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Museum Of Science And Industry Chicago

Underrated Exhibits To Check Out At The Chicago Museum Of Science Industry

Tour a Submarine! – Museum of Science and Industry Chicago | Museum Access (S. 1, Episode 1)

With so many fascinating experiences and displays, its easy to overlook the less fancy exhibits but they hold just as much excitement.

Head to the lower level for the hidden joys of the Swiss Jolly Ball exhibit. At over seven feet high and 15 feet wide, this huge pinball machine features a large silver ball rolling through miniature Swiss ski lifts, smiling cows, and even a giant Toblerone bar. Declared the worlds largest flipper machine by Guinness World Records, the Swiss Jolly Ball puts on a lively show of movement and sound.

Make sure to carve out some time to see the 1890 safety bicycle that transformed cycling , as well as experimental model gliders designed by aviation pioneer and Wright Brother mentor, Octave Chanute .

Museum Of Science And Industry

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

The lagoon south of the Museum of Science and Industry
Established
5700 South Lake Shore Drive,
Route 10Route 55
Website
Designated

The Museum of Science and Industry is a science museum located in Chicago, Illinois, in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood between Lake Michigan and The University of Chicago. It is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Initially endowed by , the Sears, Roebuck and Company president and philanthropist, it was supported by the Commercial Club of Chicago and opened in 1933 during the Century of Progress Exposition.

Among the museum’s exhibits are a full-size replica coal mine, German submarine U-505 captured during World War II, a 3,500-square-foot model railroad, the command module of Apollo 8, and the first diesel-powered streamlined stainless-steel passenger train .

Chevy Humphrey became president and CEO of the private, non-profit museum in January 2021.

Find Cheap Parking Near Other City Attractions

As one of the largest cities in the United States, Chicago has so much to offer that you wont know where to start! Thats where we come inParking Access will list all the popular locations in the area and offer useful parking information. Apart from the Museum of Science and History parking guide, we can help you find a spot near any of the top five city attractions! Learn more about:

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Museum Of Science And Industryvsfield Museum

Both The Field Museum and Museum of Science and Industry are recommended by reviewers writing for major publications. On balance, Museum of Science and Industry is the choice of most reviewers compared to The Field Museum. Museum of Science and Industry is ranked #4 in Chicago with accolades from 12 reviews such as Travel + Leisure, Afar Magazine and Time Out.

Parking Near The Museum Of Science And Industry

Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL ...

In addition to the South Lot, several other city parking areas offer reasonable prices, but most of them require going for a long walk. If you dont mind taking a 12-minute stroll to and from the museum, head to 5550 S Dorchester Aveyoull find a spot for as low as $5.75. This rate applies after 3 hours. Another secure option is provided by the 1538 E 54th St. Lot, which is 15 minutes away and has a rate of $12. Finally, if you take a 20-minute walk to the north, youll come across Harper Court Garage available for $7.25. On-street parking is a decent alternative as well, but be sure to read the signs carefully and avoid Chicago parking tickets! Hourly parking rates start at $2.25.

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How To Get To The Chicago Museum Of Science Industry

There are several public transportation options available to get to the Chicago Museum of Science Industry directly from downtown, including with the CTA bus and with the Metra Electric Line trains.

If you choose to drive, note that the parking at the Chicago Museum of Science Industry is located in an underground garage and costs a whopping $22.

Activecampaign + Salesforce: Use The Right Tool For The Right Job

By using ActiveCampaign with Salesforce, we dont have to manually transfer data. Theres no wait. The Museum of Science and Industry can immediately connect with guests. Shawn Hackett

The Museum of Science and Industry uses Salesforce as their customer relationship management solution: The platform stores data about guests and members.

ActiveCampaign is what we use to act on that data, says Steven.

Shawn explains that Salesforce gives the Museum complete visibility into what their guests want. The CRM makes raw data readable for employees in multiple departments:

  • Finance
  • Education

A custom ActiveCampaign integration narrows that data down to just the information MSI needs to send personal, targeted emails to their contact list.

The Museum of Science and Industry collects data on guests from several different sources. The data syncs from Salesforce to ActiveCampaign, and is used for personalized email engagement.

When you buy a ticket on the Museum of Science and Industrys website, they use the information you give them to personalize future email communications.

Why are multiple systems better than one?

As we adopted digital tools across the Museum, explains Steven, We learned that its better to integrate 2-3 systems that are each the best at what they do instead of one tool that tries to do too much and does it poorly.

We roll data up into a nice clean view, then synchronize it with ActiveCampaign so we can better message guests, adds Shawn.

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When Is The Right Time To Personalize Your Customer Experience

Wed like to think the bronze doors are the front doors to the Museum but its actually the website. Steven Beasley

A couple years ago, the Museum of Science and Industry had a realization: Their website was their best opportunity to connect with and learn more about their guests. With that in mind, MSI relaunched their website and increased the percentage of ticket purchases made online from 15% to 50%+.

