Chicago—Day 5

The next day promised lots of rain, which made it perfect for spending indoors at the Museum of Science and Industry.  That’s always been one of my favorite museums in Chicago, and after our day there, I think my kids would tell you it’s one of their favorites, too.

One of the first areas we visited was the space wing.  I’m not sure why, maybe it’s the freeze-dried ice cream in the souvenir shop, but I’ve always thought this area was pretty neat. I liked exploring the different space modules and seeing all the real-life items the astronauts used in space.

After planting our feet back on the ground again, we made our way to the baby chick hatchery.  One side had eggs and baby chicks starting to peck their way out.  The other side had recently hatched chicks, all fluffy and cute. (I promise the chicks on top aren’t dead.  They just used up all their energy pecking their way out of their shells.  It’s hard work getting out of those things!)

Another area that we found fascinating was the toy-making assembly line.  You could customize a spinning gravitron top, and then watch each step of the assembly line work to put your order together.  We created a purple top with a custom engraving.  After it was put together, we got to test it at the testing station.  It was fun to get to make (or watch the machines make) our own souvenir.

We liked getting to see all the different types of transportation they had represented there.  There were several types of airplanes, including a replica of the plane flown by the Wright brothers, and an actual commercial plane that (I think) my grandpa used to fly.

Other fun exhibits included the circus hallway, and the “All About You” station, where they had a giant hamster wheel.  The girls got to play a game that they controlled with their minds.  It looked like they were sleeping, but they were actually controlling a ball that moved back and forth between them.  Josiah thought closing his eyes for a bit sounded good too.

There was also a weather station, where we could make giant rainbows using prisms, and explore the science of weather.  Emma got to help out with a couple demonstrations showing how tornadoes form. 

It was a full day of playing, experimenting and exploring, and we didn’t even make it to all of the exhibits! 

If you’re ever in Chicago with kids (or even without), I highly recommend visiting this museum.