Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

Situated in Jackson Park in Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry is considered to be one of the most popular museums in the world. It is in the neighborhood of Hyde Park and Lake Michigan and is regarded as the best in interactive museums. The museum boasts over 2,000 exhibits and it is advisable to reserve a day at least in order to see most of them.

One of the oldest exhibits is an interactive Coal Mine, which first made an appearance in 1934. Over a period of time, various advanced mining techniques have been incorporated, however, the highlight is undoubtedly a simulated tour down into the dark and unknown interiors of a coalmine. It transports you to an era when workers had to go down hundreds of feet with hardly any security and safety features. Another popular exhibit is a German submarine, U-505 that has been in the museum since 1954. It was captured in 1944 and it depicts the reality of a claustrophobic life under the sea.

The Transportation Zone features exhibits on land and air transportation. It has the world famous 999 Empire State Express, which was the first to achieve a speed of 100 miles per hour. It also has two World War II planes and the first diesel powered train.

At the exhibit ‘All Aboard the Silver Streak’ visitors get to enjoy a guided tour on one of America’s first diesel-electric passenger train, famously known as Pioneer Zephyr. Apart from this, the other interesting exhibit, Transportation Gallery allows you to discover fascinating aspects of various modes of transport such as the trains, airplanes and cars. You get the chance to board the engine of the Empire State Express 999 or observe the functioning of an actually United Airlines Boeing 727.

Yet another interactive exhibits is the Genetics and the Baby Chicken Hatchery, which shows how genetics alter animal and human development. At the hatchery you will get to see chicks come out of their shells and take their first steps and even get to learn about cloning and how genetic engineering can make frogs’ eyes glow.

From the scientific lab move onto something more charming like the Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle, a fascinating reminiscent of a fairytale wonderland. This miniature palace will surely charm you with its impressive range of tiny treasures that includes murals and paintings, chandeliers ensconced with diamonds, emeralds and pearls, ancient statues and the tiniest bible dating back to 1840. Any kid who visits this place is really going to have his or her hands full for an entire day and would want to come back again for more.

A recent addition to the museum is the Henry Crown Space Center. It consists of a five story OMNIMAX Theater, which shows the story of space exploration in detail along with a space-shuttle experience. It also flaunts the Apollo 8 spacecraft, which was the first one to orbit the moon. This is truly once in a lifetime experience that should not be missed at any cost.

Last but not the least is the Yesterday’s Mainstreet, which is based on a street from the beginning of the last century. It has old fashioned fixtures, fire hydrants and several shops that started some huge Chicago businesses like the Jewel Tea Company, Berghoff’s Restaurant, Dr John B Murphy, Commonwealth Edison, Nickelodeon Cinema and many others.

The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago is designed to fire your imagination and take you on a truly unique and an unforgettable journey.
Museum of Science and Industry Chicago Tickets Discount & Coupons:

FREE Access With Go Chicago Card

Cost without the go Chicago card:

• Adult $20.00, Child $14.00

Operation Hours:

• Monday-Saturday, 9:30 am-4:00 pm;
• Sunday, 11:00 am-4:00 pm;
• Closed on Christmas Day

Museum of Science and Industry
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: 773-684-1414
www.msichicago.org

Related Posts on Chicago Things to Do:

• Chicago History Museum
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Chicago Childrens Museum
• Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
• The Field Museum of Natural History
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Adler Planetarium

Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art

Chicago has always been synonymous with art, culture and architecture. It is home to a number of world-renowned attractions, museums and galleries. Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago is known globally for enjoying a prominent place on the Chicago cultural circuit. Art aficionados will find the museum particularly interesting considering it houses a number of fascinating exhibits. The museum was founded in 1967 and is known to contain thousands of objects of post World War II visual art.

Situated in downtown Chicago, the museum is housed within a building that was designed by Josef Paul Kleihues. Though the exteriors may not look very bright, but as you step inside, you will be greeted with a warm, welcoming and a colorful ambience. The two storey central corridor, elliptical staircases, three floors of exhibition spaces and the glass-walled atrium overlooking Lake Michigan make up for the dull exteriors.

Boasting 45,000 sq ft of gallery space, an auditorium and a sculpture garden, the museum does have much to display in terms of artistic expressions.

The museum does impress even the most discerning of art lovers with its extensive collection of visual art from 1945 to the present. Works by Chicago based artists are predominantly showcased and the various expressions contain a strong influence of surrealism, pop art and conceptual photography. At any given time only a small percentage of collection works are on view and can be found at any one of the exhibitions.

