Ignite your curiosity at Chicago’s Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere.
Home to more than 35,000 awe-inspiring artifacts, the museum’s hands-on experiences and interactive exhibits are designed to spark creativity and celebrate scientific exploration. Climb aboard a WWII submarine, plunge into a working coal mine, watch baby chicks hatch, step inside a whirling 40-foot tornado, and so much more.
Museum of Science and Industry
About the Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago brings the fascinating worlds of science, technology, and engineering to life through immersive exhibits, interactive activities, live science experiences, special events, 3D movie screenings, and more.
First opened in 1933, Griffin MSI is located within the only remaining building from the famous “White City” of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. This stunning Beaux Arts structure was originally the fair’s Palace of Fine Arts, displaying works of art from around the world.
Today, the museum contains more than 400,000 square feet of exhibit space, designed for visitors of all age groups. Guests can also enjoy one-of-a-kind tours and experiences, like flight and motion simulators, a five-story wrap-around theater, and state-of-the art VR experiences.
Museum of Science and Industry exhibits
See the world’s largest pinball machine, step inside a 1960’s 727 airplane, admire a fairy castle, visit a kid-friendly laboratory for young scientists, and so much more at these MSI permanent exhibits.
Numbers in Nature: Get lost in an elaborate, immersive mirror maze that reveals the mathematical patterns inherent in nature, from the lines on our skin to the ridges of mountain ranges. Numbers in Nature features nearly 20 activities and more than 30 artifacts to break down concepts like the Golden Ratio.
YOU! The Experience: Discover the mysteries and miracles of the human body in this highly interactive exhibition. Use your own heartbeat to make the museum’s 13-foot Giant Heart come to life, get moving on a human-sized Hamster Wheel, and examine actual human specimens that showcase the extraordinary complexity of the body.
U-505 Submarine: One of the museum’s signature experiences, this is one of only five remaining U-boats in the world. This captured German submarine once prowled the waters of the Atlantic during World War II. Now, guests can admire the size and scale of the historic vessel or step onboard during an in-depth submarine tour.
The Great Train Story: Chicago has long been a hub for rail travel and this sprawling exhibit celebrates that legacy. Watch as a scale model with 30-plus trains on 1,400 feet of winding track journeys from Seattle to Chicago. It’s a must-see for train lovers of all ages.
Coal Mine: A real mine relocated from southern Illinois in 1933, this is the museum’s oldest exhibit. Descend into the depths of a mine shaft, take a ride on the rails and learn all about the technology of coal mining.
Extreme Ice: Through dramatic images and time-lapse video, Extreme Ice captures the pace of the world’s glaciers melting — and the immediacy of climate change.
Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle: One of the most popular film actresses of her time, Colleen Moore assembled a legion of her industry colleagues to help craft this miniature home with mesmerizing artistry. Viewers will be enchanted with details like tiny stained glass windows and real flickering lights.
Science Storms: A massive, two-story exhibit recreates nature’s most powerful phenomena: tornados, lightning, fire, tsunamis, sunlight, avalanches, and atoms. Manipulate a 40-foot tornado and see the vapor whirling before you. Witness giant bolts of lightning crackling above. And trigger an avalanche using a 20-foot avalanche disk.
Pioneer Zephyr: This sleek Art Deco train was considered a modern marvel when it was unveiled in 1934. Step aboard and learn how the diesel-electric engine changed the course of train travel.
Keep exploring: Discover more exhibits at MSI, featuring everything from the science behind bicycles to space travel.
MSI tickets and free admission days
You can purchase tickets for the Museum of Science and Industry online in advance or in person as the museum. Admission options include:
- Museum entry: Includes access to most permanent exhibits and select temporary exhibits
- Ticketed experiences: Add-on experiences requiring additional tickets, such as the Giant Dome Theater and U-505 tour
- Special exhibitions: Limited-time exhibits can sell out, so make sure to get your tickets before you go
City of Chicago residents receive a discount on museum entry. Children between ages 3 to 11 receive discounted admission.
MSI offers free admission for Illinois resident on select dates throughout the year. Check their free museum day schedule for more information.
The museum also offers free admission to United States military active-duty personnel and veterans, Illinois POWs, Chicago firefighters, Chicago police officers, and Illinois teachers.
Getting to the Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry is located at 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive on Chicago’s waterfront Museum Campus South. The museum is inside Jackson Park in the Hyde Park neighborhood.
- By car: A convenient on-site parking garage is located at the northwest corner of the museum at E. 57th St. and S. Cornell Drive.
- By bike: The museum is accessible via Chicago’s paved Lakefront Trail. Public bike racks are available on either side of the main entrance. There is also a Divvy station located just outside the main entrance.
- By CTA train: Visitors can take the Red or Green lines to their Garfield stops, then transfer to the 55 Garfield bus eastbound to reach the museum.
- By Metra train: The Electric District and South Shore Metra lines both stop at 55th/56th/57th Street station, just two blocks from the Museum’s north entrance.
- By bus: The 2 (Hyde Park Express) and the 6 (Jackson Park Express) both stop within one block of the museum entrance.
Learn more about getting to the Museum of Science and Industry.
Accessibility at the Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry offers a variety of accessible resources and amenities to help provide a quality museum experience for all guests. This includes complimentary wheelchair rentals, EnChroma Color Blind Glasses for guests with color vision deficiency, elevators and ramps throughout the museum, sensory maps and noise-dampening headphones, and more. Learn more about accessibility at MSI.
