Editing Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox museum
| name            = Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
| image           = Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago).jpg
| caption         = The south facade of the Museum of Science and Industry overlooks a reflecting lagoon in Jackson Park.
| map_type        = 
| coordinates     = {{Coord|41|47|26|N|87|34|58|W|region:US-IL_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| former_name     = Chicago Museum of Science and Industry,<br/>Rosenwald Industrial Museum
| established     = {{start date and age|1933}}
| location        = 5700 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive<br/>(at East 57th Street),<br />[[Chicago, Illinois]], US, 60637
| type            = Science and technology museum
| visitors        = 1.5 million (2016)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aecom.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2016-ThemeMuseum-Index.pdf |title=TEA-AECOM 2016 Theme Index and Museum Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report |pages=68–73 |publisher=[[Themed Entertainment Association]] |access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref>
| founder         = [[Julius Rosenwald]]
| director        = Dr. Chevy Humphrey, President and CEO
| curator         = 
| publictransit   = '''[[List of Chicago Transit Authority bus routes|CTA Bus routes]]''':<br />Routes 6 and 28<br />(to 56th Street and Hyde Park Boulevard)<br />Route 10<br />(to Museum of Science and Industry)<br />Route 55<br/> (to Museum of Science and Industry)<br />'''[[Metra]] Train''':<br />[[55th–56th–57th Street (Metra station)|55th–56th-57th Street Station]]<br />(between Stony Island and Lake Park Avenues)
| embedded        = {{Designation list|embed=yes|designation1=Chicago|designation1_date=November 1, 1995}}
| website         = {{URL|http://www.msichicago.org}}
}}
The '''Museum of Science and Industry''' (MSI), since 2024, the '''Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry''', is a [[science museum]] located in [[Chicago, Illinois]], in [[Jackson Park (Chicago)|Jackson Park]], in the [[Hyde Park, Chicago|Hyde Park]] neighborhood between [[Lake Michigan]] and [[The University of Chicago]]. It is housed in the Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 [[World's Columbian Exposition]]. Initially endowed by [[Sears, Roebuck and Company]] president and philanthropist [[Julius Rosenwald]] and supported by the [[Commercial Club of Chicago]], it opened in 1933 during the [[Century of Progress|Century of Progress Exposition]]. It was renamed for benefactor and financier [[Kenneth C. Griffin]] on May 19, 2024.

Among the museum's most notable exhibits are a full-size replica [[coal|coal mine]], {{GS|U-505}} submarine captured during [[World War II]], a [[United Airlines]] [[Boeing 727]], the ''[[Pioneer Zephyr]]'' (the first streamlined diesel-powered passenger train in the US); the command module of the [[Apollo 8]] spacecraft, and a {{convert|3500|sqft|m2|adj=on}} model railroad. Permanent or special exhibits cover manufacturing, environmental science, chemistry, physics, computers, the brain, mechanics of the human body, and agricultural science, among other subjects.  
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==History==
===World's Columbian Exposition and aftermath===
[[File:Palace of fine arts floor plan.jpg|thumb|Palace of Fine Arts floor plan]]

The building which now houses the Museum was constructed as the Palace of Fine Arts, built for the 1893 [[World's Columbian Exposition]] and designed by [[Charles B. Atwood]] for [[D. H. Burnham & Company]]. During the fair, the palace displayed paintings, prints, drawing, sculpture, and metalwork from around the world.<ref name="fa">{{cite book |last1=Department of Publicity and Promotion |title=World's Columbian Exposition, 1893: official catalogue. Part X. Department K. Fine arts |date=1893 |publisher=W.B. Conkey |location=Chicago |url=https://archive.org/stream/worldscolumbian00worlb/worldscolumbian00worlb_djvu.txt}}</ref> Unlike the other "[[World's Columbian Exposition#White City|White City]]" buildings, which were primarily temporary, it was constructed with a permanent brick substructure under its plaster facade.

[[File:Interior Of Palace Of Fine Arts — Official Views Of The World's Columbian Exposition — 61.jpg|thumb|Interior of Palace of Fine Arts. Unlike other structures at the World's Fair, the palace was constructed to be more permanent.]]
[[File:20200811 Museum of Science and Industry and Jackson Park (1).jpg|thumb|Museum of Science and Industry from [[1700 East 56th Street]]]]

After the World's Fair, the palace initially housed the Columbian Museum, largely displaying collections left from the fair, which evolved into the [[Field Museum of Natural History]]. When the Field Museum moved to a new building five miles north in the [[Near South Side, Chicago|Near South Side]] in 1920, the palace was left vacant.

