what’s happening

MONTH AT THE MUSEUM Oct. 20 – Nov. 18, 2010Included in general admission. Out of more than 1,500 applicants, we’re picking one lucky person to spend a Month at the Museum—and eat, sleep, science 24/7 from Oct. 20 to Nov. 18, 2010. Living inside our 14-acre building, the winner of Month

at the Museum will mingle with guests, while having access to all the fun and education the Museum offers daily—learning labs, teacher workshops, live science demonstrations, groundbreaking exhibits

and interactive experiences. After the last guest has left the building, the doors have been locked, the lights go dark and the exhibits are deserted—what happens? Well, this person will find out and tell the world about the experience via social media like Facebook and Twitter as well as a blog at monthathemuseum.org. And at the end of it all, the winner will take home $10,000. Help us select the lucky candidate with our online public vote of the finalists beginning in late September, and be sure to follow the winner’s journey while he or she lives at MSI for 30 days!

JIM HENSON’S FANTASTIC WORLDSept. 24, 2010 – Jan. 23, 2011Requires an additional ticket: $5 for adults and seniors; $2 for children. Get a rare peek into the imagination of master puppeteer Jim Henson. This fun-for-all-ages exhibition features more than130 original artworks, including drawings and cartoons

that demonstrate Henson’s talent as a storyteller. Discover Henson’s process of “visual thinking” through renderings, photographs, documents, puppets and film. Featured puppets in the exhibit will include Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Bert and Ernie, and Rowlf—as well as puppets from the 1982 film The Dark Crystal and Cantus and Gobo from the award-winning television series Fraggle Rock. See rare photos and drawings first-hand,

such as a photo of Henson with Kermit the Frog in 1978 on the set of The Muppet Movie, or a developing free-hand sketch of the Mahna Mahna character. Younger guests will get an opportunity to express their own inventiveness through a series of fun and original hands-on activities, including creating a puppet show.

This exhibition has been organized by The Jim Henson Legacy and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. It is made possible by The Biography Channel with additional support from The Jane Henson Foundation and Cheryl Henson.

contacts:Beth Bostonbeth.boston@msichicago.org(773) 947-6003

Marilyn Steinmarilyn.stein@msichicago.org(773) 947-3133

hours and pricing

HOURS OF OPERATIONRegular Museum hours are Monday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Extended hours are offered during peak holiday times in November and December; check msichicago.org for details. The Museum is closed on Dec. 25 (Christmas day).

FREE DAYSThe Museum offers 52 free days each year. Museum general admission is free on the remaining days in 2010: Sept. 27 and 28; Oct. 4-6; Nov. 11 and Dec. 6.

GENERAL ADMISSION PRICING$15 for adults, $14 for seniors, $10 for children 3-11. City of Chicago residents receive a discount as follows: $13 for adults, $12 for seniors, $9 for children 3-11.

TIMED ENTRY TICKETSOmnimax® films; the U-505 optional, on-board tour; and certain special exhibitions are not included in general admission; check msichicago.org for show times and pricing.

PARKINGParking in the Museum’s underground garage is $16.

BUY ONLINEThe Museum encourages guests to make their MSI visit a breeze by planning ahead. All tickets—general admission, Omnimax and special exhibitions—can now be purchased online at msichicago.org.

The Museum is part of the Chicago CityPASS program, in which guests can receive admission to five of the city’s most famous attractions for one low price. Buy CityPASS at the Museum or online at citypass.com.

what’s new

Images and press releases are available at msichicago.org/press.

please note:

fall/winter 2010

CLIMATE MATTERSSept. 16, 2010 – Jan. 2, 2011Included in general admission. Learn about the changes climate disruption has on Earth through photographs, scientific data and interactive displays. Large-scale images provide compelling backdrops to simple, clear explanations of the science underlying climate change, and what these changes to the Earth’s climate mean. From green roofs on office buildings to increases in programs to promote alternative transportation, Chicago is at the forefront of addressing the challenges presented by climate

change. Learn about the Chicago Climate Action Plan to find out what Chicago has been able to accomplish towards reducing the city’s carbon footprint. Interactive experiences include: choose from different scenarios to reduce your carbon footprint and see the impact on total carbon dioxide reduction; explore a top ten list of “eco-tips;” or, take an interactive survey to discover how small changes can help the climate and save money.

