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A Look Back: The 2017 Museum Experience

When we visited in 2017, we experienced one of the world's largest and most historic science museums. Built within the only remaining structure from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (the Palace of Fine Arts), the building itself is a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts architecture. By 2017, the museum had already perfected the "hands-on" philosophy started by founder Julius Rosenwald in 1933. The U-505 Submarine is the only German sub in the U.S., which underwent a massive restoration and move to its underground home just a few years before your visit. The 40-foot tornado and giant Tesla coil that make you feel the raw power of nature. The Coal Mine is the very first exhibit from 1933 that still takes you down into a "working" mine.

What’s New Since 2017?

Since we were last there, the museum has launched several high-tech experiences that move the focus from industrial history to the cutting edge of science: The SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft is a mission-flown Dragon capsule in the newly renovated Henry Crown Space Center. It took two cargo missions to the International Space Station and represents the new era of private spaceflight. Griffin Studio & Notes to Neurons is a brand-new, immersive digital space gallery. Its premiere exhibit, Notes to Neurons, uses gesture and movement recognition to show how music literally changes your heart rate and brain activity. Powering the Future (Opening Early 2026), is the museum’s newest major permanent exhibit. It features a two-story spiral slide that lets you turn your own potential energy into kinetic energy while exploring how we’ll power the world in the decades to come. Blue Paradox, a stunning, immersive exhibit that makes you feel like you are walking under the ocean to see the impact of plastic pollution.

The Walk and the Tunnel

Walking from the lot, you head toward the 18th Street Bridge/Tunnel area. The tunnel under DuSable Lake Shore Drive is a great transition point, one minute you're surrounded by the bustle of the city and the towering stadium, and the next, you emerge into the bright, open expanse of the lakefront. These tunnels are iconic Chicago features. They were designed to let people safely bypass the heavy traffic of the Lake Shore Drive and many of them, like the one near 18th Street, have been updated with vibrant murals or local artwork that makes the stroll even more interesting. We weren't set up for a beach day but we did enjoy having lunch by the lake!