Our Top 5 Exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry

It was so hard to pick our 5 favorite exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry – there were too many to list!

About the Museum of Science and Industry

When you walk up to the front of the museum, you’re in amazement at how grand the building itself is! Built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition’s Palace of Fine Arts, this architectural beauty is now home to over 400,000 square feet of super cool science exhibits! It’s the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere.

Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze

Before we embark on any family vacation, we do our research. When we read online about the mirror maze, we all were in agreement that we needed to check it out! The darkness takes a little getting used to, but once you are acclimated, it is SO cool! I felt my way around the maze slowly (as my boys zoomed through, laughing and backtracking to find me). A little trick to getting through the maze if you get stuck…look for faint finger prints. If you see them, then that is a mirror.

Also, within the same exhibit, there were numerous hands on stations. My son’s favorite was the one that introduced him to the patterns within animals, bugs, food and his own body!

Science Storms

Another exhibit that we saw many reviews on, and definitely wanted to experience, is the Science Storms exhibit. Once the boys saw the manmade tornado photo online, they didn’t stop talking about it until it was right in front of us. I loved the phrase on the museum’s website – It isn’t every day you get to step into a tornado.

Here’s a little tour of our experience within the exhibit, with cameos by my entire family!

My little one was intrigued by the friction section as you can see by the video above.

Genetics and the Baby Chick Hatchery

I could’ve spent all day watching these baby chicks hatch and experience their new world. They were looking around at their surroundings and you could only imagine what is going through their minds!

Can you see the moving beak (or was it a foot)?

YOU! The Experience

This was the first exhibit that we walked in to and I am glad we did! It talked a lot about food and nutrition, what foods are truly good for you and which ones you should probably stay away from. My favorite takeaway from this exhibit is below:

It was also super interesting to see how certain foods (and beverages) can drastically add to your weight. Although I knew that and have been telling my boys, it was a great way for them to see for themselves. (I didn’t say it there, but “I told you so.”)

Transportation Gallery

The boys are still talking about the flight simulators within the Transportation Gallery. They went left, right, upside down, around – basically in every direction, trying to shoot down enemy aircraft. My husband was the pilot and my older son was the gunner. They were literally doing 360 degree rotations!

We walked through a United Boeing 727, and gazed up at smaller aircraft suspended from the ceiling.

I thought it was really cool to stand beside the 999 steam locomotive – what an impressive machine!

Planning Your Visit

There were so many other amazing exhibits and, as I mentioned above, it was hard to pick the ones we liked the best! Interested in visiting the Museum of Science and Industry? I highly recommend checking out the website as it is filled with great information for planning your trip!

Tickets can be purchased online, and at a $2 discount per ticket. Aside from museum entry, you can opt to purchase experiences that are not included in the entry ticket price. Check out their tiered system and pick the one that best fits you!

If you’re planning on visiting a few museums, I highly recommend checking out the Chicago Citypass. You may be able to save money on the attractions by bundling this way.

Follow MSI on Facebook and Instagram for the latest on the exhibits and special events!

Make sure to check out Part 1 of our Chicago Family Vacation – Wrigley Field! Stay tuned to Part 3 of our vacation – SHEDD Aquarium!