The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
One of the most startlingly impressive exhibits I have ever visited is housed here. It's the U-505, which is a German submarine captured by the United States in 1944. The sub had a violent history during WWII, and it's capture was quite the conquest for America. It is largely surmised that the capture of that submarine changed the entire course of the war. So as you can imagine, it's an incredible artifact to be able to see live and in person. To be able to touch it gave me goosbumps and cold chills, knowing that this sub had been active, that I was touching a piece of world history. It's an amazing feeling.
But it doesn't stop there, the entirely intact sub (which had the building constructed around it) is something that you can actually tour, for a small additional fee. In my eyes, it's well worth the extra cost to actually walk in such a piece of history. Then again, I'm kind of a WWII geek, I got into that era of history in junior high with the help of my Dad, who is basically a walking library. I've never been the same, in a good way, and go nuts over anything from that era. So take my excitement over this sub and mix it with that knowledge. I know that not everyone will be so excited about the U-505.
At any rate, the exhibit is incredible, and there's something for everyone. There are large photographs and some hands-on experiential parts of the exhibit that will be really fun for the kids. Outside of that, an entire building full of amazing exhibits awaits you. Because it's the Museum of Science and Industry, there's an emphasis on transportation, machinery, and the history of inventions. So it's great fun for anyone to visit who has an interest in science.
Until May 31, 2009 you can experience an exhibit centered around Antarctica. (After that, there will be a massive Harry Potter exhibit.) It's the largest museum devoted to science in the western hemisphere, and you can really feel that grand scale as you visit. There's too much to do and see in one day, so you'll want to hop online and scope out what will be there when you visit ahead of time.
The museum boasts an Omnimax theater, various events, tours, a summer camp, and even something called live science experiences. So stay up to date on what's happening if you live nearby and take advantage of the ever-changing schedule of offerings taking place at this remarkable museum. Being there reminds you that entertainment and tourism can also be good for you, as well as fun. It's great for kids, a date day, and pretty much anyone in general. I dare you not to have a good time.http://www.msichicago.org/
Published by Audrey Brown
Magazine Writer and Journalist, NPR Correspondent, Voice Over Artist, Professional Theme Park Enthusiast, and last but not least, Lady Geek Extraordinaire. View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentNice, but you hardly even scratched the surface here. Growing up in Evanston, our schools had field trips to the MSI about every other year, and we never got bored of it. Plus, my mother was the Assistant Food Service Manager for it for several years, and they have (or had) something like 7 different places to eat ranging from an open room where kids would sit and get milk (back then, it was just milk) to drink with their packed lunches, up to gourmet dining on the level of haute cuisine! Even us Jews appreciated the 12 Xmas trees from different countries for their Xmas Around The World exhibit. And the coal mine, and the doll's house and the planes hanging from the ceiling and so much, much more!