The museum offers a number of tours including free daily tours, special curator’s tours, private guided tours and self-guided tours. The curator’s tours are held on certain dates and it is advisable to check with the museum well in advance. The free tours conducted daily lasts for about 45 minutes and they begin in the second floor lobby. However, these free tours do adhere to specific timings. For example on Tuesdays it is held at 1, 2 and 6pm while from Wednesdays to Fridays it takes place only at 1pm. On Saturdays and Sundays it is conducted at 12, 1, 2 and 3pm. If you are traveling in a group you can always opt for a private guided tour.

It is also known for offering exciting opportunities for the complete family through carrying out special family programs and activities. For example every second Saturday, the museum host Family Days, where families are invited to learn about art through hands-on activities. For adults, regular art workshops are conducted, where individuals get an opportunity to focus on various aspects of artistic learning under the guidance of an accomplished artiste.

First Fridays are special where visitors can buy a ticket and get to enjoy live entertainment and complimentary Wolfgang Puck hors d’oeuvres. Besides, the exhibition, dance performances, plays and film festivals are also regularly hosted at the auditorium and tickets can be easily purchased online. With so much to do and see, it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago truly embodies the essence of all art forms and showcases it in the most entertaining and engaging manner.

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Tickets Discount & Coupons:

FREE Access With Go Chicago Card

Cost without the go Chicago card:

• Adult $12.00, Child $7.00

Operation Hours:

• Tuesday, 10:00 am-8:00 pm;
• Wednesday-Sunday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm.
• Closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving day, Christmas Day and New year’s day.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
220 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-280-2660
www.mcachicago.org

Related Posts on Chicago Things to Do:

• Chicago History Museum
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Chicago Childrens Museum
• Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
• The Field Museum of Natural History
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Adler Planetarium

Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago

Kohn Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago guarantees to offer an entertaining method of inculcating the love of learning in toddlers and young children. Occupying 8.8 acre of land, this Children’s Museum is situated in the center of The Glen in Glenview. The museum boasts an impressive range of 16 hands-on and interactive exhibits that are designed to entertain and engage your little ones to learn something new and exciting.

Adventures in Art: Give your child the opportunity to learn about math, science and social studies through a range of creative and interactive programs. For example, the ‘Invent An Animal’ exhibit allows children to make a collage of a creature that can fly, crawl or hop. The ‘Wind Sculptures’ encourages your child to learn about wind movement through the use of different types of materials. You can even work together to create a large scale mobile at the ‘Alexander Calder Mobiles’ or learn to create sculptures from recycled materials. Your child can even choose to dig into the mud and discover all kinds of garden tools or decorate a pot made out of paper and take it home. Though the programs change twice a month, all of them utilize creative tools and art media to encourage learning.

All About Me: Here the children get to know more about themselves in terms of their likes and dislikes, abilities and capabilities through a number of interesting activities. Some of the most popular games and activities include paint your face, finding your weight in milk jugs, balancing on beams, acting out different roles or choosing to test your muscles by squeezing the strength muscle device.

City On The Move: Science, math and technology come together to create a truly wonderful exhibit. Children get to make all kinds of shapes with elastic bands; design city scenes with geometric shapes; watch time-lapse videos of various areas in Chicago; play with magnets and test gravity by rolling balls along a vertical platform.

Habitat Park: Teach your child to appreciate their immediate natural surroundings and its various facets. The museum has a 2-acre nature park and a landscaped area for children where they can search for birds, small animals, pine-cones and flowers. They can paint designs with water on slate walls or observe the life cycle of monarch butterflies. Children can even go underground through the giant tunnel or roll down the gentle berms.

Music Makers: If your children have an inclination for music, then this is the perfect exhibit to take them to. Allow your children to learn about melody and rhythm by helping them to make their own music box. Let them create their own special symphony by creating a musical mix of melody, harmony and rhythm. Your child also gets a chance to beat the drums and other percussion instruments too.

Other significant exhibitions include the Play Library where the little ones get to browse through a range of books. At the Pet Vet they are taught to respect all kinds of animals by taking the stuffed animals in and out of cages or getting them ready for a show. Children get to run a grocer’s store at Dominick’s where they can bake bread, weigh food on the scales and load groceries into the van. All these fascinating exhibits combine to make learning an enjoyable experience for the little ones. Therefore, when in Chigaco, a visit to Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago is a must see experience for families with little kids.

