Chicago Area Mensa banner

Our next Monthly Gathering is on January 25th.
AGOG and the January Monthly Gathering will be held at the
Westin North Shore Hotel,
601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, IL 60090

The locations of the MGs vary.

Monthly Gathering

Our Chicago Area Monthly Gatherings are open to the public. So anyone interested in finding out more about Mensa is welcome to attend. A Gathering of Gamers (AGOG) and the January Monthly Gathering will be held at the Westin North Shore Hotel at 601 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling. 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

SAVINGS!
Through March 31 you can take the online Mensa Practice Test for only $8.99, a $9 saving! The Mensa Practice Test can be found 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.
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  . In the meantime, we encourage parents and kids to hang out together in a separate room where the 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.


Admission
Fees *		 Ages
18-∞ 8-17
Members $7.00 $3.00
Guests $10.00 $5.00

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

Directions to

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). Our main room will be Magnuson 1 & 2, Hospitality is in Magnuson 5, and the Mensa Test and the Presentation will both take place on the third floor in Magnuson 310.

The Magnuson Campus Center is 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 February 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 6:30 PM (Union Pacific–Northwest line — it leaves Ogilvie Station at 5:40 PM). A taxi will then leave the Park District building by 10 PM to return you to the Arlington Park station for the 10:32 PM train, which is the final train of the evening. Use of this service must be requested in advance by e‑mailing Greg  three days prior to the MG. Note: CAM will cover the cost of the taxi, but you are responsible for your own train ticket.

Most Mensans enjoy playing games and Chicago Mensa loves to throw a party. Come join us for a long, fun weekend at A Gathering of Gamers (AGOG), which runs from Friday, January 24th through Sunday, January 26th. AGOG and the January Monthly Gathering 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).

Book your room today!New Tab The hotel is offering a AGOG room rate of $108 through Friday, January 10th. 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 Schedule

2020
January 25th
 AGOG
Westin North Shore Hotel
601 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Wheeling, IL 60090

A Gathering of Gamers
(January 24th – 26th)

googleCalendarButton

AGOG


February 22nd
Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Dr.
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
March
TBD
Tentative‡
April 32th
aka May 2nd
Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Dr.
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
May 30th
Tentative‡
North Park University
5000 N. Spaulding Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625

June
TBD
Tentative‡
July 25th
Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Dr.
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
August
TBD
Tentative‡
September
TBD
Tentative‡
October 29th–November 1st
 HalloweeM
Westin North Shore Hotel
601 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Wheeling, IL 60090
googleCalendarButton

HalloweeM


November
No Gathering
December 5th
Rolling Meadows Community Center
3705 Pheasant Dr.
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

‡ If a Monthly Gathering is tentative, both the location and dates may change. Please check this site, ChiMe or Meetup about a month before the gathering for any changes.

Mensa Testing

The test is administered at 4 PM at every Monthly Gathering. Get more information about taking a proctored test to join Mensa including different dates and locations. You must preregister to take advantage of any special offers from American Mensa. Or check out if any of the tests you’ve taken in the past can be used as prior evidence to join.

Mensa members, forward your Mensa Voucher Program (MVP) code (“WindyCity19”) that AML e‑mailed you to any non-member. S/he may use this MVP code either to submit prior evidence before the end of of this month for free or to take any of the supervised tests for free, provided s/he preregisters using the code, held prior to the end of this year at a Monthly Gathering or at any other test location.



Thanks for being our 10,849th visitor to the Monthly Gathering page.

Home Contact Members
Only