Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science & Industry (Chicago, Illinois)

 museum, science, interesting place

The Museum of Science and Industry, one of the most beloved and visited museums in the world, has origins that are tied to two great World's Fairs and to civic spirit and imagination of Chicago businessman Julius Rosenwald. Rosenwald, then Chairman of Sears Roebuck & Company, was inspired by a 1911 visit with his son to the Deutches Museum in Munich. He returned to Chicago determined to create America's first center for "industrial enlightenment," a vehicle for public science education. With the help of other Midwest business leaders, Rosenwald restored and converted the Palace of Fine Arts by Charles Atwood, the last remaining major structure from the 1893 World's Fair, into a new type of American museum - where visitors could interact with the exhibits, not just view displays and artifacts. In 1933, the Museum of Science and Industry opened to the public, at the same time as the Century of Progress Exposition.

Opened in 1933, the oldest science Museum of its kind in the Western Hemisphere attracts approximately 2 million visitors per year. It is also one of the most popular destinations in the City of Chicago. In 2019, it was announced that the name will be changed to honor billionaire Kenneth Griffin's $125M donation.

5700 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 684-1414
www.msichicago.org/