Marvel at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago

I love engaging museums that give people of all ages the opportunity to dive into science, history or more. The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has all of that and more. I was able to fly into outer space, watch a lightning storm over my head and go underground in a coal mine. Those are definitely not something I had ever associated with Chicago. But now, it’s a museum I would visit in future visits to the Windy City.

If you’re going to be in Chicago, here’s a rundown on why you should plan a few hours at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Directions and Tickets to the Museum of Science and Industry

The Museum of Science and Industry isn’t located in downtown Chicago near many of the other museums. It’s a short 6-mile drive south along DuSable Lake Shore Drive. When you arrive at the museum, there are a few places you can enter the museum to access the front desk.

If you drove your own vehicle, you’ll enter the parking garage located on the east side of the museum. Follow the signs from the parking level to the stairs or elevator to gain access to the main entrance area. NOTE: Parking fees are $22 per vehicle. There are bus or train options you can use to get from downtown Chicago to the museum.

We took an UBER to the main entrance and were able to walk through the main doors and follow the signs to the lower levels for the ticket counter and entrance.

I highly recommend purchasing your tickets online in advance of your visit. The process is pretty simple. Select the date and time you plan to begin your visit. Then indicate how many people are in your group: Adult (12+) tickets are $21.95 and youth (3-11) tickets are $12.95. Those tickets are general admission and don’t include some of the add-on options, which I’ll talk about below.

If you are visiting multiple museums in Chicago and have purchased a Chicago CityPASS, you’ll follow the purchase process online, noting you’re planning to use your CityPASS ticket to the Museum of Science and Industry. Read more about the Chicago CityPASS to see if it’s worth grabbing for your visit to the Windy City.

NOTE: There are some areas of the museum where social distancing isn’t an option (like on the coal mine tour), so masks are required in those areas.

Add-on Tickets and Tours at the Museum

Beyond the general admission tickets, the Museum of Science and Industry has some add-on options you should consider adding to your ticket purchase. Like general entry, these exhibits have specific tour start times, so you can use that to help you plan your visit.

Here’s a summary of the current exhibits, Giant Dome Theater shows or experiences.

COAL MINE TOUR

Visitors can ride a rickety elevator to the bottom of a coal mine and learn more about life in a coal mine. This is the oldest exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry and has been in operation since 1933. Tours last about 30 minutes. Ticket prices are as follows: Adults $12, Children (3-11) $9. MASKS REQUIRED

U-505 (German Submarine) ON-BOARD TOUR

Have you ever walked through the cramped quarters of a submarine? It’s an interesting experience and makes me glad I’ve never set sail in a submarine. The U-505 is the only remaining German submarine captured during WWII and is not on display at the museum. You can check out the room where the submarine is housed (read more on that below), but this tour takes you inside the submarine. Guided tours last about 25 minutes. Ticket prices are $18 for adults and $14 for children (3-11). MASKS REQUIRED

POMPEII: The Exhibition

Immerse yourself in the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in this interactive exhibit. You can also check out the nearly 200 artifacts on display from the Roman city of Pompeii that have been recovered over the years. Tickets are as follows: Adults (age 12+) $18; Children (age 3-11) $14.

GIANT DOME THEATER (Shows)

Do you want to stand on the top of the world’s tallest mountain? Maybe you’re more interested in taking a journey through the universe. Looking to stand next to an erupting volcano? Snag a time to watch these short documentaries in the Giant Dome Theater. Ticket prices are $12 for adults (12+) and $9 for children (ages 3-11).

DISSECT AN EYE

So you’d probably never think of going to a museum to dissect an eye, but that’s one of the experiences available at the Museum of Science and Industry. People over the age of 8 can attend, but you must be 16 years old or older to do the actual dissection – since a scalpel is involved. The experience includes the dissection of a cow’s eye to learn about the parts of our own eyes. Ticket prices are $12 for adults (12+) and $9 for children (ages 3-11). MASKS REQUIRED

FLIGHT SIMULATORS/MOTION SIMULATORS/VR TRANSPORTER

There are multiple simulators available to add on to your general admission ticket. Those options include taking the stick of a fighter jet and engaging in a dog fight. Another one is a motion simulator to take you on a ride through the skies in a variety of airplanes. The Virtual Reality experience can take you to space or into the ocean wearing VR Goggles. Prices range from $8-20, but vary based on the experience and number of participants.

Explore the History of Outer Space

As you know, I’m a bit of a space nerd. so of course, the first exhibit area I hit up at the Museum of Science and Industry is the one housing two historic space capsules. What makes these two capsules even more unique is that I’ve met the occupants that rode them into space.

The Mercury capsule, Aurora 7, was piloted by Scott Carpenter. My son and I spoke with him more than a decade ago and asked him about his time aboard the capsule. Seeing the capsule in person was a real treat.

The Apollo 8 capsule carried the first humans to the moon. Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders were the first to see the back side of the moon with their own eyes. It’s where we get the famous photo of the earth rising from the horizon of the moons surface… a photo that hung in the Oval Office during President Nixon’s time in office. I’ve met Jim Lovell, who commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission.

RELATED POST: See the Apollo 13 command module at the Cosmosphere in Kansas

Beyond marveling at these two historic space capsules, there are many artifacts on display in this area. There’s also a replica of a lunar lander on the moon’s surface and historic footage and interviews from astronauts who flew to the moon.

