Chicago Area Mensa - Events: Monthly Gathering

The Chicago Area Monthly Gathering is open to the public. So anyone interested in finding out more about Mensa is welcome to attend. The March Monthly Gathering will be held at the Benedictine University at 5700 College Rd. in Lisle. The gatherings are held each month at one of five locations. So check this site to ensure you’re heading to the correct venue. Members can also check the latest issue of ChiMe, Chicago Mensa Meetup

, and/or can sign up for the Event E‑Mail List to get e‑mails about upcoming events, including any last minute changes. (Note: You should be getting the e‑mails about upcoming events already, provided your profile on American Mensa includes your e‑mail address. If you want to opt out, you can do so via the same link: Event E‑Mail List.)

Typical Monthly Gathering

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Until the end of March you can submit your score from any of 200+ IQ tests that American Mensa accepts for admission.
For details, visit here.

4:00 p.m.: Mensa Admissions Test (for anyone who wishes to become a member) — Preregister to reserve a space for this session or for a different test location/date. To see if any of your past tests qualify for membership, see what you need to qualify.
5:00 p.m.: Business Meeting — Our five board members and any other interested members discuss various topics and issues. Members are welcome to attend and voice their opinions, but only the Board of Directors can vote.
6:00 p.m.: Games Room opens for any early-arrivers and game enthusiasts. At recent gatherings members have played their favorite games such as Chess, Scrabble, Set, and Boggle, as well as current hit games. Our game collection is pretty extensive, so if you have a favorite, there's a fair chance we'll have it on hand. Here’s the list of our entire collection (minus a couple of oldies for which the Geek has no entry) over on Board Game Geek, although not all games are conveyed to every Monthly Gathering (there are just too many). Contact our Game Warden to ensure a specific one is available.
7:30 p.m.: Speaker Presentation — The gathering usually begins with announcements from our Local Secretary (LocSec), followed by a guest who speaks on an interesting topic for about an hour. A short description of the topic may be available on the March events page. Members can view the full article about this month’s topic in the March ChiMe.
8:30 p.m.: Refreshments, Socializing, and Games — After the speaker presentation, our hospitality volunteers provide an assortment of party food and beverages, and people browse and mingle. Conversation and games continue into the night.

The majority of the people start arriving around 7:00 PM. Usually about 60-100 people attend the Monthly Gathering. If you prefer a smaller group, try a one of our many restaurant gatherings hosted at various locations throughout the metropolitan area. Check out the latest monthly calendar of events for dates, or, for more information, call the Membership Chair.

Babysitting is no longer available unless we get some volunteers willing to do so or to arrange it. If interested, contact our LocSec ../images/email-regular.s.gif . In the meantime, we encourage parents and kids to hang out together in a separate room where their children can play together under their parents’ supervision. Also please contact our Gifted Youth Coördinators, who may be restarting the Gifted Youth MG activity held in conjunction with the regular MG.

* Children under the age of 8 are free provided they under the supervision of an adult attending the gathering.

Directions to

The March Monthly Gathering will be held at the Benedictine University’s Campus - Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business (Building 8 on the Campus Map) - located at 5700 College Rd. in Lisle. The building is near the southern end of the campus. Note that the campus is only accessible from College Rd. which runs along the eastern edge of the campus.

The business meeting, games, and hospitality will be in room 411. Testing and the parent-child play will be in room 317. The speaker will be in room 321. Note: The rooms tend to be a bit chilly, so you may want to consider bringing a sweater/sweatshirt. Please note that we have this venue only until midnight — plan accordingly. Benedictine University has given us access to their wifi.

Benedictine University is located at the southwest corner of Maple Ave. and College Rd. The campus is only accessible from College Rd.

The closest parking to Goodwin Hall (Building 8 on the campus map) is the parking garage (Building 7) and the parking lot NW of the garage, both of which are accessible via the campus road which runs parallel to College Rd. So after turning west onto one of the campus entrances* on the west side of College Rd., turn south (left) and follow that road as it curves west along the southern edge of the campus and eventually curves to slightly north (see maps). There are also three large parking lots along College Rd. (the southernmost parking lot is the closest of the three to Goodwin Hall). Parking is free.

If coming east or west on I-88 (north of the campus):

Exit onto onto Interstate 355 Tollway S toward Joliet.
Continue on I-355 S for ~3.3 miles to the Maple Ave. exit.
Turn west (right) onto Maple Ave.
Head west on Maple Ave. for ~2.4 miles to College Rd.
(Note: At the stop light, it's College to the south and Yackley to the north).
Turn south (left) onto College Rd.