MSI thanks the Marian Koshland Science Museum for assistance with some of the interactive units in this exhibit.

what’s new (continued)

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD AND HOLIDAYS OF LIGHTNov. 18, 2010 – Jan. 9, 2011Included in general admission. The Museum halls are decked, holiday singers and dancers fuel the festivities, and the sparkle of dozens of decorated trees greets you at the 69th annual Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light. The Museum’s 45-foot Grand Tree takes center stage in the Rotunda, while more than 50 trees, beautifully decorated by members of Chicago’s ethnic communities representing various global cultures, adorn

the Museum’s Main Level. Stroll through the trees, enjoy intermittent falling “snow” and savor the performances of various dance and choral groups on the Holiday Stage. More special holiday events, performances and, of course, new memories, await you at this year’s Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light!

upcoming exhibits

special events and activities

SPOOKY SCIENCEEvery Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Oct.Included in general admission. Never fear! The Museum offers a host of hair-raising activities and exhibits to celebrate the Halloween season. Explore the haunted Coal Mine or Pioneer Zephyr tours, Idea Factory funhouse, pumpkin smashing, trick or treating and phreaky physics. Visit msichicago.org for a complete schedule.

THE FUTURE OF ENERGY ROUNDTABLEOct. 26; 6 p.m.Included in general admission. RSVP required; call (773) 753-7055. We’ve all heard about the energy crisis, and the need for alternative, renewable and eco-friendly energy sources. At this event, the most pressing issues in energy will be discussed, including the latest innovations in nuclear, wind, solar and biofuels—and what’s new for the consumer in wind power, alternative fuel cars and smart homes. Panelists include: Dr. Herman White, Particle Physicist, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Mr. Frank Stewart, President & COO, American Association of Blacks in Energy; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy.

WONDER KIDSOct. 26; 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Included in general admission. Wonder Kids, an event developed by MSI and the Chicago Children’s Museum, inspires the scientist in every child through fun, hands-on activities and make-and-takes. Wonder Kids is provided with generous support from Allstate.

PALACE OF FINE ARTS IN LEGOUnveiling event: Nov. 4; 10 a.m. On display: Nov. 4 – 7Included in general admission. Watch as LEGO Master and architect Adam Reed Tucker unveils his latest large-scale masterpiece: the Palace of Fine Arts building from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, now the Museum of Science and Industry building.

EXPLORE THE WHITE CITY: WORLD’S FAIR SIMULATIONNov. 5, 6 and 7; 1 p.m. Requires an additional ticket; prices include general admission: $30 for adults, seniors and children (3-11). RSVP required; call (773) 684-1414. This fascinating virtual simulation

tour of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition is back by popular demand. New landmarks have been added to the tour including the international buildings along the lagoon and lakefront. The Fair’s midway is enhanced with amazing images courtesy of the Library of

Congress. Dr. Lisa Snyder, with the UCLA Urban Simulation team, will be presenting the recreation of the White City using real-time video simulation technology. Tim Samuelson, cultural historian for the City of Chicago, will provide expert commentary and insight. This is a sell-out event every year; space is limited.

SCIENCE STORMSNew permanent exhibit.Included in general admission. Manipulate a 40-foot tornado and see the vapor whirling before you. Witness giant bolts

of lightning crackling above you. Trigger an avalanche using a 20-foot avalanche disk. Create a tsunami in a 30-foot wave tank. This and much more awaits you in Science Storms, an amazing new permanent exhibit that unravels the mysteries of physics and chemistry through recreations of nature’s most powerful phenomena—tornados, lightning, fire, tsunamis, sunlight, avalanches and atoms in motion. At each exhibit station, you’ll deconstruct large phenomena into

smaller experiments to study the forces that make them possible. In Science Storms, it’s your turn to be inspired—to search for the “how” and “why” behind nature.

Science Storms is brought to you through the generosity of The Allstate Corporation, The Allstate Foundation, and The Grainger Foundation. Additional major funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.

YOU! THE EXPERIENCENew permanent exhibit.Included in general admission. Celebrate everything that makes you … YOU! More than just a body, you are a complex blend of your choices, your personality, and your environment.

