History buffs, Devil In The White City fans, and those in search of an atypical Sunday date, you can now take a virtual tour of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition at the only remaining pavilion, The Museum of Science and Industry. The 90-minute tour, called "Blueprints to Our Past" is offered on select Sundays throughout the rest of the year, but you must order tickets in advance and groups are limited to twenty. Museum heads......

Eco-friendly advancements are being made in building design and construction—think sustainable materials, efficiency of resources, and energy-reducing wiring and appliances. If this topic interests you, the new Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit, opening tomorrow at the Museum of Science and Industry, is a neat opportunity to learn more about green buildings. The exhibit is a real, fully functional, 2,500 square foot home squatting on the museum’s east lawn, demonstrating how landscaping, design, and technology......

Oh my god, nerdgasm. The MSI is planning a 40-foot artificial tornado that visitors can stand in. Dibs! Those bad boys don't come cheap, though. The Museum announced its plan for the 'nado as part of its $205 million fund-raising effort. So far, the MSI has raised $128 million, according to its press release. See that little kid or whoever standing in the tornado? That is me the day this opens. The funds will also......

Our lame science fair projects always consisted of withered lima bean plants gasping for water, so that’s probably why we were never chosen to exhibit at the city's Chicago Public Schools Student Science Fair, currently running now through Sunday at the Museum of Science and Industry. Elementary and High School students will be competing in sixteen specialized categories such as Botany, Chemistry, Electronics, Environmental Science, Mathematics, and Physics. Entries – which can be a project,......

The listed events were chosen by the editors of Chicagoist and brought to you by the 2009 Toyota Corolla. Music It's cliché, to be certain, but it truly wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day weekend in Chicago without the Tossers. Tony Duggins and company have been taking the comparisons to the Pogues in stride for over fifteen years now, and for us they pack way more punk energy in their tunes than MacGowan, Spider Stacy......

This Thursday, The Glass Experience opens at the Museum of Science and Industry. We are super excited to see work by artisans like Dale Chihuly and Tiffany, among others, and maybe Benjy can go pant at the pieces by Frank Lloyd Wright. Glass pieces from renowned schools and studios from around the world will also be on display. Admittedly, all we really know about glass is that they use special glass for stunts in movies,......

We loved the Museum of Science and Industry even prior to having our kid (the submarine! the Omnimax! Clarence Darrow’s ghost!), but MSI’s "Idea Factory" is, arguably, the best kid-centered exhibit in Chicago. Since the museum has closed this exhibit for repairs until the end of March, we wondered how toddler-friendly the rest of the museum would be. In short, not much. Let’s start with what we loved. Bring four quarters to purchase a “Net......