I could’ve spent several hours exploring the history contained in this area of the museum. But I knew I needed to visit some of the other areas as well before my time was up. But it was hard to leave this area. Did I mention I’m a space nerd? 😉

Learn about WWII at the German Submarine – The U-505

As mentioned earlier, there’s an add-on ticket option to tour inside the U-505 German submarine. But if you aren’t interested in going inside it, you can definitely dedicate a chunk of time explore the exterior of the submarine and other exhibits.

I spent a few minutes typing a message out on an Enigma machine. The code was then emailed to me so I could check it out later. It’s a great way to see how the German coding and transmissions worked during World War II.

As you make your way through the exhibit, you can read all about how this German submarine was captured. But the trick was hiding that fact from the Germans and leading them to believe it had sunk. That would allow them time to unravel the mystery of the elusive warships (submarines) that were sinking ships around the world.

RELATED POST: Explore a Cold War-era Russian submarine at the Maritime Museum of San Diego

I saw lots of kids interacting in several other exhibit areas. I had times my visit with a bunch of school kids, so I didn’t get to dedicate a lot of time to this area because it was pretty full. But the kids seemed to be enjoying their time in several hands-on learning exhibits.

Science Storms: Lightning, Tornadoes, Solar Power, Water Power and More

The Science Storms exhibit area was definitely near the top of my list of TOTALLY AWESOME exhibits. As you can see from the photo above, you’ll get a chance to see lighting indoors. That show happens every 20-30 minutes. But beyond the Tesla Coil on the ceiling, there are several other exhibits that allow people to push, pull and learn about the power and wonder of nature.

Have you ever tried to control a spinning tornado? Changing its direction or even its speed. Have you ever seen how solar power waxes and wanes based on how much sunlight is reaching the surface of the earth? Are there ways to protect coastlines from destructive tsunamis? All of those are questions you can try to find answers for through trial and error in a safe science setting.

RELATED POST: Explore the Museum of Science in Boston

There are kids and adults engaged in the numerous hands-on exhibits. I found myself trying out a few things and seeing how changing different variables changes the outcomes. For example, some solar-powered slot cars – a Delorean and K.I.T.T. – would change speed as you adjusted some shades that limited the amount of sunlight hitting the solar panels.

You could probably spend an hour just in this exhibit area, so it’s definitely worth taking the time to explore and learn.

Transportation Gallery: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The Transportation Gallery comprises two floors of the museum. On the lower floor, as you can see from the photo above, you can explore model trains making their way through various landscapes. There’s also a large locomotive engine and coal tender you can walk through.

If planes are more your thing, then simply look up. You can see several types of planes hanging from the ceiling, but if you want to immerse yourself in the air travel world, make your way up to the second floor.

You’ll notice the large commercial airplane. It’s a Boeing 727, decked out inside with a retro 1960s look. Well, on the second floor you can access the Take Flight exhibit and step inside of that plane to learn more about the evolution of aviation. On the wall opposite the plane, you can check out an airport scene to learn about the support needed to help passengers travel from one airport to another.

Engaging Activities and Exhibits for Kids

If all of the other exhibit areas that I’ve already talked about doesn’t convince you that there are ways for kids to engage in science, then pay even more attention to this section. One of the areas that had the most young kids swarming around exhibits was in the farm area, and a few other exhibits near there.

As you can see from the photo above, there are large farm vehicles that kids – even really young kids – like to explore. There were parents and strollers galore in this area. Beyond just large equipment to explore, there’s an opportunity for kids to try their hand at milking cows. Not real cows, mind you. But the kids can take the tubes, hook them up the udders and see if they did it right to milk the cows. Like I said, there’s a of engaging activities in this area.

For younger kids, there’s a playground area that reserved just for them. It’s a great place to let your kids get some energy out.

Nearby is a fantasy dream castle. Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle is a home this Hollywood star built. However, it wasn’t one she was going to live in – it was a tiny house and something that is so amazing to look at. There are miniature details on stairways, sculptures, flooring, furniture and more. This fairytale castle is worth explore, and marveling at the attention to the minute details found inside.

You: The Experience – and Other Exhibits at the Museum

The human body is an amazing piece of work. Organs, muscles and tissues all working together to move and feel. This exhibit area provides an opportunity to learn about the different systems in the body and engage in activities that help the young and old better understand how we work.

There is a content advisory for this exhibit, since there are human specimens on display. So that may be a little disturbing to some people. I found it fascinated and helpful in understanding how the human body works.

Scattered on various floors of the museum are other exhibits I want to mention. I’ve mainly highlighted the more popular ones – or the ones I found most interesting. But here’s a quick list of others you may want to check out.

• Swiss Jolly Ball
• Earth Revealed
• Idea Factory
• Yesterday’s Main Street
• Whispering Gallery
• The Art of the Bicycle
• Pioneer Zephyr

There is, however, one exhibit area I want to call out in closing: The Mirror Maze. I’ve always wanted to walk through a mirror maze to see what it’s like. I got that chance at the Museum of Science and Industry. I walked rather slow through the maze, because I didn’t want to be the guy who ran into the walls. But it amazed me that kids would run through the maze and not a single one ran into a mirror or wall. Their eyes must be better than mine.

One trick I learned… look for the fingerprints on the mirrors to help you navigate through the maze. Haha!

The Details

Address: 5700 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60637

How long to spend: Plan at least two hours, but you can easily spend a full day at the museum.

Cost: Adult tickets are $21.95, while children’s (ages 3-11) tickets are $12.95. Additional activities (like the coal mine or submarine tour) are separate tickets, ranging from $12-$18. You can also purchase a Chicago CityPASS if you plan to explore other hot spots in Chicago.

Hours: Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Website: https://www.msichicago.org/

Phone: (773) 684-1414

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