Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Illinois, USA

The Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, widely called Griffin MSI, is a science museum in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. It opened on June 19, 1933, with an approach centered on learning by interacting with machines, demonstrations and working models rather than only viewing objects behind glass.

The institution was known for decades as the Museum of Science and Industry. In May 2024, it was officially renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry following a $125 million donation announced by Kenneth C. Griffin in 2019. The museum commonly uses Griffin Museum of Science and Industry and Griffin MSI in its public-facing identity.

A Museum Inside a World’s Fair Building

The museum occupies the former Palace of Fine Arts, built for Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Architect Charles B. Atwood designed the building for D. H. Burnham & Co. Unlike most of the fair’s temporary structures, the Palace of Fine Arts was built with a more durable interior and survived after the exposition closed.

The building later housed the Field Columbian Museum before that institution moved to its present lakefront home. Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Co., developed the idea for a Chicago science museum after visiting Munich’s Deutsches Museum. He pledged $3 million toward the project in 1926, and the restored building eventually became the home of the Museum of Science and Industry.

The museum opened during Chicago’s 1933 Century of Progress period. Its hands-on philosophy became one of its defining features, allowing visitors to operate devices and observe scientific and industrial processes directly.

U-505 Submarine

One of Griffin MSI’s best-known artifacts is the U-505, a German submarine captured by the U.S. Navy during World War II. The submarine has been displayed at the museum since 1954 and is now housed indoors in a purpose-built exhibition area.

The surrounding exhibition explains submarine technology, conditions aboard the vessel and the circumstances of its capture. Visitors can examine the full exterior as part of the exhibit. Going inside the submarine requires a separate timed U-505 On-Board Tour, subject to the museum’s current schedule and ticketing rules.

The Coal Mine

The Coal Mine has been part of the museum since its opening year in 1933. Built to reproduce the environment of an underground coal mine, it combines real mining machinery with demonstrations showing how extraction methods and equipment changed over time.

The experience includes a descent into the simulated mine and demonstrations of working equipment. The museum operates it as a guided, timed tour rather than a standard walk-through gallery. A separate ticket is required, and the underground setting includes darkness, confined areas and loud mechanical sounds.

Science Storms

Science Storms uses large-scale experiments to explain physical processes behind lightning, fire, tornadoes, avalanches, tsunamis, sunlight and atomic behavior. Its 40-foot vortex lets visitors observe and manipulate the airflow that forms a model tornado.

Other stations examine subjects such as electromagnetism, waves and material properties. A large Tesla coil produces high-voltage electrical demonstrations, while a wave tank allows visitors to change properties such as wavelength and amplitude and observe the resulting motion.

Spacecraft and Space Exploration

The Henry Crown Space Center brings together spacecraft and objects connected with human spaceflight. Its collection includes the Apollo 8 Command Module and the Mercury spacecraft Aurora 7.

A flight-proven SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is also displayed in the center. The vehicle flew on the CRS-12 mission in 2017 and CRS-17 mission in 2019, carrying cargo and scientific experiments to the International Space Station. Displays use these objects to trace developments from early American human spaceflight through more recent commercial missions.

Interactive Science Across the Museum

Griffin MSI covers more than one branch of science. Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze examines mathematical patterns such as spirals, fractals and geometric relationships found in natural forms. Transportation displays include historic aircraft and trains, while other galleries explore subjects ranging from agriculture and energy to human biology and environmental systems.

The Giant Dome Theater provides another type of science presentation. Its five-story domed screen is used for large-format films, and admission to screenings may be separate from standard museum admission.

Planning a Visit

The museum is located at 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, near Jackson Park and Lake Michigan. The Metra Electric Line stops at the 55th/56th/57th Street station, about two blocks from the museum’s north entrance. CTA bus routes also serve the surrounding area.

An underground museum garage is entered from the area of East 57th Street and South Cornell Avenue. Parking is not included with general admission.

General admission covers most permanent exhibits and selected temporary exhibitions, while experiences such as certain tours, films and special exhibitions can require separate tickets. Opening hours, admission prices and temporary exhibit availability can change, so current details are best checked on the museum’s official website before a visit.

Accessibility

Wheelchairs, electric seated mobility scooters, walkers, crutches and canes are permitted in public museum areas. Manual wheelchairs are also available for complimentary use with identification, subject to availability.

Accessibility varies for individual experiences. Elevators provide access to multiple levels of exhibits including U-505, while the standard Coal Mine Tour and some simulator experiences have mobility restrictions. The museum also publishes exhibit-specific information covering low lighting, loud sounds, flashing effects, tactile elements and other sensory conditions so visitors can plan around their needs.