[[School of the Art Institute of Chicago]] professor [[Lorado Taft]] led a public campaign to restore the building and turn it into another art museum, one devoted to sculpture. The South Park Commissioners (now part of the [[Chicago Park District]]) won approval in a referendum to sell $5 million in bonds to pay for restoration costs, hoping to turn the building into a sculpture museum, a technical trade school, and other things. However, after a few years, the building was selected as the site for a new science museum.

===Museum formation===
At this time, the [[Commercial Club of Chicago]] was interested in establishing a science museum in Chicago. [[Julius Rosenwald]], philanthropist and [[Sears, Roebuck and Company]] president, energized his fellow club members by pledging to pay $3 million towards the cost of converting the Palace of Fine Arts (Rosenwald eventually contributed more than $5 million to the project). During its conversion into the MSI, the building's exterior was re-cast in limestone to retain its 1893 [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux Arts]] look. The interior was replaced with a new one in [[Art Moderne]] style designed by [[Alfred P. Shaw]].

Rosenwald established the museum organization in 1926 but declined to have his name on the building. For the first two years of development, the museum was often referred to as the "Rosenwald Industrial Museum". In 1928, the name of the museum officially became the Museum of Science and Industry. Rosenwald's vision was to create a museum in the style of the [[Deutsches Museum]] of science and technology in [[Munich]], which he had visited in 1911 while in Germany with his family.

[[Sewell Avery]], another businessman, had supported the museum within the Commercial Club and was selected as its first president of the board of directors. The museum conducted a nationwide search for the first director. MSI's Board of Directors selected [[Waldemar Kaempffert]], then the science editor of ''[[The New York Times]]'', because he shared Rosenwald's vision.

He assembled the museum's curatorial staff and directed the organization and construction of the exhibits. In order to prepare the museum, Kaempffert and his staff visited the Deutsches Museum in Munich, the [[Science Museum (London)|Science Museum]] in [[Kensington]], and the [[Technisches Museum Wien|Technical Museum]] in [[Vienna]], all of which served as models. Kaempffert was instrumental in developing close ties with the science departments of the [[University of Chicago]], which supplied much of the scholarship for the exhibits. Kaempffert resigned in early 1931 amid growing disputes with the second president of the board of directors; they disagreed over the objectivity and neutrality of the exhibits and Kaempffert's management of the staff.

===Opening===
The museum underwent renovation work, including the installation of a [[Ludowici Roof Tile|Ludowici]] tile roof on the central dome in 1930, before opening to the public in three stages between 1933 and 1940.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tile-roof restoration |url=https://archive.org/details/usmodernist-AR-1993-01/mode/2up?q=ludowici |work=Architectural Record |date=January 1993 |page=133}}</ref> The first opening ceremony took place during the [[Century of Progress|Century of Progress Exposition]]. Two of the museum's presidents, a number of curators and other staff members, and exhibits came to MSI from the Century of Progress event.

In 1992, the museum began planning a series of renovations as part of the "MSI2000" plan. This included an underground three-level parking deck beneath the front lawn.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Palmer |first1=Ann Therese |title=Massive Renovation Is In Store At Science and Industry Museum |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-02-03-9201100981-story.html |access-date=21 December 2022 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=3 February 1992}}</ref> Construction of the underground parking deck was finished in July 1998.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sjostrom |first1=Joseph |title=A Housewarming for a New Garage |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-07-12-9807120133-story.html |access-date=21 December 2022 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=12 July 1998}}</ref> These renovations also eventually incorporated a new subterranean main entrance hall which visitors descend into before re-ascending into the main building, similar to the entryway beneath the [[Louvre Pyramid]] in Paris.

For the first 5 decades of its operation, general admission to the MSI was free, although certain exhibits (such as the ''Coal Mine'' and ''U-505'') required small fees. General entrance fees were first charged in the early 1990s, with general admission rates increasing from $13 in 2008 to $18 in 2015 and $25.95 in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.usa.siemens.biz/press-release/power-transmission/siemens-makes-donation-museum-science-and-industry-chicago|title=Siemens Makes Donation to the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago|date=August 13, 2008|publisher=Siemens Corporation|access-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref><ref name="MSITickets">{{cite web |title=Tickets |url=http://www.msichicago.org/visit/tickets/ |date=2017 |website=Museum of Science and Industry |access-date=April 27, 2017}}</ref> Many "free days"—for [[Illinois]] residents only—are offered throughout the year.<ref name="MSIFreeDays">{{cite web |title=Ticket Prices: 2017 Illinois Free Day Schedule |url=http://www.msichicago.org/visit/ticket-prices/free-days-and-discounts/ |date=2017 |website=Museum of Science and Industry |access-date=April 27, 2017}}</ref>

