Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)

Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
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Name	Museum of Science and Industry
Established	1933
Location	Jackson Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Type	Science museum
Founder	Julius Rosenwald
President	Chevy Humphrey
Architect	Charles B. Atwood (original structure)
Website	www.msichicago.org

Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago). Located in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, it is one of the largest science museums in the world and a major cultural institution in the Midwestern United States. Housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the museum opened in 1933 with support from philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. Its mission is to inspire the inventive genius in everyone through interactive exhibits that explore scientific and industrial principles.

History

The museum's origins are deeply tied to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, where its building served as the Palace of Fine Arts. After the exposition, the structure, designed by Charles B. Atwood of the firm of Daniel Burnham, was used as the Field Museum until 1920. The concept for a new museum dedicated to industry was championed by Sears, Roebuck and Company president Julius Rosenwald, who was inspired by the Deutsches Museum in Munich during a 1911 trip to Germany. Following a major renovation funded by Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Fund, the Museum of Science and Industry opened to the public in 1933 during the Century of Progress exposition. Key early exhibits included a working coal mine and a captured German submarine U-505, which became a permanent display after a public fundraising campaign led by museum officials and the United States Navy.

Exhibits and attractions

The museum is renowned for its large-scale, hands-on exhibits spanning numerous fields. Permanent highlights include the aforementioned U-505 submarine, a full-sized replica coal mine, the Apollo 8 command module, and the Pioneer Zephyr streamlined train. Major exhibit areas explore aviation, genetics, agriculture, and weather, with popular experiences like the "Science Storms" gallery and the ToyMaker 3000 assembly line. The museum also features a five-story OMNIMAX theater, the Henry Crown Space Center, and temporary exhibitions that have covered topics from Leonardo da Vinci to Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes. Many exhibits are sponsored by major corporations like Boeing, Abbott Laboratories, and Navistar International.

Building and architecture

The museum occupies the sole surviving major building from the World's Columbian Exposition, originally the Palace of Fine Arts. The neoclassical structure, designed by Charles B. Atwood, was constructed with a steel frame and a temporary plaster exterior. For the museum's opening, the building was rebuilt with a permanent limestone facade, though it retained its original ornate interior columns and rotunda. A significant underground expansion, the Center for the Advancement of Science Education, was completed in 1999. The building is situated on the Wooded Island in Jackson Park, near the site of the Japanese Garden and facing the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Governance and funding

The museum is an independent non-profit organization governed by a board of trustees. It operates without direct tax support from the City of Chicago or the State of Illinois, relying instead on admission fees, membership, philanthropic donations, and corporate sponsorships. Major capital campaigns have been supported by prominent Chicago families and foundations, including the Crown family (Henry Crown), the Pritzker family, and the McCormick Foundation. The museum's president and CEO is Chevy Humphrey, who previously led the Arizona Science Center. Key partners have included the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, and NASA.

In popular culture

The museum's distinctive architecture and iconic exhibits have made it a frequent filming location and cultural reference. It served as the setting for key scenes in films such as *The Relic* and *The Blues Brothers*, and has been featured in television series including ER* and Chicago Fire*. The museum's former Christmas Around the World exhibit was parodied in a 1978 episode of *Saturday Night Live*. Its submarine, the U-505, was a central plot element in Clive Cussler's novel *Raise the Titanic!*. The museum also appears in the video game *Watch Dogs* and has been referenced in songs by the band Chicago.

Category:Museums in Chicago Category:Science museums in Illinois Category:Buildings and structures in Jackson Park (Chicago)