If coming east or west on I-55 (south of the campus):

Take the Interstate 355 Tollway N/Interstate 355 Tollway S toward Northwest Suburbs/Southwest Suburbs exit.
Stay right to merge onto I-355 N.
Head north on I-355 N to the Maple Ave. exit.
Turn west (left) onto Maple Ave.
Head west on Maple Ave. for ~2.4 miles to College Rd.
(Note: At the stop light, it's College to the south and Yackley to the north).
Turn south (left) onto College Rd.

From College Rd. (no entrance from Maple Ave.):

The campus is on the SW corner of Maple and College so turn west (right) onto the campus from Maple.
Warning: There is no entrance onto the campus south of the main entrance (1 on the Campus Map) even though it looks like there is one on the map.
Turn south (left) onto the campus road that runs parallel to College and continue along as it curves to the west along the southernmost edge of the campus and then slightly north.
Enter either the parking garage (Building 7 on the Campus Map) or the nearby narrow parking lot just past the garage, both of which are on the right and are closest to Goodwin Hall (the first building north of the parking garage and east of the parking lot). Otherwise you may park in the NW region of the southernmost parking lot near College Ave. and it is still a short walk NW to Goodwin Hall.
Walk to Goodwin Hall (Building 8 on the map).

Warning*: Although the map seems to show an entrance from College Rd. south of the main entrance (1 on the Campus Map) at the very southern edge of the campus that feeds into the road to the parking lot, some people have said it isn't always accessible.

Attention, city-dwelling Chicago Area Ms! Until further notice, there will be a taxi service for our suburban Monthly Gatherings, between the closest Metra station and the meeting site. For the Benedictine University site, we will have a taxi pick you up at the Lisle station at 6:31 PM (Burlington Northern (BNSF) Railway line — it leaves Union Station at 5:40 PM). A taxi will then leave the Goodwin Hall by 11 PM to return you to the train by 11:38 PM, for the final train of the evening. Use of this service must be requested in advance by e‑mailing Megan by March 20th. Note: CAM will cover the cost of the taxi, but you are responsible for your own train ticket.

The May Monthly Gathering will be held at the North Park University’s Magnuson Campus Center at 5000 N. Spaulding Avenue in Chicago (south of Foster, between Kimball and Kedzie, north of Argyle). It’s Building 16 on the campus map - just behind (west of) the building (Burgh Hall on Spaulding and Argyle) that blocks one’s view of the Magnuson Campus Center from Spaulding. The building is located on the southeast side of the Chicago River, North Branch, which flows through the campus, thus there is no car access from any of the side streets near the campus that are north or west of the river although there are foot paths to a pedestrian bridge. The building is on the river just northwest of the Spaulding and Argle intersection. Please note that we have this venue only until midnight — plan accordingly.

Free parking in the student lots. Campus security will not ticket any of us who are parked in student parking (SE corner of Carmen and Spaulding (closest lot), north of Carmen and west of Kedzie (next closest lot) and the east side of Kedzie between Foster and Carmen where the southernmost lot is just a two block walk to the Magnuson Campus Center).

There is also street parking in the neighborhood so check for spots along Carmen, Spaulding and Argyle but read the signs; there is permit-only parking in the area as well as metered parking where you pay at the box using cash or credit/debit cards or via the ParkChicago app which enables you to pay and add time remotely with your smart phone. Chicago parking tickets are expensive so make sure you park legally.

The Magnuson Campus Center is located northwest of the Spaulding and Argyle intersection. Follow the curved foot path along the river that runs west of/behind Burgh Hall (the large rectangular red brick building on Spaulding) and northeast of Anderson Hall (the round building on Argyle).
Warning: Burgh Hall blocks your view of the Magnuson Campus Center from Spaulding.

The CTA Brown Line Kimball station is less than a ½ mile southwest from Magnuson Campus Center at Lawrence and Kimball. Head north on Kimball to Argyle. Turn right on Argyle. After Anderson Hall (round building), you’ll see the Magnuson Campus Center to your right (north) next to the the river.

There are also several bus lines that service the area. The CTA Bus Tracker makes it easy to find out when the buses arrive and depart on your smart phone.

General directions to the campus can be found on the NPU website. The Magnuson Campus Center is located on the southeast bank of the river and is not actually on Spaudling; it is Building 16 on the map, just behind (west of) the building (Burgh Hall) located on Spaulding; all are located on the northwest corner of Spaulding and Argyle. The river prevents automobile access from any of the side streets that run through the campus north of or west of the river (see the campus map); but if you park on any of those streets, there are foot paths that lead to a pedestrian bridge, which crosses the river, enabling you to walk to the Magnuson Campus Center. After crossing the bridge, head south (right) on the curving foot path between the buildings and the entrance is on your right.

