Posted on November 1, 2014

Parenting Alone In Chicago # 8: Museum Of Science And Industry

This is number eight in my series of places you can go with your kids if you’re parenting alone. Whether you are divorce, separated or just have the kids alone for the day, when you spend time with your children, it’s important to have an activity in the middle of the day to keep them active, provide stimulation and at least make a memory. No memories were ever made in the basement playing video games.

Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry is located off of Jackson Park in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The Museum of Science and Industry is housed in a majestic old building overlooking a lagoon. The reason the building is luxurious is that the building is the former Palace Of Fine Arts built for the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears & Roebuck, raised money to turn the building into the Museum of Science and Industry that we know today.

Most importantly, the Museum of Science and Industry is an educationally enriching activity that can be done indoors. There are not many locations like this during Chicago’s chilly winters.
Tickets to enter the Museum of Science and Industry are $ 21.95 and $ 12.95 for children. If you purchase the tickets online in advance (or just on your phone outside the museum) the tickets are $ 2.00 off each.

There are a variety of ways to get discounts on admission. Whether it’s becoming a member or getting a Chicago CityPass.

There is quite a bit of parking available outside of the Museum of Science and Industry. Specifically, right off of Science Drive is a big parking lot that leads you directly into the space exhibits.

From downtown’s Millenium station you can take the Metra to Hyde Park.

There are a variety of exhibits within the museum.

The Transportation Zone has a series of transportation themed exhibits

The Great Train Story, is one of the largest model train exhibits in the world simulating Chicago as a railway hub. A train weaves its way through a miniature Chicago and out into the western countryside.

There’s a replica of a Steam Engine that you and the kids can climb into.

A replica of the first airplane ever, the Wright brother’s, hangs from the ceiling along with a WW2 British spitfire and a WW2 German Stuka.

A Boeing airplane is cut in half for kids to crawl through.

Science Storms is a weather exhibit where kids can sit within a temporary artificial tornado or observe other weather phenomenon under the control of the museum employees.

One of the coolest things the museum has is a German WW2 U-boat which was captured. It’s been fully restored and available for tour.

The Henry Crown Space Center has a series of space related exhibits. You can control a simulated moon buggy, take a picture of yourself in a space suit or watch a space-themed movie in the theater.

The Farm Tech exhibit highlights the Midwest’s big industry, agriculture. Tractors, farm equipment and even baby chicks incubating are available for view.

Various traveling exhibits will often come to the Museum of Science and Industry throughout the year and usually cost an additional admission price.

The Museum of Science and Industry is just 8 miles from my Chicago, Illinois law office. Directions below.

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Russell Knight

Russell D. Knight has been practicing family law as a Chicago divorce lawyer since 2006. Russell D. Knight amicably resolves tough cases while remaining a strong advocate for his client’s interests.

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