Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry could return to being a free museum for everyone.
Museum CEO Dr. Chevy Humphrey told NBC Chicago they’re exploring a plan to bring back free admission in some way.
“I started during COVID, so everything was closed. And so I said, ‘How am I going to meet people?’ And so, I took to Zoom, and then when we’d open up, I’d invite people to the museum. And that year, I had over 1,000 meetings with people. And every meeting I would hear, ‘I used to be able to walk in the front doors of the museum and just experience it however I wanted to experience it.’ Or, ‘My mom and dad would just drop me off at the museum and it was my playground. I got to learn, get inspired by all the things happening and there was never a barrier. And then when you started charging, we stopped coming,'” Humphrey said. “And I heard that over and over again.”
According to museum data, an average of 3.5 million visitors went to the museum before it began charging in 1991. After charging began, that number dropped to between 1.5 and 1.6 million.
“That means two million people lost access because we started charging. And so I thought about it. I’m like, ‘How do we have this huge goal of becoming free again?’ Daniel Burnham said, ‘make no small plans.’ So we made no small plans. And so our goal over the next 10, 15 years is try to figure out how do we phase in a free approach to the museum?” Humphrey said.
While the plan is not imminent, there are some changes happening sooner than later.
Humphrey noted the MSI has also changed up its monthly “free day” options, increasing free days to Sundays in addition to week days.
“Sundays are days where families go to church or they do things in the park and it’s their family day and what better day to have a free day than a Sunday?” she said.
She also said renovations are underway to open “free spaces” around the building that houses the museum.
“We’ve created a space plan that actually will open up free spaces on every corner of our building,” she said,
The first of those projects will be what is known as the South Portico “the actual original entry into the museum”
That entrance is expected to be open by the end of 2027, Humphrey said.
“We will be pulling the paywall in so that the balcony and the stairs and the sidewalks, all of that area will be free to the public,” she said. “And we’ll also have a cafe where people will be able to get coffee and tea and sit out on the balcony and just admire this beautiful Jackson Park.”
Considered one of the largest science museums in the world, the museum’s mission is to bridge education and innovation, “delivering hands-on exhibits and outreach programs that break barriers and engage future thinkers of all ages.”
The museum was recently named one of the 27 Best Museums in the World for Art, History, and Cultural Wonders by Travel + Leisure, a popular travel magazine.