If coming from the northwest on I-90E:

Take the Lawrence Ave. exit.
Head north on Cicero Ave. to Foster.
Head east on Foster for 2 miles to Kedzie Ave.
Head south (right from Foster) on Kedzie Ave.
- Continue to Carmen Ave. (four-way stop—the first street on your right) and turn west (right) for the closest parking (see below).
- Or park in the southernmost student parking on the east (left) side of Kedzie between Foster and Carmen). These lots are the farthest from the Magnuson Campus Center. Walk south along Kedzie, cross Kedzie at Carmen, walk west along Carmen to path along the east bank of the Chicago river and turn south (left) on path. Stay right as the path goes between the buildings. Magnuson Campus Center is on your right next to the river.

If coming from the north on I-94E:

Take the Cicero Ave. exit to Foster.
Head east on Foster for 2 miles to Kedzie Ave.
Head south (right from Foster) on Kedzie Ave.
- Continue to Carmen Ave. (four-way stop—the first street on your right) and turn west (right) for the closest parking (see below).
- Or park in the southernmost student parking on the east (left) side of Kedzie between Foster and Carmen). These lots are the farthest from the Magnuson Campus Center. Walk south along Kedzie, cross Kedzie at Carmen, walk west along Carmen to path along the east bank of the Chicago river and turn south (left) on path. Stay right as the path goes between the buildings. Magnuson Campus Center is on your right next to the river.

If coming from the south on I-90W/I-94W:

Take the Kedzie Ave. exit.
Head north ~2½ miles to Carmen (stop sign).
- Turn west (left) onto Carmen Ave. (four-way stop) for the closest parking (see below).
- Or go straight and park in the first of the student lots on the east side of Kedzie Ave. between Carmen and Foster. Walk south to Carmen, cross Kedzie, walk west along Carmen to path along the east bank of the Chicago river and turn south (left) on path. Stay right (closest to the river) as the path goes between the buildings. The Magnuson Campus Center is on your right next to the river.

For the closest parking to Spaulding and Argyle:

Continue west on Carmen Ave.
- On your right (north) will be an entrance to the 2nd closest student lot.
- Or continue west on Spaulding and enter the student lot on the southeast corner of Spaulding and Carmen (on your left).
- Or park along Carmen Ave. or follow the curve south which takes you to Spaulding and park along Spaulding.

The April Monthly Gathering will be held at the Rolling Meadows Community Center at 3705 Pheasant Drive in Rolling Meadows. The Community Center is located just east of IL-53, just north of the Algonquin exit and south of the Euclid exit. Find directions on the Rolling Meadows Park District’s website or use the map on the right.

We will have games and hospitality in their spacious auditorium with overflow space in the lobby. The speaker event will be in the Card Room. There will be a Parents-Kids Play Room available. Please note that we have this venue only until midnight — plan accordingly.

Parking is plentiful and free.

Attention, city-dwelling Chicago Area Ms! Until further notice, there will be a taxi service for our suburban Monthly Gatherings, between the closest Metra station and the meeting site. For the Rolling Meadows site, we will have a taxi pick you up at the Arlington Park station at 6:20 PM (Union Pacific–Northwest line — it leaves Ogilvie Station at 5:30 PM). A taxi will then leave the Park District building by 10 PM to return you to the train by 10:29 PM, for the final train of the evening. Use of this service must be requested in advance by e‑mailing Megan by March 20th. Note: CAM will cover the cost of the taxi, but you are responsible for your own train ticket.

There is no Monthly Gathering in October nor in November. Instead, CAM hosts HalloweeM, the largest Regional Gathering (RG) in the country. It's a wonderful, fun, and informative event that runs Thursday, October 31st through Sunday, November 3rd. Expect games, dances, programs, costume parades, and excursions. Our great RG will be held at the Westin-Chicago North Shore Hotel at 601 North Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling. The hotel is located on the east side of Milwaukee and the main entrance is at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Wolf Road (just south of Lake-Cook and north of Dundee Road).

The rooms facing east enjoy a great view of the Forest Preserves. The hotel is located just west of the Des Plaines River and is steps away from the Des Plaines River Trail leading into the Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve.

There’s plenty of free parking both on the north and the south side of the hotel. The south lot is closer to the meeting rooms.

The hotel offers a shuttle service from the nearby METRA stations. Please call them well in advance to arrange a pickup.

Monthly Gathering

Typical Monthly Gathering

Directions to

Monthly Gathering Schedule

Mensa Testing

Monthly Gathering

Typical Monthly Gathering

Directions to Benedictine University North Park University Rolling Meadows Community Center Westin North Shore Hotel

Monthly Gathering Schedule

Mensa Testing

Directions to