The latest exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry addresses our planet’s plastic problem.
“The Blue Paradox” opened on July 1. It was initially a pop-up experience in London in 2021 where it inspired 97 percent of attendees to make changes to their plastic consumption habits. Now, the exhibit is challenging Chicagoans to think about the role of plastics in their day-to-day lives.
Through immersive visuals and emotional storytelling, the exhibit takes visitors below the surface of the ocean to learn how plastic is polluting our planet’s largest ecosystem. Because it takes hundreds of years for plastic to decompose, the problem won’t be going away any time soon.
The paradox? Plastic didn’t always have such a bad rep. In fact, plastic is responsible for a lot of modern tech and convenience. “The Blue Paradox” draws visitors’ attention to the complex nature of this serious problem.
Learn more about our planet’s problem with plastic and how this pollution affects aspects of our daily lives — like microplastics in our food and drinking water. Visitors will be called upon to take action against the plastic crisis and will learn how they can make small changes that can have a big impact on the climate crisis.
After you leave “The Blue Paradox,” be sure to check out the many other great exhibits for kids. Some of the museum’s most popular attractions for kiddos include the Baby Chick Hatchery, the “Science Storms” weather lab and the fantasy world of Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle.
Plus, you won’t want to miss “Pompeii: The Exhibition.” During its final weeks at the museum, visitors will learn about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius through artifacts, holographic gladiators, a volcanic eruption simulator and more.
Ready to head to Hyde Park? Before you go, be sure to read our suggestions for other fun things to do with kids near the Museum of Science and Industry.
Looking for even more museum tips? Get the 411 on MSI in our family museum guide.
Quick details about Museum of Science and Industry
- Address: 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
- Cost: $21.95/adults, $12.95/kids 3-11, free for children 2 and under. “The Blue Paradox” is included in the admission price, but requires a free, timed-entry ticket. Some exhibits require an additional paid ticket.
- On a budget? Check out these free days at Chicagoland museums to see when you can visit for free.
- Getting there: The museum is accessible by the #2 and #6 CTA buses, and via the 57th Street Metra and South Shore train stations.
- Parking: There is a parking lot on site for $22.
Other things to do near MSI
- Explore the Hyde Park neighborhood with our family guide that is full of suggestions on where to eat, play, shop and explore.
- Enjoy a scenic walk along Promontory Point, a peninsula with green spaces and campfire pits that offers gorgeous views of Lake Michigan, or take a stroll through the Japanese garden in Jackson Park.
- Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Frederick C. Robie House and take a self-guided tour.
- Browse the shelves at 57th Street Books and find a new read or bedtime story.
- Want to hit two museums in one day? Head to the nearby DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center or the Smart Museum of Art.
Follow Chicago Parent on Instagram.
