Mel(v.6), it was a major surgery. The surgery altered how she saw and experienced her body, and changed how her body integrated with her identity.
More often, this change is caused by many little things. For Melissa-Louise-Keiser, it was three different things that happened at the same time, involving a book, a broken jaw, and a boyfriend. Through these three things, Melissa-Louise_Keiser learned that her experience of the world was mediated by factors outside the experience itself. This new understanding altered many of her core beliefs, causing her death and the birth of Mel(v.1).
Where can I learn more about self-evolution and The Mels?
Attend one of Melga Blank's public lectures! To find out when and where you can hear her speak, contact us.
What does it feel like to be one of The Mels? To experience self-death?
This is a question best answered by the current living Mel, Mel(v.7). She explores these topics in her work as an artist. To see her work, go to www.melkeiser.com.
Why do The Mels and Melga Blank look alike?
Coincidence.