Museum of Science and Industry + Omnimax

FREE admission to the Museum of Science and Industry PLUS one Omnimax Film with the Go Chicago Card

Description

The Largest Science Museum in the Western Hemisphere! You’ve never seen anything like it. It is a Chicago sightseeing Must-See! It’s fun and interactive! MSI is not a place where you walk around quietly and observe. No way! You get involved in the fun–and learn by doing.

See your blood running through your veins, dive and surface a submarine, or create an avalanche! Where else can you see a World War II German U-Boat submarine, more than 50 real, preserved human specimens, your face aged 40 years, baby chicks hatching every day, the real Apollo 8 capsule, robots at work, and a tour an Illinois coal mine?

Don’t miss an eye-opening cinematic adventure in Chicago’s only fivestory, domed, wrap-around theater–the 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.

Note:

The Go Chicago Card is accepted until 3:30 pm. The Museum closes at 4:00 pm.

Price:

Cost with the card: free

Cost without the card:
Adult (13+): $15.00
Child (3-12): $10.00

Hours:

Regular admission hours: Monday–Saturday, 9:30 am–4:00 pm;
Sunday, 11:00 am–4:00 pm;
Check website for a detailed list of regular and extended hours for holidays and summer

Closed:

Christmas Day. All holiday hours are subject to change without notice.

Driving:

From the north: Head south on Lake Shore Drive and turn right onto 57th Street. Get in the left lane and follow 57th Street around to the Museum's west side. Turn left to enter the Museum's underground garage.

From the south: Via I-94: Take I-94 West to the Garfield Boulevard exit (exit 57). From the exit ramp, turn right and continue east on Garfield/55th for approximately one mile into the entrance of Washington Park. Bear right onto Morgan Drive for a half-mile, and bear right again onto Payne Drive for about a third of a mile, then turn left on Midway Plaisance. Continue east on Midway Plaisance for about a mile until it ends at Cornell Avenue, then turn left. You will see the Museum ahead on your right. Turn right at the 57th Street stoplight to enter our underground parking garage.

Public Transportation:

Take CTA: Metra trains stop at the 57th Street station, just two blocks from the Museum's north entrance. Buses #2, #6, #10, or #28 also have convenient stops two blocks away from the Museum.

Please read: important instructions on how to use your card.

Redemption Instructions:

Please present your Go Chicago Card to any ticket taker. They will validate it, return your card, and let you in.

Tickets to the U-505 on-board tour, special exhibitions and Omnimax films (beyond the one free film covered with your Card) must be purchased separately.

For express entry and to redeem your card please proceed to the Will Call desk in the Museum's Entry Hall. Includes Museum general admission and one Omnimax Film with the Go Chicago Card.