===Renaming===
On October 3, 2019, the museum announced that it intended to change its name to the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, after a donation of $125 million from billionaire [[Kenneth C. Griffin]]. It is the largest single gift in the museum's history,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2019/10/3/20896953/museum-of-science-industry-changing-name-125-million-gift-ken-griffin|title=Museum of Science and Industry changing name after $125M gift from Ken Griffin|first=Mitch|last=Dudek|date=October 3, 2019|website=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msichicago.org/support/historic-gift/|title=Historic Gift|website=www.msichicago.org}}</ref> effectively doubling its endowment. However, president and chief executive officer David Mosena said the formal name change could take some time, due to the legal complexity of the process. He also said part of the gift will go into funding "a state-of-the-art digital gallery and performance space that will be the only experience of its kind in North America."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-museum-science-industry-kenneth-griffin-name-change-1004-20191003-z3oajjlmerg5feqf3otuovztxi-story.html|title=The Museum of Science and Industry is getting a new name after Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin donates $125 million|last=Johnson|first=Steve|date=October 3, 2019|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=October 3, 2019}}</ref> Chevy Humphrey became president and CEO of the private, non-profit<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msichicago.org/press/media-requests/media-faqs/#faqs__panel-6|title = Media FAQs}}</ref> museum in January 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.msichicago.org/press/press-releases/msi-welcomes-chevy-humphrey/ |title=MSI Welcomes Chevy Humphrey |access-date=February 1, 2021 }}</ref> The new name was officially unveiled on May 19, 2024,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msichicago.org/press/press-releases/introducing-the-kenneth-c-griffin-museum-of-science-and-industry/|title=Introducing the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry|website=www.msichicago.org}}</ref> alongside an updated logo. Due to Griffin’s conservative political views, the name change drew criticism from some in the community. Specifically, some were upset that Griffin had offloaded many of his Chicago properties and moved his family to Miami due to the city’s politics and crime rates.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-14 |title=MSI to rebrand as Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry — named after big donor who fled Chicago |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2024/05/14/museum-science-industry-rebrand-griffin-museum-science-industry-chicago |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Beiser |first=Ella |date=July 8, 2024 |title=Griffin Museum of Science and Industry name change sparks discourse |url=https://www.hpherald.com/evening_digest/griffin-museum-of-science-and-industry-name-change-sparks-discourse/article_0c78a18e-3d54-11ef-aa8a-f309f59b7ace.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Almeida |first=Isis |date=May 14, 2024 |title=Ken Griffin Gets His Name on Chicago Museum After Leaving City |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-14/ken-griffin-gets-his-name-on-chicago-museum-after-departure |website=Bloomberg}}</ref>

In 2025, the [[Richard Driehaus|Driehaus]] Foundation, which has interests in preserving [[neo-classical architecture]], announced its largest capital grant to date of $10 million to help fund the renovation of the museum's south entrance accessibility and new public amenity spaces.  The south portico with platforms and steps down to the Jackson Park lagoon was the building's main entrance during the world's fair when it was built in the 1890s.  The south entrance also faces toward the nearby [[Barack Obama Presidential Center]] part of the [[Museum Campus#History|Museum Campus South]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=|title=Griffin Museum of Science & Industry lands $10M grant|last=Dupre|first=Brandon|date=February 10, 2025|work=Crane's Chicago Business}}</ref>

==Exhibits==
[[File:CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr in Chicago MSI 20180808.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Pioneer Zephyr]]'']]
[[File:U-505chicago b.jpg|thumb|{{GS|U-505}}]]
[[File:U-505 Flattened Penny from the MSI.jpg|thumb|A U-505 [[Elongated coin|flattened US penny]] from the MSI]]
[[File:Mold-A-Rama tractor.jpg|thumb |A tractor from a [[Mold-A-Rama]] machine at the museum]]
[[File:The Great Train Story, June 7 2008.jpg|thumb|right|[[The Great Train Story]]]]
[[File:999 at Chicago Museum.jpg|thumb|New York Central and Hudson River Railroad No. 999]]
[[File:Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka".jpg|thumb|Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka"]]
[[File:Texaco No.13.jpg|thumb|upright|Travel Air Type R "Texaco 13"]]
[[File:Boeing 727-100 N7017U of United Airlines.jpg|thumb|[[Boeing 727]]]]
[[File:Pendulum ChicagoMuseumScienceIndustry.jpg|thumb|[[Foucault pendulum]]]]
[[File:XmasTreeExhibitChicagoMuseumOfScienceIndustry.jpg|thumb|upright|The annual Christmas Around the World features various pine trees, each decorated in honor or in the traditions of various nations around the world.]]

The museum has over 2,000 exhibits, displayed in 75 major halls. Many of the major exhibits are permanent or semi-permanent. Access to the ''Coal Mine'', ''U-505'' on-board tour, and other special exhibits requires an additional fee,<ref name="MSITickets" /> while other exhibits require a free timed-entry ticket. In keeping with Rosenwald's vision for the museum, many of the exhibits are interactive.

