Added: 12/28/2005 |
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is a "must-sees" place in ChicagoWhere can you climb aboard a World War II submarine, fly on a 727-jet plane, plunge into a working coal mine and work alongside robots in a toy factory? The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, is home to more than 35,000 artifacts and 14-plus acres of handsome exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity.
A large part of students is among the millions of guests that visit the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry each year. The institution takes its role as a catalyst for exploration in science seriously. In fact, the Museum's mission is to inspire the inventive genius in everyone.
The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry has touched the lives of more than 160 million guests since it opened in 1933. Today we can only guess how many children, after visiting this Museum, decided to become biologists or doctors, geneticists or chemists. The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry strives to develop compelling and captivating exhibits that not only engage our guests, but inspire them as well.
Among the Museum's most popular exhibits are the U-505 Submarine, the only German U-boat captured during World War II; The Coal Mine, a reproduction of an Illinois coal mine that takes visitors 50 feet in a real hoist to the bottom of a mineshaft; ToyMaker 3000, a real toy factory staffed by 12 robots; The Great Train Story, a dynamic model train display that illustrates modern rail operation; Take Flight, which uses a real United 727-jet plane to explain commercial flight; Genetics: Decoding Life, which helps guests understand the basics of DNA; and the Omnimax® Theater, Chicago's only five-story, domed, wrap-around movie screen.
Almost the most popular, the U-505 Submarine exhibit contains nearly 200 artifacts that tell the story of the U-505. Here is a sample of what you will see as you learn of this vessel's compelling history and critical contribution to the Allied effort during World War II.
This is one of two M4 Enigma machines taken from the U-505. After the capture, the Enigma machines and the 900 pounds of codebooks and publications removed from the sub were rushed to U.S. Naval Intelligence in Washington, D.C. to help the Allied code breaking effort. The ingenuity of Allied code breakers, combined with German blunders, made it possible for the Allies to read most messages to and from U-boats from November 1943 until the end of the war.
Imagine the unique engineering challenges involved in moving the U-505. How do you move a National Historic landmark that weighs as much as three Statues of Liberty and is nearly a city block long? Then, once it is moved, how do you lower it four stories into a new exhibit space?
The entire process showcased science in action; Museum guests were able to witness the move as it happened from a special observation deck affording spectacular views of the construction process.
It seems, that Chicago museum science industry in action is far and wide here. IMAGING: Tools of Science features a series of exhibit units that illustrate the use of computer-based imaging technology in the fields of medicine, science, law enforcement and entertainment. IMAGING: The Tools of Science encompasses more than 7,000 square feet of exhibit area and includes a 600-square-foot hands-on Mystery Lab space for use by school groups and Museum visitors.
And don`t forget, that Chicago Museum of Science Industry , one of the most visited museums in the world, also features several shops and a few dining options for a snack or meal.
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