Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, long known simply as the Museum of Science and Industry, occupies the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, on the South Side lakefront. Designed by Charles B. Atwood, it was one of the few fair buildings with a permanent base; its exterior was later recast in limestone and the interior redesigned in Art Moderne style by Alfred P. Shaw, and the museum opened in stages between 1933 and 1940. In May 2024 it took the name of Kenneth C. Griffin after a major gift.

Several exhibits have become Chicago institutions. The German submarine U-505, captured in the Second World War, has been on display since 1954 and has been indoors since 2005; an on-board tour costs extra. The Coal Mine, which opened with the museum in 1933, re-creates a deep-shaft bituminous mine using equipment from an Illinois colliery, and is also a separately ticketed experience. The Henry Crown Space Center holds the Apollo 8 command module, and Take Flight has a Boeing 727 donated by United Airlines.

Elsewhere, the Transportation Gallery includes the Pioneer Zephyr, the first streamlined diesel passenger train in the United States, and The Great Train Story, a model railway covering 3,500 square feet. Science Storms is a multi-level hands-on exhibit with a tornado vortex, a Foucault pendulum and a Tesla coil. The Giant Dome Theater and changing special exhibitions add to the choice.

General admission covers the main galleries, while experiences such as the U-505 tour, Coal Mine tour and dome films are extra, so decide what you want before you buy. Advance tickets are recommended, and Illinois residents have free days on selected dates with proof of residency. Check the museum's hours page for the day you plan to go. Allow at least half a day; families with older children can easily fill a whole one.

The museum suits curious children, engineering and history fans, and anyone who enjoys interactive displays. There is dining on site, and members receive discounts in the shops and restaurants. Parking is not included in general admission; details are on the museum's directions page.

The museum is on the South Side, well south of the Loop, so plan the journey before you set out; the directions page on the museum website covers driving, parking and public transport. Because it takes time to get there and back, it works best as the main plan for a day rather than squeezed between other sights.