===Entry Hall===

==== ''Pioneer Zephyr'' ====
The first diesel-powered, streamlined stainless-steel passenger train, the ''[[Pioneer Zephyr]]'', is on permanent display in the Entry Hall (previously the Great Hall, renamed in 2008). The train was previously displayed outdoors, before being relocated indoors during the construction of the museum's underground parking lot in the 1990s.

==== ''NASCAR Next Gen 2023 Ford Mustang'' ====
Added to the Entry Hall to coincide with the first [[2023 Grant Park 220|NASCAR Chicago Street Race]], the Next Gen Ford Mustang is painted by local Chicago artists Paint The City, and showcases modern race-car engineering. It is set to remain at the museum through 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NASCAR |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/nascar |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

===Lower level===
====''U-505''====
{{GS|U-505}} is one of just six German submarines captured by the Allies during [[World War II]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Defeating the Sharks: The Capture of U-505 |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1944/u-505-capture.html |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=16 November 2020}}</ref> and, since its arrival in 1954, the only one on display in the Western Hemisphere. The ''U-505'' exhibit was dedicated as a permanent war memorial by the museum in 1954, and the submarine was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1989.

For its first 50 years at the museum, ''U-505'' was displayed outdoors. Starting in 2004, the U-boat was newly restored and moved into its current indoor exhibit, which opened as ''The New U-505 Experience'' on June 5, 2005. The submarine itself is located in a large concrete bunker at the end of the multi-floor exhibit alongside various artifacts found aboard, as well as interactive games related to the operation of a submarine. Guided tours of the submarine's interior are offered for an additional fee.

Located outside the entrance to the exhibit, there is both a [[Mold-A-Rama]] machine and a [[Elongated coin|penny flattening device]] with ''U-505'' designs.

====Henry Crown Space Center====
MSI's [[Henry Crown Space Center]] is located in its own connected wing on the building's southeast side. It opened in 1986, and was extensively renovated and reopened in 2024.

The Space Center includes the [[Apollo 8]] command module, which flew the first human beings around the Moon; the [[Mercury-Atlas 7]] capsule which flew the second American to orbit the Earth; a [[NASA]] [[lunar module]] trainer used to test procedures for the [[Apollo lunar landings]], and a [[SpaceX Dragon 1]] cargo spacecraft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Henry Crown Space Center |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/henry-crown-space-center |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SpaceX Dragon |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/henry-crown-space-center/spacex-dragon-spacecraft/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

Located in the [[Henry Crown Space Center]] is the Giant Dome Theater, a domed theater which shows movies on a 5-story wrap-around screen of perforated aluminum (allowing the speakers to be mounted behind the screen and heard throughout the theater).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Giant Dome Theater |url=https://www.msichicago.org/visit/private-events/event-spaces/giant-dome-theater |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

====''FarmTech''====
The ''FarmTech'' exhibit showcases modern agricultural techniques and how farmers use modern technology like [[GPS]] systems to improve work on the farm, and includes a [[tractor]] and a [[combine harvester]] from [[John Deere]]. The exhibit also showcases a greenhouse, a mock-up of a kitchen showcasing how much of the food we eat comes from [[soybean]]s, and how we use cows, from energy to what we drink.

====Other====
The west wing of the museum's lower level includes two transportation exhibits, one displaying models of "Ships Through the Ages" and the other a collection of historic racing cars.

The lower level includes a number of single-room exhibits. ''Black Creativity: Architecture'' covers the history of Black architects,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black Creativity: Architecture |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/black-creativity-architecture |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> as part of the museum's wider ''Black Creativity'' initiative.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black Creativity |url=https://www.msichicago.org/education/creativity-and-innovation/black-creativity |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> ''Mold-A-Rama''™'': Molded for the Future'' showcases several Mold-A-Rama machines and the history and mechanics of injection-molded plastics manufacturing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mold-A-Rama |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/mold-a-rama |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> [[Colleen Moore]]'s Fairy Castle, an intricate miniature fantasy house with decorations inspired by folklore and fairy tales, is also on display, having been at the museum since 1949.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/colleen-moores-fairy-castle |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> ''90 and Beyond'' opened in 2023 to celebrate MSI's 90th anniversary, and showcases objects from each of the 9 decades in the museum's history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=90 and Beyond |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/90-and-beyond |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

There are multiple exhibits on the lower level aimed at younger children, including the ''Swiss Jollyball'', a kinetic art piece built by a British man from Switzerland using nothing but salvaged junk which showcases a metal ball moving on a track (described by the museum as a "[[pinball machine]]", for which it holds a [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Record]] as the largest);<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swiss Jolly Ball |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/swiss-jolly-ball |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> the ''Idea Factory'', a toddler water table play area; and the ''Eye Spy'' gallery, a hallway with humorous tableaus behind windows.