Discount or Coupon Detail

FREE Access With Go Chicago Card

Cost without the go Chicago card:

• Adult $7.50, Child $7.50

Operation Hours:

• Mondays, 9:30 am–12:00 pm (June–August and School Holidays: 9:30 am–5:00 pm);
• Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 am–5:00 pm;
• Sunday, 12:00 pm-5:00 pm
• Closed on July 4

Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
2100 Patriot Boulevard
Glenview, IL 60026
Phone: 847-832-6600
www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org

Related Posts on Chicago Things to Do:

• Chicago History Museum
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Chicago Childrens Museum
• Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
• The Field Museum of Natural History
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Adler Planetarium

Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum is a revelation into this city’s past, present and future. If you really want to everything there is to Chicago, your first stop should be at this museum. Founded in 1856, the museum is the city’s oldest cultural institution. The museum educates, entertains, engages and enthralls with its huge collection of artifacts and documents and various exhibitions and events.

The Collection at the Museum
The Museum boasts an impressive collection of over 22 million artifacts and documents that trace the city’s rich historic and cultural legacy. The museum showcases authentic information about Chicago and U.S. history. Depending on your interests and preferences you can choose to browse the collections on architecture, archives and manuscripts, costumes, books and published materials, decorative and industrial art, oral history, film and video, prints and photographs and paintings and sculptures.

Self-Guided Exhibition Tours
One of the permanent exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum is ‘Chicago: Crossroads of America’, which occupies practically the second floor of the museum. The exhibit acquaints you with the city’s most significant triumphs and trials through a number of galleries that feature photos, artifacts, published materials, multimedia presentations and interactive features etc.

‘City On The Make’ allow you to explore the evolution of Chicago’s economy from the fur trading days to the growing importance of the Union Stock Yards. A must see is the Pioneer Locomotive Engine and the ‘L’ Car No.1, which is the last remaining rail cars.

‘City In Crisis’ gives you a chance to learn about the city’s six dramatic crisis starting from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to the Democratic National Convention of 1968. You can travel through the passage of time to experience the

‘Sweet Home Chicago’ is getting to know about the community life in the city with a special video presentation where residents share their story of what it’s like to live in Chicago.

‘My Kind of Town’ urge you to explore the city’s cultural scene through a series of world fairs, music and theatre exhibits. The Chicago Jazz and Blues Club bring the music history to life by featuring sounds, instruments and images.

Besides, the collections and the permanent exhibition, the museum also has special museum tour packages for the complete family. Make it a fun filled experience for your kids by taking them to the exhibition ‘Sensing Chicago’. Here they will get to learn about the city by exploring the sights, sounds and smells of the city. They can choose to ride on a high-wheel bicycle through a wood-paved street; get to hear the Great Chicago Fire; try and know more about the city’s history through the Smell Map or enjoy the opportunity to create an oversized postcard.

There’s even a museum store, where you can choose to buy posters, collection photographs, jewelry, decorative pieces or even apparel and accessories to either gift or take back home as a souvenir. Chicago History Museum truly offers something for everyone and it offers an opportunity to learn as much as possible about this magnificent metropolis.

Discount or Coupon Detail

FREE Access With Go Chicago Card

Cost without the go Chicago card:

• Adult $14.00, Child $0.00

Operation Hours:

• Monday-Wednesday, 9:30 am-4:30 pm;
• Thursday, 9:30 am-8:00 pm;
• Friday and Saturday, 9:30 am-4:30 pm;
• Sunday, 12:00 pm-5:00 pm.
• Closed on thanksgiving, christmas day and New Year’s Day.

Chicago History Museum
1601 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: 312-642-4600
www.chicagohistory.org

Related Posts on Chicago Things to Do:

• Chicago History Museum
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Chicago Childrens Museum
• Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
• The Field Museum of Natural History
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Adler Planetarium

Chicago Childrens Museum Review & Discount Detail

Situated on the famous Navy Pier, Chicago Childrens Museum is a popular attraction with both kids and adults. If you are traveling to Chicago on a holiday with your family then a visit to this fascinating site makes it worthwhile. While your kids get to enjoy and learn a lot of new and interesting things, you get to revisit your childhood. The Chicago Children’s museum features a number of permanent exhibits, programs and workshops.

