The Chicago Association of Specialized Museums is a self-described “coalition of small and quirky institutions throughout Chicago.”

Each museum invited its members to the party to introduce them to the other museums. Unfortunately, the space at the Cards Against Humanity Theater was too small to allow for a real appreciation of the visual presentations on the walls, though it did make it easy to mingle. All you had to do was turn around or try to scratch your nose.

What I did appreciate, however, was that, as at the opening of the American Writers Museum Bob Dylan exhibit, there was Heaven’s Door whiskey available for tasting. Also, the Fat Shallot food truck had excellent sandwiches.

The Chicago Gadhon Ensemble provided the Javanese gamelan background music on bamboo flutes and xylophones. I would have preferred Lionel Hampton and a jazz selection, but he hasn’t been available for quite a while.

I’ll mention a few of the museums. You can look the rest of them up on the association’s website. I was invited as a member of the American Writers Museum, which I love and have written about many times.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications is great. I get there regularly because it’s an early voting location and they let you roam around the museum for free if you go there to vote.

I’ve walked past the Poetry Foundation a million times, and if I ever figure out where the door is, I might check it out.

I also have never been to the International Museum of Surgical Science, but I see that they have an upcoming Nerd Night, for which they suggest that, after that night’s three featured talks, one of which is titled “Fecal transplants: Real science or a load of crap?”, you grab a drink at their bar and look at the exhibits because “everyone will be too drunk to mock you for reading every letter of every plaque!” Sounds like fun.