The building itself was originally the Palace of Fine Arts at Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian exposition. The Museum of science and Industry opened its great brass doors for the first time in 1933.
The museum has three floors, covering a total of 350,000 sq ft or 32,520 sq m. It has more than 800 exhibits and over 2,000 interactive units. The museum attracts close to 2 million visitors per year.
Climb aboard the Pioneer Zephyr, the world’s first streamlined train. Go inside The U-505 a German World War II submarine. The museum also has a large section on the human body. Among the items on display is a 20ft tall walk-through model of a heart and there’s also a permanent exhibit covering AIDS.
The energy section includes a reconstruction of a 1933 Illinois coal mine which allows people to descend 50 ft into the mine. It was the first exhibit of the museum, but it is still one of the main attractions. In the environmental section you have an interactive display explaining the ozone layer and pollution.
Other attractions include a Fairy Castle (a 9sq ft dollhouse with working electricity and plumbing), a 3,000 sq ft model railroad, an omnimax theater, flight simulators and even a baby chick hatchery.
Visit the Apollo 8 spacecraft and go for a simulated space shuttle ride. See the latest presentation in the Henry Crown Space Center.
See the largest collection of Jordan artifacts ever assembled. All this and much more at The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Location: 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
Phone: (773) 684-1414
Hours: The Museum of Science and Industry is open every day of the year, except for December 25.
May 27 – September 4
Monday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
September 5 – November 16
Monday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
November 17 – November 19
Monday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
November 20 – November 23
Monday through Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
November 24 – November 26
Friday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
November 27 – December 17
Monday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
December 18 – December 29
Monday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Closed December 25, Christmas Day
Admission: Adult $11.00 Chicago residents: $10.00
Child (3-11) $7.00 Chicago residents: $6.25
Senior (65+) $9.50 Chicago residents: $8.75