One of the most notable exhibits is the Dinosaur Expedition that displays a relic of the expedition to Sahara in 1997. It gives kids an opportunity to experience an expedition like environment and indulge in activities such as camping, scientific research and excavation where they can dig for the bones of the Saharian dinosaur Suchomimum.

The Inventing Lab, as the name suggests, allows your kids to use their imagination and skill to invent amazing little things. They can spend hours learning about inventions and enjoying challenging games. The Alarm Clock game challenges you to wake up the sleeping bear while in the Headhouse Tower you can design your own flying machine and see it fly.

The Kids Town at Chicago Children’s Museum is literally a little town with a replica of a great neighborhood. This miniature town is built specially for kids aged five and younger. A host of fun and interactive activities makes it interesting and promotes learning among the little ones.

From an ideal neighborhood where your child can ride a little car or shop at the grocer’s store, allow your child to experience something more unique at the Allstate Foundation Presents Play It Safe. Most kids are fascinated by a firefighter and here they get a chance to step into the boots of one and experience what it entails. The exhibit at Chicago Children’s Museum features a realistic firehouse and comes complete with fire truck, command center and a fire pole. The kids get to learn about safety lessons while they play and have fun.

The Kraft Artabounds Studio is where you get to enjoy a fascinating array of works of art by families and children. The gallery showcases a range of stunning art pieces. The Big Backyard is where you will find a fusion of art and technology. It is an urban garden that features technology enhanced enormous insects, giant toadstools, flowers and a host of other amazing creations.

The exhibits don’t end here because there is even the Koyler Family Climbing Schooner where kids can experience voyage to the bottom of the ocean and explore the tropical fish. Then they can get onto the rafters and soar through the tubes to the very top. At Chicago Children’s Museum, there is even an exhibit known as the My Museum where the little ones can take a self-portrait or even choose to pass through a mirrored Kaleidoscope tunnel and see reflections of one’s own and others.

All these amazing exhibits combine to make Chicago Children’s Museum one of the most popular attractions of this sophisticated metropolis. Without a doubt, it offers an exciting and a fascinating experience to both adults and kids.

Discount or Coupon Detail

FREE Access With Go Chicago Card

Cost without the Go Chicago card:

• Adult $10.00, Child $10.00

Operation Hours:

• Sunday-Wednesday, Friday-Saturday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm;  Thursday, 10:00 am-8:00 pm.
• Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

Chicago Childrens Museum
Navy Pier
700 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-527-1000
www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org

Related Posts on Chicago Things to Do:

• Chicago History Museum
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Chicago Childrens Museum
• Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
• The Field Museum of Natural History
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Adler Planetarium

Courtesy Go Chicago Card

Adler Planetarium is located on Lake Shore Drive by Lake Michigan. It was voted as the ‘Bbest view of Chicago’s Skyline’. The planetarium exhibits the famous spacecraft Gemini 12, which was flown by astronauts Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin.

The Adler Planetarium features exhibits and shows for entertainment. Exhibits features temporary and permanent collection.

Permanent Exhibits at Adler Planetarium includes:

• Bringing the Heavens to Earth
• CyberSpace
• From The Night Sky To The Big Bang
• Our Solar System
• Shoot for the Moon Exhibition
• Space Visualization Laboratory
• Universe In Your Hands

Shows at Adler Planetarium includes:

• 3-D Vision: Imaging the Universe
• One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure
• IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System
• 3D Universe: A Symphony
• Cosmic Collisions
• Night Sky Live

Discount or Coupon Detail

FREE Access With Go Chicago Card

Cost without the Go Chicago Card:
Adult $24.00, Child $20.00

Operations Hours of Adler Planetarium:

• Daily, 10:00 am-4:00 pm
• Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. All holiday hours are subject to change without notice.

Driving Direction to Adler Planetarium from Chicago Downtown:

• Take Lake Shore Drive – US 41 south and exit on 18th Street.
• Turn left on Museum Campus Drive on 18th Street
• Drive ahead around Soldier Field
• Look for the visitor parking garage sign.
• The Adler Planetarium is located northeast of the visitor parking garage.

