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Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago

Written by Julie Greiner

The Museum of Science and Industry invites visitors to experience interactive exhibits and artifacts relating to science, technology and industry that have changed the way we live and work. The building itself was originally the Palace of Fine Arts at Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian exposition. In 1926, Julius Rosenwald, the Chairman of Sears, Roebuck and Company, envisioned a place that would spark America's "inventive genius" by giving visitors a hands-on learning experience. The Museum of science and Industry opened its great brass doors for the first time in 1933. Since 1933 the Museum has

Courtesy and Copyright of Museum of Science and Industry

been a Chicago favorite and one of the nation's premier science learning centers.

Inspiring the Inventive Genius

The Museum's mission is to provide guests with an experience that allows them to discover how fun science can be and the importance of technology and industry have been in shaping our society. The Museum is committed to helping nurture a "science-savvy" population that is poised to meet new challenges while having a wonderful time along the way. Named one of the 15 great museums in the world by LIFE Magazine, the Museum of Science and Industry invites visitors to experience a wonderland of interactive exhibits and extraordinary artifacts relating to science, technology and industry. Early in the Museum's beginnings the first leaders intended to build a coal mine within the Museum. In years since, the Museum has docked a World War II German submarine, become the final splashdown

Courtesy and Copyright of Museum of Science and Industry

site for the Appollo 8 space capsule and cleared a 727 Boeing jet for landing on the balcony of the East Court. The Museum is a living museum, one that grows and changes to reflect advances in science and technology.

Exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago

The U-505 Submarine is the only World War II submarine in the United Sates and one of only five left in the world. During a 15-minute guided tour, visitors see and hear the submarine's story brought to life as they walk through its five main compartments, the electric motor room, the diesel engine room, the control room, the galley and the petty officer's quarters and more. The first exhibit installed at the Museum was the Coal Mine and has remained a favorite since 1933. This is an actual southern Illinois coal mine. Guests descend 50 feet in a real hoist to the bottom of the mineshaft, where they can examine the evolution of technology in mining coal and experience first-hand the environment and routine of the U.S. mining industry. The Heart exhibit first opened in October of 1952. the 16-foot-tall model heart is designed to let guests walk through and view the heart inside-out, from the perspective of a tiny blood cell, and is constructed on a scale that would befit a 28-story tall human.

The Virtual Reality area is where guests can explore computer-enhanced environments of a city, a canyon and an electric circuit board. The museum is located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive and is open everyday of the year except Christmas Day. For more information or to plan a visit to the Museum call (800) 468-6674.