===First level===

====Transportation Gallery====
The Transportation Gallery, located in the east wing of the museum on the first and second levels, contains several permanent exhibits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transportation Gallery |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/transportation-gallery |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

In the middle of the wing is ''[[The Great Train Story]]'', a {{convert|3500|sqft|m2|adj=on}} HO-scale model railroad which recreates an embellished version of the "Empire Builder" rail line from Chicago to [[Seattle]], with sections depicting downtown Chicago, the Chicago suburbs, the [[Great Plains]], the [[Rocky Mountains]] and the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]], and downtown Seattle with a cargo port.

In the main level of the gallery is [[New York Central and Hudson River Railroad No. 999|NYC & HRR Locomotive No. 999]], known as the ''Empire State Express'', which is alleged by some sources to have been the first steam locomotive in the world to exceed 100 miles per hour (160km/h). It was donated to the museum in 1962, and displayed outside until being moved indoors and restored in 1993.

The first level of the Transportation Gallery also includes a replica of [[Stephenson's Rocket]], which was the first steam locomotive to exceed 25 miles per hour; as well as several carriages and cars showcasing historic and modern road vehicles.

The second level of the Transportation Gallery consists of the ''Take Flight'' exhibit, which features the first [[Boeing 727]] jet plane in commercial service, donated by [[United Airlines]], with one wing removed and holes cut on the fuselage to facilitate visitor access. A formerly-working replica of the [[Wright Brothers]]' first airplane, the [[Wright Flyer]], is also on display.

Two [[World War II]] warplanes are also exhibited, both donated by the British government: a German Ju 87 R-2/Trop. [[Stuka]] dive-bomber—one of only two fully-intact Stukas left in the world—and a British Mark 1A [[Supermarine Spitfire]].

====''Science Storms''====
Opened in March 2010, ''Science Storms'' is a permanent multi-level exhibit which occupies the [[Allstate]] Court on the west side of the museum. On the first level it features a 40-foot (12-meter) water vapor tornado vortex, a rotating sand avalanche disk, a [[Foucault pendulum]] suspended from the ceiling, a tsunami wave tank, tethered hot air balloons, a [[heliostat]] system with solar panel-powered cars, and a section about light and color; on the second level it features a [[Tesla coil]] mounted to the ceiling which fires approximately every 30 minutes, a [[Wimshurst machine]] built by [[James Wimshurst]] in the late 19th century, a giant [[Newton's cradle]], and sections on fire, chemistry, and magnetism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Science Storms |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/science-storms |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

====''Coal Mine''====
Located in and beneath the south end of the museum's Central Pavilion, The ''Coal Mine'' re-creates a working deep-shaft [[bituminous coal]] mine, using original equipment from Old Ben #17, a mine in Johnston City, Illinois which closed in 1923. It is the museum's oldest exhibit, opening with MSI in 1933. Visitors are led through the exhibit by one or more "coal miner" guides, including a ride on a genuine mine train, and learn the history of unions and the science of coal mining and other types of energy production.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Coal Mine |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/coal-mine |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> The experience takes around 30 minutes and requires an additional fee.

==== Griffin Studio & ''Notes to Neurons'' ====
Opened in 2024, the Kenneth C. Griffin Studio (or simply Griffin Studio) is an "immersive multimedia experience" with projections, sound, and movement recognition, intended to rotate presentations throughout its life. Its first and current presentation is entitled ''Notes to Neurons'', and examines how music interacts with the human mind and body.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notes to Neurons |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/griffin-studio/notes-to-neurons |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

==== ''Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze'' ====
''Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze'' contains interactive stations to learn about patterns in nature, including the [[Golden Ratio]], spirals, [[fractal]] branching, and [[Voronoi pattern]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/numbers-in-nature/the-exhibit/explore-the-patterns/|title=Explore the Patterns|website=www.msichicago.org|language=en|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref> It also contains a mirror maze as a demonstration of geometric patterns. The exhibit requires a free timed entry ticket.

==== ''The Blue Paradox'' ====
''The Blue Paradox'' is an immersive exhibit discussing the ocean plastics crisis which opened on July 1, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plastic Pollution Crisis Takes Center Stage in New Exhibit, "The Blue Paradox," Opening July 1 at The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago |url=https://www.conservation.org/press-releases/2023/06/13/plastic-pollution-crisis-takes-center-stage-in-new-exhibit-the-blue-paradox-opening-july-1-at-the-museum-of-science-and-industry-in-chicago |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.conservation.org}}</ref> Before being relocated to MSI, it was originally a pop-up experience in [[London]], and is sponsored by [[S.C. Johnson]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blue Paradox |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/blue-paradox |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

====''Genetics: Decoding Life''====
''Genetics: Decoding Life'' looks at how genetics affect human and animal development as well as containing a chick hatchery composed of an incubator where baby chickens hatch from their eggs and a chick pen for those that have already hatched, as well as housing [[genetically modified]] frogs, mice, and drought resistant plants.