That means MSI now has a lot more contact data. More data means more work right?

Steven explains that nonprofit organizations have limited staff, so tools that let them do more are crucial. ActiveCampaign lets us be higher touch with the staff we have.

When you dont have to send 6 routine email campaigns, that frees up time to expand our strategy and personalization, Shawn says. We have time to understand who were talking to, so we can analyze them to learn what works and what doesnt.

When you understand your customers, you provide a better guest experience, so its important to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. As Shawn says: Our guests arent waiting for the right timeit IS the right time.

MSI has a large list ActiveCampaign lets us manage it, adds Shawn. With advanced search and automation I dont have to manually manage our list. I can focus on strategy.

I can create any automation I can think of. I like to dive in, so ActiveCampaigns flexibility from easy to complex has been very nice. Shawn Hackett

The Museums Mission: To Inspire The Inventive Genius In Everyone

Great Train Story: 360 Tour with John Llewellyn

We have a weekly call with ActiveCampaign, to talk through concerns and ideas. Weve had meetings to brainstorm. We like that openness. Shawn Hackett

The Museum of Science and Industrys mission is to inspire the inventive genius in everyone.

When the MSI uses ActiveCampaign to get feedback from guests, that influences the Museum to make changes changes that make it easier to inspire the inventive genius in future guests.

One of the great things working here, adds Shawn, Is that even though were behind the scenes upstairs in an office, we can walk downstairs and be involved. You need a break? Go see the baby chicks.

Or you can stand back and watch as guests enter the Museum. You can witness their eyes go wide and jaws drop in awe.

Its active, its immersive. You hear laughter as people interact with exhibits, Shawn says. This is a place where you can learnand can play.

Shawn smiles and adds, I love creating nerds. My heart knew the Museum of Science and Industry is where I needed to be.

Curiosity is what drives society forward. It is the lifeblood of all human progress. So lets raise our national curiosity levels once again. And together, lets ensure curiosity does not become an endangered species in our lifetime. Join us. Long live curiosity. msichicago.org

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Where To Start Your Visit At The Chicago Museum Of Science Industry

Even if you know which exhibits that you want to see, Dr. Saridikis suggests a handy strategy for beginning your visit. Go up the escalator to the rotunda level, stand beneath the copper dome, and look around. You can see 360 degrees around, youll see some of what we have on display. We have so many nooks and crannies tucked away. Spend a few minutes at the center of it all, grab a map, and start from there.

How Does Msi Re

Steven explains that MSI uses segmentation and tags to re-introduce to guests what is new and differentand what might appeal to them individually. We can see if ActiveCampaign has tagged a guest by what exhibit theyve seen. If we have a new exhibit that we think will appeal to them, we can take that into account when we email guests.

What does this look like?

The U-505 submarine is a long-standing favorite at MSI. If a guest rates the submarine highly after a visit, MSI can send an email to the tagged submarine segment to let them know about the 75th anniversary exhibit, U-505 Submarine: 75 Stories.

The U-505 is a German submarine built for Germanys Kriegsmarine during World War II. It was captured by the U.S. Navy on June 4, 1944. Its one of only 5 WW II-era U-boats left in the world, and has amazed Museum guests since 1954 ” rel=”nofollow”> Wikipedia).

We only have so much time to keep someones attention when they open an email, so we want to deliver something valuable, Steven explains. Would you like this specific exhibit? Thats better than saying the same thing to everyone.

As we get more sophisticated in how we engage guests, we can say the right thing at the right time. When guests open an email it should speak to them personally, whether theyre a 22-year-old or a family of 4.

MSI sends annual check-in email surveys. If youre a 22-year-old, MSI might send you this survey question: How easy would it be for you to play hookie from work?

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Museum Of Contemporary Art

The Museum of Contemporary Art is always free for visitors under age 18, visitors with disabilities and their caregivers receive free admission, members of the military and police and fire departments and veterans, and Illinois elementary and high school teachers.

  • Illinois residents receive free admission every Tuesday

To encourage more people to visit and visit often, the MCA has a pay-what-you-can policy no one will be turned away. They also offer suggested admission of $3 each for up to six individuals when visitors present their LINK Card as part of the Museums for All program.

A Few Years Ago We Realized We Needed To Be More Sophisticated With How We Send Emails

Museum of Science and Industry is less

We outgrew Mailchimp. We needed something more sophisticated. Steven Beasley

Its important to engage people on a one-on-one level, says Shawn Hackett, MSIs Manager of CRM. People expect that now. And your message needs to be right if its wrong, people notice. We care about our guests and we want to show that.

The Museum of Science and Industry has always been a quick adopter of new tech and digital strategy. They embraced email marketing early on .

MSI began their email strategy with Mailchimp but Mailchimp limited the Museum to sending basic email campaigns to their entire list.

