Harry and I headed to the Museum of Science and Industry while Kerri did her own thing around the city. The MSI is a bit of a bus ride south of our hotel, but well worth the trip. Our first impression was simple... WOW! There was so much to see and do.
Just inside the museum, the Swiss Jolly Machine was created as a travel advertisement for the Swiss National Tourist Office.
Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry is a premier attraction for lovers of science and innovation. The largest science museum in the Americas, it rivals Munich's Deutsches Museum and features a mix of iconic artifacts and hands-on exhibits. We immediately saw the steam train at ground level & the Boeing 727 suspended on the first floo.
The Boeing 727 features working flaps and landing gear. Visitors can board the aircraft at that level and view the cockpit. The port engine has been cut away to reveal its inner workings, allowing you to see the different components in action, he turbine even spins, bringing the mechanics of flight to life.
Below the Boeing 727 is a massive 325 m² HO-scale model railroad. It depicts a 3,500 km journey from Chicago to Seattle, featuring 425 metres of winding track, with more than 30 trains running simultaneously through mountains, cities, and forests.
The city models aren’t exact replicas, but they’re still very recognisable. For example, the inclusion of the Space Needle, along with several familiar skyscrapers and the port, makes it clear that the scene represents Seattle.
As with the Seattle model, the Chicago section features plenty of easily recognisable skyline monoliths. The most prominent is the Willis Tower, but there are many other familiar buildings that make the city instantly identifiable.
Of course, no model of Chicago would be complete without the 'L'.
One of the more interesting interactive displays is the 40-foot tornado simulator within the “Science Storms” exhibit, where visitors can manipulate a swirling vortex of air and vapour. Using interactive controls, it demonstrates the physics behind tornado formation, making the science both engaging and easy to understand.
Another impressive display is the periodic table, which includes samples of every element along with real world examples of their uses.
The Farm Tech section also draws attention, featuring modern agricultural equipment and an interactive harvester simulator.
There were many more interactive exhibits, but I have few photos due to the poor lighting. We did shell out for the flight simulator, at Harry’s insistence, where he had us literally upside down for a good portion of the ride.
Beneath the museum lies the German submarine U-505, a Type IXC German U-boat captured in 1944. Now a National Historic Landmark, it’s the only one of its kind in the United States. It does feel slightly out of place, something you might expect to find in a dedicated military museum rather than a science and technology institution, but its scale and history make it a fascinating and memorable exhibit.
Having worked our way through just about every exhibit (some two or three times), we headed back to the hotel, opting to take a Metra train for something different. While we were waiting on the platform, we spotted a coyote sitting right on the railway line, ironic, considering how difficult they had been to find in Yellowstone National Park.