YOU! The Experience brings these elements together and lets you explore what it means to live a vital, healthy life in the 21st century—while experimenting with more than 50 fun, cutting-edge interactive displays. Whether testing your

basketball moves with a virtual coach, or playing Mindball, a game of “competitive relaxation” in which you win by controlling your brainwaves, you will see yourself—and your health—in new and fascinating ways. Use your own heartbeat to make the Museum’s new Giant Heart come alive. Get moving on a human-sized hamster wheel that provides real-time feedback on your body’s responses to aerobic activity. Examine real human specimens that showcase the extraordinary complexity of the body and much more!

This exhibit is made possible through the generosity of Abbott, the Abbott Fund and the Pritzker Foundation. Additional major funding provided by J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family, Mazza Foundation, Robert S. and Susan E. Morrison.

SMART HOME: GREEN + WIREDThrough Jan. 9, 2011Requires an additional timed-entry ticket: $10 for adults and seniors; $5 for children (ages 3-11). The Museum’s Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit, a fully-functioning, eco-friendly

home located on Museum grounds, has a new look in 2010 courtesy of Midwest Living. The home’s interior has been redesigned to reflect the lifestyle of an “empty-nester” couple and features soft, organic textures and colors fused with a contemporary style. On guided tours, you’ll see great spaces for entertaining,

a master bedroom that serves as a retreat, a playroom/nursery space for a grandchild and the home office of an interior designer—all of which keep in mind natural elements and harmony with the Earth. The Museum, once again, partnered with WIRED magazine to incorporate “smart” technologies into the home. The exhibit also features a “green” garage designed by DIY Network’s “Garage Mahal.” Highlights of the home’s landscape include native plantings, a sustainable vegetable garden and vertical gardens. Tour times vary and are subject to change. Visit msichicago.org for information.

Smart Home: Green + Wired is proudly sponsored by ComEd and Dominick’s.

current exhibits

omnimax® filmsRequires an additional timed-entry ticket: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors; $6 for children (ages 3-11). Visit msichicago.org for tickets and show times.

ULTIMATE WAVE TAHITIThrough Oct. 26Witness the raw force of extreme surfing conditions in Tahiti. The film, narrated by pro surfer Kelly Slater, immerses MSI guests inside the power and speed of the ocean and gives viewers the sensation of riding some of nature’s most extreme waves in a visually stimulating experience for all ages.

HUBBLEThrough Jan. 31, 2011Travel the depths of the unknown and see outer space from the inside-out through the world’s most powerful telescope currently in orbit. The film places viewers in the middle of the May 2009

servicing assignment to complete final repairs and upgrades to the space telescope. Watch as the astronauts make their careful and technical repairs, while floating in space, with no second chances or room for

error. Narrated by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Hubble demonstrates the unique legacy and scientific impact of this inventive telescope—keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

LEGENDS OF FLIGHTThrough Feb. 11, 2011Feel the gut-wrenching force upon take-off, soar over the highest peaks, and loop and roll above the ocean while learning about the first 100 years of flight and the creation of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

special private tours

“Like” the Museum on Facebook and receive insider MSI knowledge, photos, updates and link up with other science-savvy Facebookers. facebook.com/msichicago

We are also “tweeting” science facts, news and MSI happenings on Twitter. Follow us and see where it leads: twitter.com/msichicago.

Have you heard the Museum’s podcast? We’ve interviewed people behind exhibits like Smart Home and Fast Forward as well as special Museum guests like astronaut John Grunsfeld and Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson. We’re just getting started, so be sure check them out at msichicago.org/podcast.

msi and social media

THE U-505 BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR

This private tour of the U-505 Submarine takes place on select Sunday mornings before the Museum is open to the public. The tour begins with a continental breakfast and presentation about the capture, acquisition and restoration of the U-505. Guests then take an in-depth guided tour of the exhibit, an on-board tour of the submarine and may enjoy the rest of the day at the Museum. Tour

dates in 2010: Oct. 17; Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. Cost: Adults $50; seniors, $48; and children (3-11) $40.

BLUEPRINTS TO OUR PAST TOURGo back in time to the Museum building’s origins. Using the building’s architecture as the guide, you’ll go on a journey that spans more than 100 years, two World’s Fairs and more than 400,000 square feet of exhibit space. This tour also includes a virtual simulation of the 1893 Columbian Exposition and its famed “White City.” Tour dates in 2010: Oct. 17; Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. Cost: $40 per person. To purchase tickets for either tour, call (773) 684-1414, or visit msichicago.org.