The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is a private, non-profit science museum in Illinois. Since 2024, it has been named after American investor and financier Kenneth Griffin. The attraction is included in the list of recommended American locations.
History of creation
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago opened in 1933 as part of the "Century of Progress" exhibition. The project to launch the museum was proposed by businessman Julius Rosenwald, and he was supported by the Chicago Commercial Club. The entrepreneur had the idea to create a scientific center in 1911. He was inspired by a visit to the museum in Munich, and was greatly impressed by the interactive exhibits. He wanted the residents of the United States to have the same opportunity to develop. I imagined how families with children come to the museum, and it becomes a small tradition that is passed down from generation to generation.
Rosenwald spent $3 million to realize his dream, and it was decided that the landmark would open in the building of the former Palace of Fine Arts, which had been preserved since the 1893 World's Fair. It was built for temporary use, it was not suitable for storing a rapidly growing exhibition.
Short description
During the renovation of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the exterior was re-cast from limestone, which allowed the original structure to be preserved. The interior was replaced according to the Art Nouveau design by architect Alfred Shaw. Julius Rosenwald founded the museum, but did not give it his name, although the locals called the landmark the "Rosenwald Industrial Museum" for the first 2 years. It began receiving visitors in 1933, but was not fully operational until the end of the decade. Since that time, approximately 200 million people have visited it, and this number continues to grow.
Permanent and temporary exhibitions are organized on 4 floors of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago with an area of more than 50,000 square meters. The collection consists of 35,000 exhibits. These include:
- Spacecraft "Apollo 8", which made the first manned flight to the Moon from Cape Kennedy. The duration of the flight, which went down in history, was just over 6 days. With his help, exploration of the lunar surface was carried out.
- A full-scale model of a coal mine. The tour allows you not only to learn about this place, but also to go down to it with the help of an elevator, to see how mining technologies have developed.
- The U-505 submarine from Germany, captured in World War II. Visitors can view the artifact, an additional fee will allow them to board.
- The first American Pioneer Zephyr diesel train, built of stainless steel and designed to carry passengers. You can get acquainted with the impressive model of the railway.
- The Boeing-727 is a real passenger aircraft, it is not a mock-up model. Guests of the museum can look inside and explore all the details. It was created for flights from small airports with minimal infrastructure.
- The YOU exhibition! The Experience is dedicated to the human body, where you can learn about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Among the exhibits are an interactive 3D heart, a human–sized hamster wheel, and so on.
- In the Science Storms pavilion, they talk about the principles of tornadoes, tsunamis and lightning, and you can look at the Tesla coil, which fires approximately every half hour.
- For young visitors, the Museum of Science and Industry has opened "ToyMaker 3000", which demonstrates the work of an automated toy assembly line. If desired, children can create a toy themselves. Also in this pavilion you can visit a replica of the "Fairy Castle" fairy tale palace.
In addition, you can visit exhibitions dedicated to meteorology, agriculture, genetics, the Internet and other fields. The staff of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago organizes lectures and events where scientific experiments are demonstrated. Restaurants and shops with books and souvenirs were opened for visitors.
How to get
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is located in Hyde Park, near Lake Michigan. The CTA bus route No2, 6, 15, 55 passes through it. Visitors can take the ME, SSL commuter trains for the tour. The nearest station is 55th-56th-57th, which is within walking distance of the attraction. There is a covered parking nearby where you can park your car.
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