The cultural star of the city’s Far South, this
museum was the first in North America to introduce interactive exhibits,
with a record of innovative, hands-on displays dating back to the
1930s. More than one million visitors flock annually to this vast
neoclassical building, which houses more than 800 exhibits and is a
Chicago must-see, especially for families. Make sure you arrive rested,
since it takes a whole day to hit just the top attractions.
57th Street & Lake Shore Drive 1 773 684 1414
www.msichicago.org
Metra station: 55th/56th/57th Open 9:30am–4pm Mon–Sat, 11am–4pm Sun Adm.: adults $11,children (3–11) $7; including one Omnimax show: adults $17,children $12 DA
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The museum has two main
entrances – the Great Hall (ground level) and the Henry Crown Space
Center entrance (for the Omnimax Theater). Head first to tour-only
displays – the Silver Streak, U-505, and the Coal Mine – as later in the
day waits for these can be more than an hour. If purchasing Omnimax
tickets choose a later time, when you’ll truly appreciate sitting down.
Strollers can be rented for $2 in the Great Hall.
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Great Hall entrance
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The Brain Food Court serves above-average fare including wood-fired pizzas, and made-to-order salads and sandwiches.
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Advance tickets reserved on the Internet or telephone cost an extra $2 each but are worth it on busy weekends.
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Additional Omnimax tickets can be bought for $6 (adults) and $5 (children 3–11) at all museum entrances.
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Top 10 FeaturesApollo 8 Command Module This,
the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon, offers a genuine peek
into the 1960s space race. The historic photos, space suits, and
training module on display all help set the scene.
The Great Train Story Thirty-four
miniature trains race past skyscrapers, through prairies, and over the
Rockies to the Pacific Docks on 1,425 ft (437 m) of track that
replicates the 2,200-mile (3540 km) train trip from Chicago to Seattle. Walk-Through Heart A
museum favorite since the 1940s, this 20-ft (6-m) tall model of the
human heart would fit inside the chest of a 28-story person. Enter its
chambers to see the marvel of human engineering.
The Coal Mine Venture
down a simulated 600 ft (184 m) in an authentic shaft elevator to
discover how coal was extracted in the 1930s compared to today. The mini
train ride enhances the underground illusion. Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle Star
of the silent screen, Colleen Moore commissioned the design of this
lavish 9-sq-ft (0.8 sq-m) castle and lovingly filled it with over 2,000
one-twelfth-scaled objects, including the world’s smallest Bible. All Aboard the Silver Streak Both
Art Deco design aficionados and rail buffs alike are drawn to this
streamlined, vintage Zephyr train with its ground-breaking
diesel-electric engine. Onboard visits are by tour only. Yesterday’s Main Street A
cobblestone, shop-lined street gives a taste of 1910 Chicago, with a
cinema screening free silent movies and a traditional ice-cream parlor
serving sweet treats at present-day prices. Omnimax Theater Films
shown in this five-story theater make the viewers feel like they are
right in the thick of the on-screen adventures. Films on a rotating
program are screened about every 50 minutes. ToyMaker 3000 Twelve
robotic arms work the assembly line to produce toy top after colorful
top in this display of computer integrated manufacturing technology. You
can race a robot to see who can trace letters faster, and souvenir tops
come gratis. U-505 Submarine Take
a tour around this 1941 German U-boat: captured during World War II, it
looks much as it did then, complete with an Enigma codebreaking
machine.
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