The chick hatchery has been part of the museum since 1956.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Hatchery |url=https://www.msichicago.org/science-at-home/videos/the-hatchery/ |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> About 20 chicks are hatched a day, around 140 hatch in a week, and up to 8000 hatch in a year. At one time, chicks would be collected by [[Lincoln Park Zoo]] to be fed to various animals, including lions, crocodiles, snakes, vultures, owls and tigers. This partnership between the museum and the zoo operated for decades, with about 7000 chicks being sent to the zoo each year. Some of the chicks hatched are of the [[Java chicken|Java species]] of chicken, and these are sent to a farm in [[La Fox, Illinois|La Fox]], Illinois that works to preserve the rare breed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Many Baby Chicks At Popular Museum Of Science And Industry Exhibit End Up As Dinner At Lincoln Park Zoo |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/many-baby-chicks-at-popular-museum-of-science-and-industry-exhibit-end-up-as-dinner-at-lincoln-park-zoo/ |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=www.cbsnews.com |date=January 11, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Adorable Chicks At Museum of Science & Industry Fed To Snakes at the Zoo |url=https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160111/hyde-park/what-happens-chicks-at-museum-of-science-industry-eaten-at-zoo |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=DNAinfo Chicago |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814054617/https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160111/hyde-park/what-happens-chicks-at-museum-of-science-industry-eaten-at-zoo/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> There have been numerous efforts to shut down the exhibit, as early as 1998 and as recent as 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What's Behind The Hatchery Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago? - UPC Winter/Spring 1998 Poultry Press |url=https://www.upc-online.org/winter98/MSIHatcheryExhibit.html |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=www.upc-online.org}}</ref>

====''Yesterday's Main Street''====
''Yesterday's Main Street'' is a mock-up of a Chicago street from the early 20th century, complete with a [[cobblestone]] roadway, old-fashioned light fixtures, [[fire hydrant]]s, and several shops, including the precursors to several Chicago-based businesses. Included are:

{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
* [[The Berghoff (restaurant)|The Berghoff restaurant]]
* Chicago Post Office
* [[Commonwealth Edison]]
* Gossard Corset Shop
* [[Jewel (supermarket)|Jewel Tea Company grocery]]
* Jenner and Block Law office
* Lytton's Clothing Store
* Dr. John B. Murphy's office
* [[Nickelodeon movie theater|The Nickelodeon Cinema]]
* [[Chas A. Stevens|Chas. A. Stevens & Co.]]
* [[Walgreens]] Drug Company
}}

Unlike the other shops, the Nickelodeon Cinema can be entered and is functional, and plays silent films throughout the day.

====''ToyMaker 3000''====
''ToyMaker 3000'' is a working assembly line which lets visitors order a "Gravitron" spinning top toy and watch as it is assembled.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ToyMaker 3000: An Adventure in Automation |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/toymaker-3000-an-adventure-in-automation |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> It is often closed for maintenance.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

==== Wanger Family Fab Lab ====
The Wanger Family Fab Lab (or simply "Fab Lab") is a digital fabrication facility with 3D-printers, laser-cutters, and various other tools and technologies used to create "almost anything you can imagine."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fab Lab |url=https://www.msichicago.org/education/creativity-and-innovation/fab-lab |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> It is visible through windows, but not accessible to the general public, and is used by museum-sponsored workshops and summer camps.

====Other====
''Extreme Ice'' is an exhibit showcasing the effect of climate change on Earth's polar ice caps, including climate survey equipment, interactive screens, and a large ice wall which visitors can touch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Extreme Ice |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/extreme-ice |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

Opened in spring 2013, ''The Art of the Bicycle'' showcases the history of bicycles, and how modern bikes continue to evolve.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Art of the Bicycle |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/art-of-the-bicycle |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

''Earth Revealed'' centers around a "Science on a Sphere" holographic projection globe, and has presentations about planetary science, space exploration, and movies about rising sea levels and water use.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Earth Revealed |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/earth-revealed |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

The Whispering Gallery, which opened in 1938, is a room shaped to reflect sound.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Whispering Gallery |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/whispering-gallery |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

===Second level===
====''YOU! The Experience''====
''YOU! The Experience'' is an exhibit about life science and the mechanics of the body, featuring a {{convert|13|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}}, interactive, [[3D modeling|3D]] heart,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/you/the-exhibit/your-heart |publisher=Museum of Science and Industry |title=Your Heart |access-date=May 23, 2012}}</ref> various motion-tracking interactive screens, a human-sized hamster wheel, and [[plastinated]] human remains showcasing anatomy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YOU! The Experience |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/you-the-experience |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Mirror Maze in the Museum of Science+Industry of Chicago.jpg|thumb|Inside the ''Mirror Maze'']]

====Other====
The Regenstein Hall of Chemistry includes a giant [[periodic table of the elements]] with samples of each element as well as cases displaying food and materials science.

