Museum of Science and Industry Plus Omnimax

Since opening its doors in 1933, the Museum of Science and Industry has been delighting and amazing visitors from around the world. Some of the many draws include All Aboard the Silver Streak which lets you go back in time to the golden age of rail travel as a passenger on the Pioneer Zephyr. A 20-minute guided tour (included in your admission) lets you explore the baggage, smoking, passenger and observation compartments of the of this gleaming silver train. You can also view the engineer’s cab, supplemented by a computer interactive that allows you to "drive" the Pioneer Zephyr. The exhibit also features newsreel footage that will take you back to 1934.

Or put yourself at sea with a U.S. Navy Carrier battle group in Navy: Technology at Sea. This exhibit provides an overview of the Navy’s 200-year history, as well as letting you experience what it’s like aboard real Navy ships including the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, the destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, and the submarine USS Chicago.

The Transportation Gallery has a variety of vehicles, including:

• A balloon gondola used in an attempt to break the world altitude record in 1933
• The Spirit of America which held the land speed record in the 1960’s
• One of only two surviving Junkers JU-87 Stukas in the world (displayed with a British Spitfire in hot pursuit)
• A Boeing 727 filled with interactive exhibits

From rockets, to shuttles, to satellites, rovers and probes, the Henry Crown Space Center covers it all in a recently renovated exhibit space that offers an expanded and interactive exploration of the space program. Go from the early years of the Space Race to the present (and beyond). Learn how the lunar landing almost failed; try to “dock” at the International Space Station; and remote control your own Mars Rover. Favorite artifacts include the Apollo 8 spacecraft, the Apollo 11 training mock-up, a model for an inflatable Moon base, among others exhibits and interactive displays.

And of course there is the U-505, an actual, complete, WWII German U-Boat that was captured by the US Navy on June 4, 1944 after a daring boarding. Among the many artifacts from the U-Boat are an "Enigma" machine used for coded communication between the sub and it base as well as personal items from the U-Boat and from the men who captured her. Completely refurbished and relocated inside in a special space, the U-505 is one of the highlights of the museum. A 15 minute guided on-board tour of the submarine is available for $8 per person for adults and seniors, $6 for children ages 3-11.

Chicago has so many sights and things to do, but the Museum of Science and Industry is among the must-sees and has long been one of the main draws for visitors and locals alike.