the building
Facilities
Ours is the only building constructed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition's "White City" that remains at the site. Built as the fair's Palace of Fine Arts, it is now home to the Western Hemisphere's largest science museum.
- More than 400,000 square feet of exhibit space
- Chicago's only five-story, domed movie theater
- Student and teacher e-learning center with videoconferencing
- An 800-seat auditorium and two smaller theater spaces
- Thirteen Learning Lab areas for education programming
- Convenient indoor parking connected to the Museum's Entry Hall
- Many amenities, shops and restaurants throughout
- See our Frequently Asked Questions
the people
Audience
- More than 190 million guests welcomed since 1933.
- Nearly 1.4 million guests visited the Museum in 2019.
- Nearly 300,000 children in school groups hosted in 2019, making us the top field trip destination among Chicago-area cultural institutions for the 11th consecutive year.
- There were 26 million visits to msichicago.org and its webpages in 2019.
the features
Exhibits and programs
- Home to more than 35,000 artifacts.
- Public programming includes facilitated exhibits, special access tours, hands-on laboratory experiences, lectures, and special overnight events.
- Major permanent exhibits include: U-505 Submarine, YOU! The Experience, Science Storms, the Coal Mine, the Baby Chick Hatchery, The Great Train Story, Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze, Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle, and the Pioneer Zephyr.
the future
Education programs
- Improving science teaching for nearly 1,000 educators annually through our science teacher education courses.
- Inspiring teens to consider science careers through our youth development programs.
- Bringing science into communities and reaching 11,750 children through our network of 100+ after-school science clubs, and another 150,000 Chicago youth through our summer learning partnership with the Chicago Public Library and Chicago Park District.
- Providing hands-on Learning Lab programs to more than 22,000 students.
- Introducing 41,000 youth and their families to STEM professionals at Science Works career events, Jr. Science Cafes and other opportunities.
- Learn more about MSI's support of science education.