Located just a short drive down Lakeshore Dr and resting inside a historic building created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition -- or World's fair -- is Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. MSI is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, playing host to over 2,000 exhibits. Of all the institutions in Chicago, MSI might be the most family-friendly because of its emphasis on interactive displays and education. Simulated storms give kids and adults alike an opportunity to learn how tornadoes form and how they are affected by their surroundings. “Numbers in Nature” is another exhibit that allows participants to see how numbers are everywhere and teach the importance of math. “Numbers in nature” also features a winding mirror maze with opportunities for exciting pictures. A Lego exhibit, running through April 1st, gives kids a chance to be an engineer and view Lego versions of the Golden Gate Bridge, International Space Station, and Roman Coliseum. You will be asked the most fundamental questions in life that we never bother to ask ourselves: why does fire burn; what is lightning; why is the sky blue? In addition to educational exhibits, MSI also features a giant domed theater, with screening that range from educational to entertaining. For those interested in a piece of history, MSI also features a German U-505 submarine, which was one of only two German subs captured during WWII. Keeping with the WWII theme, MSI also features two WWII airplanes – a Stuka dive-bomber and a British Supermarine Spitfire. In continuing with the transportation theme, the first diesel-powered streamlined stainless-steel passenger train is featured, as well as the command module of Apollo 8. The combination of these historical artifacts, as well as interactive educational exhibits children, or the kid-at-heart, make the Museum of Science and Industry one of the most family-friendly museums in all of Chicago.