On display hanging above the ''Coal Mine'' exhibit is the [[Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship]], nicknamed "Texaco 13", an airplane which set many world records in flying.

Located in the rear of the ''Take Flight'' exhibit are a series of flight simulators which allow visitors to fly historic fighter aircraft, and motion simulators which simulate a journey through the sky and/or space.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flight Simulators and Motion Rides |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/tours-and-experiences/flight-simulators-and-motion-rides |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

===Former exhibits===
An [[F-104 Starfighter]] on loan to MSI from the [[US Air Force]] since 1978 was sent to the [[Mid-America Air Museum]] in [[Liberal, Kansas]], in 1993. 

In March 1995, Santa Fe Steam Locomotive 2903 was moved from outside the museum to the [[Illinois Railway Museum]]. 

''Telefun Town'', a hall dedicated to the wonders of telephone communication, sponsored by the company then known as the [[Bell Telephone Company]], no longer exists.

One well-known past exhibit was a walk-through model of the [[human heart]], which was removed in 2009<ref>{{cite news |last=Mullen |first=William |date=August 26, 2009 |title=Museum of Science and Industry Gets a New Heart Display |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2009/08/26/museum-animated-over-heart/ |access-date=May 17, 2013 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> for the construction of ''YOU! the Experience''.

''Fast Forward... Inventing the Future'', an exhibit about "cutting-edge" technologies such as hydroponics, space manufacturing and telerobotics, closed in 2022 to make way for the Griffin Studio and ''Notes to Neurons''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fast Forward |url=https://www.msichicago.org/press/press-releases/fast-forward |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref> It was intended as a "rotating gallery", with sections being changed throughout its run at the museum to reflect new technological developments.

''Out of the Vault'', an exhibit showcasing various objects from MSI's collections, closed in 2022 to make way for ''The Blue Paradox''. The Spaceport, an exhibit about the fantasy and reality of space exploration with uniforms from ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' and models of spacecraft on display, also closed in 2022 to make way for ''The Blue Paradox''.

''Future Energy Chicago'' was an exhibit showcasing alternative resources and energy production with a focus on energy use in the future. It officially closed in August 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Future Energy Chicago |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/future-energy |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Special exhibitions==
In addition to its three floors of standing exhibits, the museum hosts temporary and traveling exhibitions. Exhibitions typically last for less than 1 year and usually require a separate paid admission fee.<ref name="MSITickets" /> 

Past exhibitions at MSI have included:

