Welcome to Chicago Area Mensa

Our Mission

Chicago Area Mensa is a welcoming organization that provides a framework for intelligent individuals to interact and pursue common interests in order to build a social community.

One out of every fifty people qualifies for Mensa...
Are you the one?
Join us!

Mensa fame:
Chicago won the Diamond Jewel Award in both 2016 and 2014, the Sapphire in 2017, and the Emerald Jewel Award in 2015. Chicago is also the only nine-time GOTYA (now replaced by the Jewel Award) winner in Mensa.

Mensa was featured on CBS Sunday Morning (including notable Chicago Area Mensans!) a few years ago. See the show on CBS's YouTube channel:

Mensans come from all walks of life. They range from three to one hundred years old. They represent both sexes, all races, various professions, and many beliefs. In fact, there's only one thing all Mensans have in common: high intelligence. To qualify for Mensa, you must have scored in the top 2% of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. There are many tests we accept. Once you've decided to join us, a world of social and intellectual opportunities is open to you.

Chicago Area Mensa has something for everyone. There are many activities are scheduled each week. The range of activities is wide. In a recent month, there were six games nights, a Sunday brunch, seven dinners, five lunches, a competition at a trivia contest, a movie night, and discussions about poetry, Christianity, movies, and science fiction. All this in addition to our regularly scheduled Monthly Gatherings, which boast a spectacular variety of speakers. In the past few years alone we've enjoyed presentations on Russian culture, family heirloom recipes, global warming, board game renaissance, institutional corruption, 3D printing, money, highly sensitive people, Liberty Hyde Bailey, antiques, trivia, nuclear sciences, and more.

If our local events don't keep you busy enough, there are many other opportunities to meet other Mensans from all over the globe. Each October, Chicago Area Mensa hosts HalloweeM, one of the grandest of all the Regional Gatherings. In the summer, Mensans from around the country get together at the Annual Gathering, which is a feast of presentations and activities for our omnivorous minds. There are also Mensa colloquia: the next one coming up in 2017 is "Medicine and Technology." "The Nature of Genetics" was the topic of the most recent one held last June. Past topics included "Between Science Fiction and Science", "Crime Scene Intelligence", "Social and Video Games," "Electronic Gaming and Its Impact on Society" and "Weather."

In an MTV world, it's good to find some PBS minds. Come, see what we can do for you.

Participate & Socialize!

HalloweeM 43: Ready for Prime Time

Only 98 days until HalloweeM 43: Ready for Prime Time!

Join over 500 Mensans here in Chicago for an amazing, family-friendly weekend. There are lots programs to stimuate your mind, plenty of games and contests to challenge you, and many opportunitys to have fun, dance, converse and just enjoy yourself. Many of the pun-tastic costume parade entries will make you laugh (or groan). Meals, snacks, and beverages are included with the exception of dinner on Saturday. Click here for all the details.

Mensans, please register if you haven't already done so. You don't want to miss the terrific program and this incredibly fun experience. October 12th is the last day you can register online and qualify for a discount.

And at this time, the hotel is offering an amazing WeeM rate of only $107 until September 30th. So book your room today. If the hotel block is full, please contact our WeeM Chair who will try to expand the block.