Courtesy Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation's new Chicago home, shown here in this architectural rendering, opens this month.

Looking to take in a little culture on your next vacation? If so, you could do worse than enjoy some verse. From Edwin Curran’s “marble-spired Manhattan” to Joaquin Miller’s “Plains of Arizona,” poetry is in the air this summer.

The big news in poetry circles is this weekend’s opening of the Poetry Foundation’s new home in Chicago. Located in the city’s Near North Side, the two-story, glass-walled building will likely serve as a destination not just for poetry buffs but for architecture fans and others seeking a quiet spot amid the urban hustle.

In fact, the new Poetry Foundation facility is one of just three public spaces in the country built exclusively for the advancement of poetry. All are free, open to the public and provide places to refresh yourself as you go along your travels this summer: 

• Poetry Foundation, Chicago: Four blocks from the retail madness of the Magnificent Mile, the newest addition to Chicago’s vibrant literary scene is home to a 35,000-volume library and a 4,000-square-foot garden. An open house will be held June 25–26 with readings, book signings and other activities.
• Poets House, New York: For poetry enthusiasts, Poets House in Lower Manhattan is a must-see destination, especially between June 28–July 30, during its annual Showcase, when every poetry book published in the U.S. during the year will be on display. For everybody else, the facility offers riverfront views of the Statue of Liberty and a place of reflection after visits to the World Trade Center site, two blocks away.
• The University of Arizona Poetry Center, Tucson, Ariz.: While poetry fans are drawn to the Center’s 70,000-item collection, the facility’s striking architecture and rotating exhibits offer a more museum-like experience for less dedicated travelers. An exhibit of poetry broadsides (one-sheet presentations) is on display through Aug. 10.

In fact, that exhibit speaks directly to the idea that poetry-based destinations are not just for poetry fans, says Poetry Center Executive Director Gail Browne: “There are a lot of interesting works that are produced in affiliation with poetry that are more similar to a museum or art exhibition than a library.

“Whether it’s here or Poets House or the Poetry Foundation building, all of them have beautiful exhibition spaces. They’re wonderful places to visit in terms of looking at art as well as reading a book.”

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Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.