A Marvelous day: Superheroes take over when Museum of Science and Industry reopens
Two exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago have been burned upon my brain since Grandma and Grandpa took me there in the '80s: the Whispering Gallery, where you and your loved one can stand on opposite sides of a hallway and still have a quiet conversation; and that terrifying, gigantic and totally radical walk-through model of the human heart.
The former is still there, and has been since 1938, and the latter has gotten a digital makeover since I was last there. (Haven't we all?) Both can be experienced again next Sunday, March 7, when the museum reopens to the public for the first time since closing Nov. 19 due to COVID-19 mitigations.
The museum, MSI for short, will welcome some famous new guests for the opening, too, with names such as Spider-Man, Black Panther and The Incredible Hulk. A traveling exhibition featuring artifacts from Marvel's comics and movies first premiered in 2018 at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture, and now it's on the South Shore.
“We're excited to invite everyone to safely explore science with us again, and are thrilled to offer an incredible experience as soon as we reopen our doors with Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes,” said Chevy Humphrey, president and CEO of MSI, in a news release.
The Marvel exhibit carries an extra admission fee for its timed-entry tickets, and will stick around until Oct. 24. “Keeping the exhibition at MSI for a longer time offers even more opportunities for guests to plan their visit when they feel ready,” Humphrey said.
So what's in there? Lots of comic book art, for sure. Costumes from the movies? Yup. A life-size statue of The Thing (the rock guy from “Fantastic Four,” not John Carpenter's gross alien) you can take a selfie with? Check. A virtual visit to Tony Stark's lab where you can see yourself in Iron Man's armor? Praise J.A.R.V.I.S.!
The exhibit boasts more than 300 super suits, props and art pieces, but it's not just a room full of stuff to gawk at. The exhibit also shows how global culture influenced Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and the rest of Marvel's legendary artists, and how their work then influenced the culture itself.
And when you're done with that, there's still a veritable multiverse of real-life magic to see at the museum. The famous U-505, a bona fide German submarine that came to MSI in 1954, is still there. So is the Giant Dome Theater, which offers three different large-format films for an extra fee. There's “Canada's Great Bear Rainforest,” whose title is rather self-explanatory; “Michael Jordan to the Max,” which features the 1998 NBA champion Bulls; and “Superpower Dogs,” an ode to lifesaving canines narrated by Captain America himself, Chris Evans.
And I didn't even mention the mirror maze, the fairy-tale castle, the model trains ...
COVID-19 precautions
Here's what you need to know before visiting:
• Everyone age 2 and older will be required to wear a mask, which won't be a problem for Deadpool. Masks with vents are not allowed.
• All museum patrons (including members) must book timed-entry tickets. Get them online at tickets.msichicago.org or by phone at (773) 684-1414 in advance of your visit. It's better than walking up. Or flying up, Tony.
• The museum will be open Wednesday through Sunday with limited capacity. Mondays and Tuesdays have been snapped away by Thanos.
• You'll be given a stylus to touch and interact with exhibits. Don't expect it to fly back to your hand, Mjolnir-style, if you drop it.
• You should stay six feet away from the other guests. Or, you know, approximately one Daredevil's length apart. (Yes, I looked it up.)
Read more about museum policies and precautions online at msichicago.org/visit/know-before-you-go.
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Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes
What: Interactive exhibit celebrating the history of Marvel Entertainment
Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
When: March 7-Oct. 24; preview for museum members only runs March 4-6. Museum open Wednesday through Sunday.
Admission: Timed-entry tickets cost $18 for adults, $14 children, $9 members. Museum entry fee also required: $21.95 adults, $12.95 children.
Parking: Underground garage at E. 57th Street and S. Cornell Ave.; $22 per car.
For booking and more info: msichicago.org