Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

So glad we saved this museum for our final day in Chicago, because unlike some of our other stops where a half day sufficed, we needed every minute of the day to experience the Museum of Science and Industry.

The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. We arrived just before 10 and stayed until closing.

Located on the south side of Chicago, we opted to visit this museum last because it was on our way back home. Had we visited in the middle of our stay in Chicago, we would have taken public transportation from downtown, but instead we drove down Lakeshore Avenue and paid $20 to park in the museum’s garage.

A general admission ticket was enough to keep us busy for the entire day, however, if you have specific interests not covered by the ticket, there are a few exhibits that require an additional fee.

We started our visit with two of the special daily programs. The first was an interactive game show in the theater on the lower level, and the second was a brrr-thday party featuring liquid nitrogen on the third floor.

From there we explored the Science Storms area, with hands-on activities about lightning, tsunamis, avalanches, tornados and more. (I’ll try not to say “hands-on” anymore because all of the exhibits are very interactive and offer hands-on activities.)

We toured a full-sized Boeing 727 before heading to the café for lunch.

In the afternoon, we saw the trains before going to the Toymaker 3000 area. For $5, each of the boys purchased a “Gravitron” that was created along an assembly line in front of their eyes. The souvenirs were engraved with the date and their names.

We also visited “YOU! The Experience,” an area that explores the human body. The boys strapped on a headset to participate in a game that monitored their brain waves. They also hopped on a “hamster wheel” to see how fast they could go.

With time running out in our day, we went to the basement to view the U-505, a German submarine that was captured near the end of World War II. A very detailed exhibit includes video about the war and the sub’s capture, as well as first-person accounts from the crew that commandeered the vessel.

An extra ticket is required to board the sub, however, the other exhibits and the chance to walk along the outside of the sub are included with the general admission ticket.

Our full day at the museum allowed us to see probably two-thirds of the exhibits. If you’re going to Chicago, allow at least one full day to experience this treasure.