Public Transportation:
You can take Bus # 146 straight to the Adler Planetarium

Adler Planetarium
Address: 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
312-922-STAR (312-922-7827)
www.adlerplanetarium.org



Related Posts on Chicago Things to Do:

• Chicago History Museum
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Chicago Childrens Museum
• Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
• The Field Museum of Natural History
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Adler Planetarium

The Field Museum of Natural History was established in 1863 as the Columbian Museum of Chicago to share and accumulate the knowledge for the new generation. Today, the museum has become the home of Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex (T. Rex) including more than 35 world famous exhibitions. The Field Museum is located in the Museum Campus of the lakefront. To me, most attractive part of the museum was ‘Underground Adventure’, Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex, the famous man-eating Lions of Tsavo Africa, Inside Ancient Egypt and Evolving Planet. At ‘Inside Ancient Egypt’, visitors can learn and discover the Egyptian skill through 23 mummies and 5,000-year-old hieroglyphics reside. Visitors can discover the 13000 years of human journey in west hemisphere through ‘The Ancient America’ exhibition. If you are not aware then just to let you know that the famous man-eating Lions of Tsavo was featured in movie “The Ghost and the Darkness” released in 1996. Also, the Field Museum of Natural History was used in horror film “The Relic” in 1997

Museum laboratories are also worth visiting as it will give you insights on real world science. Laboratories section includes ‘DNA Discovery Center’, ‘McDonald’s Fossil Prep Lab’ and ‘The Regenstein Laboratory’.

Discount or Coupon Detail

FREE Access With Go Chicago Card

Cost without the Go Chicago Card:
Adult $23.00, Child $13.00

Operation Hours at The Field Museum of Natural History:

• The Museum’s regular public hours are 9am – 5pm every day except Christmas Day.  Last admission at 4pm. All times CST.
• On the following dates – The Field Museum in Chicago will extend public hours from 9am – 6pm:
• Saturday, November 28
• Saturday, December 26 – 30

On the following dates – The Field Museum Chicago will shorten public hours as noted below:

• Thursday, December 3 – close at 3pm. Last admission at 2pm.
• Wednesday, December 16 – close at 4:30pm.  Last admission at 3:30pm.
• Thursday, December 24 – close at 3pm.  Last admission at 2pm.
• Closed Christmas Day. All holiday hours are subject to change without notice.

Public Transportation to The Field Museum of Natural History:
Visitor can take CTA Orange, Red or Green lines and exit to Roosevelt Stop. You can take a cab or take CTA but #12 and drop off across the street from the Field Museum of Natural History

Related Posts on Chicago Things to Do:

• Chicago History Museum
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Chicago Childrens Museum
• Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
• The Field Museum of Natural History
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Adler Planetarium

The Art Institute of Chicago is the world famous Art Institute located in the heart of Chicago. The museum is the second largest art museum of the United States of America with the opening of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano’s modern wing on May 16, 2009. The Art Institute of Chicago features a great collection of galleries. At the Art Institute of Chicago museum you can enjoy creativity of great artists such as Monet, Renoir, Seurat and several others. Museum holds the permanent collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Not only that, the museum includes master pieces of art covering American art, European Art, Asian Art and modern contemporary Art as well.

The African and American Indian collection includes wood sculpture, masks, textiles and bead designs from all over the Africa. Scholars get an opportunity to explore the collection of the museum to gain the knowledge about past.

Today, The Art Institute of Chicago offers more than 250,000 art work to help people explore the 5000 years of past.

Following are few notable collection of the Art Institute of Chicago

• El Greco, Saint Martin and the Beggar, c. 1597-1600
• Antoine Watteau, Fête champetre (Pastoral Gathering), 1718-1721
• Edouard Manet, Seascape Calm Weather, 1864-1865
• Gustave Caillebotte, Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1876-1877
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir, By the Water, 1880
• Edgar Degas, Woman at Her Toilette, c. 1900-1905

Located at 111 South Michigan Avenue at the western edge of Grant Park, the museum also offers a fine restaurant.

Discount or Coupon Detail

FREE Access With Go Chicago Card

Cost without the Go Chicago Card:
Adult $12.00, Child $7.00

Operation Hours of The Art Institute of Chicago Museum:

• Monday-Friday, 10:30 am-5:00 pm, Thursday until 8:00 pm;
• Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm. Please check the website for special extended seasonal hours.
• Closed: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. All holidays and hours are subject to change without notice.

Public Transportation to The Art Institute of Chicago Museum:

• You can take CTA lines such as Brown, Orange, Purple, Pink and Green to Adams St or Wabash Ave.
• Red and Blue lines to Montrose Ave
• Metra Train to Jackson

Related Posts on Chicago Things to Do:

• Chicago History Museum
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• Chicago Childrens Museum
• Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago
• The Field Museum of Natural History
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Adler Planetarium