A few years ago we realized we needed to be more sophisticated with how we sent emails, Steven says. Mailchimp was simple. Too simple.

Why did MSI need to be more sophisticated?

They didnt want to email everyone the exact same messages: Without the ability to set conditions or segment their list, they couldnt create personalized customer experience automations . MSI needed a way to collect and consolidate information about their 350,000+ active contacts.

They found their solution when they chose ActiveCampaign as their CXA platform and Salesforce as their CRM platform.

If you have 350,000+ active contacts, chances are they arent interested in the same things. So why would you send them the same email? Content thats not relevant gets ignored: Let your subscribers decide what emails they get.

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Public Transportation To The Museum

If you opt for a public transportation service instead of driving your own vehicle, youll save a lot! Two CTA bus routes connect downtown Chicago with the Museum of Science and Industry:

  • #2 Hyde Park Express: stops at 57th Street and Stony Island
  • #6 Jackson Park Express: stops at 56th Street and Hyde Park Boulevard

Both bus stops are a block away from the MSI. The Metra train station is two blocks from the main entrance, and its Electric Line is a reliable transport choice. If coming from Indiana, take a South Shore Line train to the 57th Street station. Airport passengers can pre-book an OHare Airport shuttle or a low-cost Midway Airport shuttle. Midway is a 20-minute drive from the museum, while trips to OHare take at least 40 minutes.

Fodor’s Expert Review Museum Of Science And Industry

The MSI is one of the most-visited sites in Chicago, and for good reason. The sprawling space has 2,000 exhibits on three floors, with new exhibits added constantly. The museum’s high-tech interior is hidden by a Classical Revival exterior, designed in 1892 by D.H. Burnham & Company to house the Palace of Fine Arts for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Beautifully landscaped Jackson Park and its peaceful, Japanese-style Osaka Garden are behind the museum.

Highlights

Descend into a simulated coal mine on a “miner”-led tour that explores the technology behind digging energy out of the ground.

Get swallowed up by the opulent Fairy Castle , which has tiny chandeliers that flash with real diamonds and floors that are laid with intricate stone patterns.

Tour the cramped quarters of a U-505 German submarinethe only one captured during World War II . Explore the free interactive exhibits…READ MORE

The MSI is one of the most-visited sites in Chicago, and for good reason. The sprawling space has 2,000 exhibits on three floors, with new exhibits added constantly. The museum’s high-tech interior is hidden by a Classical Revival exterior, designed in 1892 by D.H. Burnham & Company to house the Palace of Fine Arts for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Beautifully landscaped Jackson Park and its peaceful, Japanese-style Osaka Garden are behind the museum.

Highlights

Find out how your body works at “You! The Experience,” with 50 fascinating interactive stations.

Tips

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How Does Msi Push Back Against False Familiarity

What is false familiarity? Its when youre positive that youre familiar with something but actually? Youre not.

Talk to anyone who has worked at the Museum of Science and Industry and youll hear the same story play out in 3 acts:

  • A MSI staff member tells a friend they work at MSI
  • The friend is excited because they know the Museum well
  • The friend gushes to the MSI staff member how much they enjoyed their last visit to the museum20 years ago, in the 8th grade.
  • Everyone thinks the Museum of Science and Industry is an amazing place the version that exists in their mind, that is. They remember the Museum as it was the last time they visited, and they think that the Museum that exists today is exactly the same as it was back then.

    A picturephone!? If you remember being wowed by this futuristic concept at the Museum of Science and Industry, it might be time for another visit .

    Science and industry are ever-evolving: Why would the Museum be any different?

    MSI uses email marketing automation to show past guests the value in coming back. That means understanding the kinds of exhibits guests want to see.

    This is just a small selection of the exhibits MSI surveys guests if theyre interested in.

    Genetics And The Baby Chick Hatchery

    Museum of Science and Industry Chicago Tour & Review

    An incubator filled with fuzzy chicks may appear to be just a high-level petting zoo but Genetics and the Baby Chick Hatchery supplies a complex and interactive lesson on DNA and genetics. Discover how genetic variations and genetic engineering create differences between humans and animals and watch baby chicks emerge from their shells.

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    Welcome Series Email #2

    Whats the difference between a conversation and talking at someone?

    In a conversation, you ask questions MSI does this with a getting-to-know-you survey in their 2nd welcome series email. The Museum of Science and Industry uses the survey responses to tailor future communications to each contacts interests.

    Museum Of Science And Industry Parking Garage

    Visitor parking at the Museum of Science and Industry is available in the convenient parking garage at E. 57th Street and S. Cornell Ave. Its northwest of the building and easily accessible. The underground garage offers plenty of covered parking spots suitable for both standard and oversized vehicles. The height clearance is 8 2 in the Blue section and 66 in other sections. The garage parking rate is $22.00 per vehicle. Members with dual or family memberships get a discounted or free parking service.

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