* ''Titanic: The Exhibition'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/titanic1/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030203011131/http://msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/titanic1/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 3, 2003|title=Titanic: The Exhibition|publisher=Museum of Science and Industry|access-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref> which was the largest display of relics from the wreck of [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']].
* Gunther von Hagens' ''[[Body Worlds]]'', a view into the human body through use of [[plastination|plastinated]] human specimens.
* ''[[Game On (exhibition)|Game On]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msichicago.org/about-the-museum/site-archives/about-the-museum-exhibits/archived-exhibit-detail/|title=Archived Exhibits|publisher=Museum of Science and Industry|access-date=December 27, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415090333/http://www.msichicago.org/about-the-museum/site-archives/about-the-museum-exhibits/archived-exhibit-detail/|archive-date=April 15, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> which featured the history and culture of [[video games]].
* ''[[Leonardo da Vinci]]: Man, Inventor, Genius''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/leonardo/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925081126/http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/leonardo/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 25, 2006 |title=Leonardo da Vinci: Man – Inventor – Genius |publisher=Museum of Science and Industry |access-date=December 27, 2014 }}</ref>
* ''[[CSI: The Experience]]''
* ''Robots Like Us''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/robots/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016211526/http://msichicago.org/exhibit/robots/index.html |archive-date=October 16, 2007|title=Robots Like Us |publisher=Museum of Science and Industry |date=2006|access-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref>
* ''City of the Future''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/marquee.do?marquee_id=51808 |title=The City of the Future: A Design and Engineering Challenge |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070719194712/http://www.history.com/marquee.do?marquee_id=51808 |archive-date=July 19, 2007 |publisher=The History Channel |access-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref>
* ''[[Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination]]''
* ''The Glass Experience''
* ''[[Harry Potter: The Exhibition]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/harry-potter/|title=Harry Potter: The Exhibition|publisher=Museum of Science and Industry|date=2009|access-date=December 27, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225012039/http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/harry-potter|archive-date=December 25, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* ''Robot Revolution'', which was sponsored by [[Google]] and featured numerous hands-on demonstrations and advice from experts for prospective future robot scientists and engineers<ref>{{cite news|url=http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83590429/|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|title=They, robots: 'Revolution' opens at the MSI|access-date=June 17, 2015}}</ref>
* Four installments of ''Smart Home: Green + Wired'', featuring the work of green architect [[Michelle Kaufmann]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/smart-home/ |title=Smart Home: Green + Wired 2012|publisher=Museum of Science and Industry|access-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref>
* ''The Science Behind Pixar'' (opened May 24, 2018)<ref>{{cite web|title=Exhibit / The Science Behind Pixar|url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/the-science-behind-pixar/|website=msichicago.org|publisher=Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago|access-date=11 April 2018}}</ref>
* ''Wired to Wear'', an exhibit covering wearable technology (opened on March 21, 2019)<ref>{{cite web |title=Wired to Wear |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/wired-to-wear/ |website=Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago |access-date=April 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://electricrunway.com/museum-of-science-and-industry-in-chicago-launches-wired-to-wear-featuring-wearables-from-360fashion-network/|title=Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago Launches Wired to Wear Featuring Wearables from 360Fashion Network|last=amandacosco|date=2019-03-21|website=Electric Runway|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-31|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331212457/https://electricrunway.com/museum-of-science-and-industry-in-chicago-launches-wired-to-wear-featuring-wearables-from-360fashion-network/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fashnerd.com/2019/03/wired-to-wear-exhibition-the-future-of-wearable-technology-comes-to-chicago/|title=Wired to Wear Exhibition: The Future of Wearable Technology Comes To Chicago|last=Kapfunde|first=Muchaneta|date=2019-03-27|website=FashNerd|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-31}}</ref> which, following its run as a temporary exhibition, was reworked into a smaller exhibit and relocated to the museum's upper level for several years.
* ''Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes'' (opened March 7, 2021).<ref>{{cite web |title=Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes |url=https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/marvel-universe-of-super-heroes/|website=Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago |access-date=February 1, 2021}}</ref> 
* ''The Art of the Brick'' (opened February 10, 2022).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Art of the Brick |url=https://www.msichicago.org/press/press-releases/the-art-of-the-brick |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>
* ''Pompeii: The Exhibition'' (opened February 23, 2023)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pompeii The Exhibition |url=https://www.msichicago.org/press/press-releases/pompeii-the-exhibition |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>
* ''007 Science'' (opened March 7, 2024)<ref>{{Cite web |title=007 Science |url=https://www.msichicago.org/press/press-releases/007-science-inventing-the-world-of-james-bond |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=www.msichicago.org |language=en}}</ref>

Yearly, from late November to early January, the museum hosts its ''Christmas Around the World'' and ''Holidays of Light'' exhibitions, featuring Christmas trees from different cultures from around the world and displays about various other cultural holiday celebrations. Started in 1942 with just one tree to honor soldiers fighting in World War Two, the tradition spawned into more than 50 trees.

{{wide image|Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.JPG|1200px|align-cap=center|Interior panorama, viewed from a central hall||center}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Trains|Chicago|Illinois}}
* [[Architecture of Chicago]]
* [[List of museums and cultural institutions in Chicago]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* .{{Cite book |last=Kogan |first=Herman |url=https://archive.org/details/continuingmarvel0000koga |title=A continuing marvel; the story of the Museum of Science and Industry |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |year=1973 |isbn=9780385022590 |edition=1st |location=Garden City, NY |lccn=72092405}}
* {{Cite book |last=Pridmore |first=Jay |url=https://archive.org/details/inventivegeniush0000prid |title=Inventive Genius: The History of the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago |publisher=The Museum |year=1996 |isbn=9780963865748 |location=Chicago |lccn=96013546}}
* {{Cite book |last=Pridmore |first=Jay |url=https://archive.org/details/museumofsciencei0000prid |title=Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago |publisher=Harry N. Abrams |year=1997 |isbn=9780810942899 |location=New York |lccn=96002829}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)}}
* [https://www.msichicago.org/ Museum website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170416130011/http://www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.php?m=museum+of+science+and+industry Commercials and news clips] at [[The Museum of Classic Chicago Television]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190702194900/https://mcid.mcah.columbia.edu/art-atlas/modern-architecture-chicago/museum-science-and-industry High-resolution 360° Panoramas and Images at Columbia University]

{{Chicago Landmark performance venues}}
{{Museums in Chicago}}
{{Authority control}}

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