Categories: Museums Entertainment and Attractions

Museum of Science and Industry

Author: Molly Fergus

History of the Museum of Science and Industry

Letting kids play is what museum founder Julius Rosenwald envisioned when he pledged $3 million to the museum in 1926. Inspired in 1911 on a visit to the Deutsches Museum in Munich with his son, the Sears Roebuck & Company Chairman left Germany determined to bring a similarly interactive museum to Chicago . The project began in 1926, when Rosenwald dedicated money to the cause. By 1933, the museum was opened to the public, and it seems the 1911 trip to Germany proved profitable: The museum has grown to display 35,000 artifacts and saw 1.88 million visitors in 2005.

Museum of Science and Industry Exhibits

Whether you're looking to find ways to live Green, board a German U-Boat, journey down a coal mine, tour the Grand Canyon, or watch a chicken hatch, Chicago's iconic Museum of Science and Industry is an interactive wonderland that has something for everyone. Here's a sampling of some of the Museum's exhibits:

Smart House: Green + Wired
Discover all the ways you and your family can "go green" in this eco-friendly three story modular home. Powered by ComEd and warmed by People's Gas, this brain child of Michelle Kaufmann Designs and All American Homes shows people how they can still live with modern technology while exploring new ways to save the environment by conserving resources and energy.

The Glass Experience

Glass is something we see and use everyday, but really do not take time to consider. In this exhibit, guests are invited to explore the history of glass, technological advancements in glass such as lenses, space craft, fiber optics, and safety glass. Guests also learn about art glass such as mosaic, stained glass, blown glass, glass sculpture such as Dale Chihuly's "Macchia Forest", and the works by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Omnimax/3D Theater

If looking for more than the average theater-going experience, check out the Omnimax and 3D Theater. Each features films that will both thrill and educate. Featured in the Omnimax are "Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk" which guides viewers through an adrenaline-pumping river-rafting experience through the Grand Canyon and "Dinosaurs Alive" showing CGI dinosaur hunters paired with original 1920s footage from Palientologist Roy Chapman Andrews (who is believed to be the inspiration for Indiana Jones). In the 3D Theater, "Sharks 3D"gives viewers a taste of the sharks who live in the waters all around the world and "African Adventure" shows viewers what it would be like to be on Safari in the Okavango Delta in Africa.

Genetics and the Baby Chick Hatchery

Watch a baby chick hatching out of an egg while learning about genetics and DNA while exploring this fascinating exhibit. Learn about genetic engineering through glowing frogs, learn about DNA from an actual strand of President Abraham Lincoln's hair or from a strand of your own; or see real DNA being extracted from your own cheek cells in a live portion of this exhibit. All this and more are waiting for you to explore.

The Coal Mine
The museum's first interactive exhibit, opened in 1933, still manages to lower visitors more than 50 feet to a recreated Illinois mineshaft. Ignore the attraction's likely long line -- this more than 70-year-old ride is a must see for any science and industry visitor.

U-505 Submarine
The only remaining U-boat of its kind, this German submarine captured by the Allies during WWII remains one of the museum's most prized exhibits. The museum revamped the ship's exhibit in 2005, creating a 35,000 square feet display detailing life aboard the ship and the sub's key role in WWII. Visitors can tour the exhibit and the underwater WWII ship, which now remains a war memorial and a National Historic Landmark. Tickets to tour the ship are an additional cost.



Museum of Science and Industry - Dining

Museum Cafes

    * The Brain Food Cafe
    * The Brain Food Court
    * Finnigan's Ice Cream Parlor

The Brain Food Cafe
Grab a morning latte or mid-afternoon pick-me-up at the Brain Food Cafe, an in-house coffee shop serving espresso specialties and quick breakfast options such as muffins and bagels.

The Brain Food Court
The museum's main eatery offers quick lunch options. Pizzas, deli sandwiches, salads and grilled specialties highlight the museum's food court.

