Griffin Museum of Science and Industry to renovate South Portico facing Jackson Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicagoans who have been visiting the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry for a long time are sure to have noticed things that have changed over the years.
The addition of the Griffin name is itself fairly new, of course. But the old and beloved exhibit The Circus folded up its tent a couple of years ago and the Baby Chick Hatchery recently moved downstairs, while newer exhibits such as The Blue Paradox and Notes to Neurons draw crowds today.
In just one specific area of the museum—the main floor toward what most visitors would think of as the back — the Coal Mine whistle still sounds regularly as visitors line up to climb the stairs and then go down the elevator for a tour. To the left, the cobblestones and historical storefronts of Yesterday's Main Street remain as charming as ever, and one can still go to the Nickelodeon and watch a Charlie Chaplin movie.
But nearby in the Yellow Stairwell, you will no longer find the Solar Fountain — that rotating kinetic sculpture where floodlights shone down onto mirror discs hanging from so many perpendicular metal bars. Meanwhile, the space that once housed General Motors' exhibit adjoining the stairwell and Yesterday's Main Street — at various points called Motorama and Wheels of Change — is now used for special exhibits, currently 007 Science. And on the opposite side of the Coal Mine, the petroleum exhibit that once featured a ride has been supplanted by Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze.
But one thing that has not changed is the set of doors near all those exhibits, which lead out to the South Portico of the museum and toward the pond known as the Columbia Basin in Jackson Park. You may have noticed them, but you have almost certainly never entered or exited the museum that way — as it is not open for such purposes, and for all intents and purposes has always functioned as the back of the museum.
But that is all changing with a renovation plan for the South Portico made possible through a $10 million grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation — the largest grant awarded by the foundation in its 42-year history.
Beginning this spring, the Griffin MSI said, the project will increase accessibility, add modern amenities, and provide new and vibrant public spaces. Once the renovation is done in 2027, visitors will be able to access the south entry to the museum and enjoy a café and a terrace overlooking the Columbia Basin and the Obama Presidential Center just for the south—which is set to open next year.
"This project represents a pivotal moment for the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry as we honor its historic past while leading the museum forward," Dr. Chevy Humphrey, president and chief executive officer of the Griffin MSI, said in a news release. "The Driehaus Foundation's generosity allows us to enhance this iconic space while ensuring it is welcoming and accessible for all and continues a legacy of inspiration and engagement for decades of future visitors."
The upgrades will also improve and increase accessibility, with an elevator that will provide an accessible entrance to the museum and public spaces, the Griffin MSI said.
The South Portico entrance was the main entrance to the building in its first incarnation as the Palace of Fine Arts during the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The building became the Museum of Science and Industry 40 years later — and for decades had a parking lot in front of its North Portico facing 57th Drive and the Hyde Park neighborhood, through which all visitors entered. Parking has since moved underground.
The museum will remain open throughout construction, and there are no plans to limit public access to roads or the park during the renovation work.
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Griffin Museum of Science and Industry to renovate South Portico facing Jackson Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicagoans who have been visiting the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry for a long time are sure to have noticed things that have changed over the years. The addition of the Griffin name is itself fairly new, of course. But the old and beloved exhibit The Circus folded up its tent a couple of years ago and the Baby Chick Hatchery recently moved downstairs, while newer exhibits such as The Blue Paradox and Notes to Neurons draw crowds today. In just one specific area of the museum—the main floor toward what most visitors would think of as the back — the Coal Mine whistle still sounds regularly as visitors line up to climb the stairs and then go down the elevator for a tour. To the left, the cobblestones and historical storefronts of Yesterday's Main Street remain as charming as ever, and one can still go to the Nickelodeon and watch a Charlie Chaplin movie. But nearby in the Yellow Stairwell, you will no longer find the Solar Fountain — that rotating kinetic sculpture where floodlights shone down onto mirror discs hanging from so many perpendicular metal bars. Meanwhile, the space that once housed General Motors' exhibit adjoining the stairwell and Yesterday's Main Street — at various points called Motorama and Wheels of Change — is now used for special exhibits, currently 007 Science. And on the opposite side of the Coal Mine, the petroleum exhibit that once featured a ride has been supplanted by Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze. But one thing that has not changed is the set of doors near all those exhibits, which lead out to the South Portico of the museum and toward the pond known as the Columbia Basin in Jackson Park. You may have noticed them, but you have almost certainly never entered or exited the museum that way — as it is not open for such purposes, and for all intents and purposes has always functioned as the back of the museum. But that is all changing with a renovation plan for the South Portico made possible through a $10 million grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation — the largest grant awarded by the foundation in its 42-year history. Beginning this spring, the Griffin MSI said, the project will increase accessibility, add modern amenities, and provide new and vibrant public spaces. Once the renovation is done in 2027, visitors will be able to access the south entry to the museum and enjoy a café and a terrace overlooking the Columbia Basin and the Obama Presidential Center just for the south—which is set to open next year. "This project represents a pivotal moment for the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry as we honor its historic past while leading the museum forward," Dr. Chevy Humphrey, president and chief executive officer of the Griffin MSI, said in a news release. "The Driehaus Foundation's generosity allows us to enhance this iconic space while ensuring it is welcoming and accessible for all and continues a legacy of inspiration and engagement for decades of future visitors." The upgrades will also improve and increase accessibility, with an elevator that will provide an accessible entrance to the museum and public spaces, the Griffin MSI said. The South Portico entrance was the main entrance to the building in its first incarnation as the Palace of Fine Arts during the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The building became the Museum of Science and Industry 40 years later — and for decades had a parking lot in front of its North Portico facing 57th Drive and the Hyde Park neighborhood, through which all visitors entered. Parking has since moved underground. The museum will remain open throughout construction, and there are no plans to limit public access to roads or the park during the renovation work.