Finnigan's Ice Cream Parlor
Built to look like a turn of the century Hyde Park ice cream shop, Finnigan's 1900s décor matches its tasty ice cream options. Choose between sundaes, cones, and ice cream sodas. Sandwiches are also served for a quick, light lunch.

Getting to the Museum of Science and Industry

See http://www.msichicago.org/php/planner.php for personalized travel instructions.

Check out places of interest near Museum of Science and Industry:

Bongo Room
1470 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622

This breakfast and lunch spot is always busy; head here early on weekends to avoid a wait.

Chicago Firehouse
1401 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605

This American eatery is located in a landmark-designated early 1900s firehouse, and serves specialties such as mango and chili barbecued pork chop, a blue-cheese crusted rib-eye and slow-cooked pot roast.

Cuatro
2030 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60616

Cuatro’s menu features Latin American and Caribbean dishes, earth tones, floor-to-ceiling windows and an eight-foot aquarium full of tropical fish. If you’re stopping in for dinner, Live Latin jazz bands and DJs are slotted for entertainment most nights.

Custom House
500 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60605

Custom House, led by Shawn McClain, named Best Chef Midwest by the James Beard Foundation in 2006, focuses on offering the finest artisanal meats and fresh, seasonal ingredients. Unlike most classic steak houses, Custom House allows carnivores to savor their meat raw, cured, marinated, braised, roasted and slow-cooked.

Eleven City Diner
1112 S. Wabash, Chicago, IL 60605

This restaurant has the feel of an old-school diner, with its hand-sliced corned beef, brisket and pastrami and countermen who have worked at long-shuttered Chicago delis. The menu features chopped liver, knishes, lox, matzo ball soup and latkes.

Gioco
1312 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60605

This rustic Italian haunt features menu choices such as ricotta and spinach tortellini with butter, sage and pecorino, oven-roasted striped bass with potatoes and rapini, and veal scallopini. Enjoy the restaurants exposed brick, velvet curtains, dramatic artwork, open kitchen display and seasonal walkway café.

Grace O'Malley's
1416 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605

This South Loop restaurant and bar is named after the legendary Irish chieftain and pirate, and the decor features loads of dark wood with touches of Ireland. The menu offers choices like fish and chips, shepherd's pie and Irish blue cheese-crusted pork loin, plus lighter fare like burgers, salads and sandwiches.

Opera
1301 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60605

This Chinese joint features a flashy interior, fit with vibrant décor, custom-made light fixtures, plush drapes and exotic wall treatments. Contemporary flair adds spice to Chinese classics on the menu. Entrees include a whole steamed red snapper, a trio of Peking duck and inspired versions of kung pao chicken and beef broccoli.

Zapatista
1307 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60605

A newer addition to the trendy South Loop neighborhood, Zapatista offers affordable, authentic Mexican dishes wrapped inside a romantic atmosphere. The restaurant offers traditional dishes such as burritos, tacos and fajitas, as well as more adventurous meals like striped bass with ancho chile salsa and grilled chicken with mole poblano sauce.

Cuatro
2030 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60616

Cuatro’s menu features Latin American and Caribbean dishes, earth tones, floor-to-ceiling windows and an eight-foot aquarium full of tropical fish. If you’re stopping in for dinner, Live Latin jazz bands and DJs are slotted for entertainment most nights.

Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60637

The Museum of Science and Industry, one of the most beloved and visited museums in the world, has origins that are tied to two great World's Fairs and to civic spirit and imagination of Chicago businessman Julius Rosenwald. 

Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Ave. , Chicago, IL 60605

Navy Pier, one of the top tourist attractions in Chicago and the country, is visited by almost nine million visitors per years. From dining to shopping, boat tours to countless entertainment options, Navy Pier in Chicago is a must-stop for a wide range of visitors--Chicago residents already know and love it!

Spertus Museum
610 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605

At Chicago's Spertus Museum, expect to see a permanent collection of Judaica, a hands-on archaeology exhibit for children, and temporary and raveling exhibitions.