Field trips aren’t just for the Senior Class and the band kids anymore! We get tons of inquiries for private tours from science and engineering teachers. To help with your field trip planning, we’re highlighting the best spots for STEM field trips in Chicago. Of course, we’re always happy to lead your charges on one of our private tours, like the Downtown Chicago Bucket List tour.
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#1. Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry is the perfect starting point for STEM field trips in Chicago. MSI is stuffed to the gills with fascinating scientific displays and exhibits. My particular favorites are the coal mine, the Pioneer Zephyr, and the artificial storm creator. I bet your students will demand to see U-505, a German WWII submarine preserved after its 1944 capture. Also, don’t forget to tell your students that MSI is the only remaining structure from the famous 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. They can learn more about the World’s Fair in one of our virtual tours, too.
#2. Adler Planetarium
The smallest of the institutions out on Museum Campus might just be the perfect one for STEM field trips in Chicago. Adler Planetarium is, in fact, the first planetarium in the country, founded all the way back in 1930. These days, the star (hehe) attraction is The Universe: A Walk Through Time and Space. This general admission exhibit will lead your students on a walk to the furthest stretches of astronomy. You may also want to consider all-access passes so you can see one of the planetarium shows.
#3. Argonne National Laboratory
The National Laboratories are a likely career goal for many a STEM student. So why not visit the oldest of them, Argonne National Laboratory, out in suburban Lemont? Argonne dates back to the Manhattan Project, carrying out experiments that led to Chicago Pile-1 and the dawn of the atomic age. Student visitors to Argonne engage in Learning Labs, which are “hands-on experiments designed to educate participants on the major challenges that Argonne scientists and engineers are currently researching.”
#4. Fermilab
Chicago’s history of cutting-edge scientific research means we have two National Laboratories in the hinterlands. Fermilab, named after the Chicago-based physicist Enrico Fermi, is the Department of Energy’s particle accelerator. I won’t pretend to understand exactly what they’re doing out near Batavia. Your STEM students will enjoy visiting the spot where the “Top Quark” was discovered. Like Argonne, Fermilab offers Science Adventures for students, making this another great spot for STEM field trips in Chicago.
#5. McCormick Bridgehouse Museum and the Riverwalk
The Field Museum of Natural History is justly a go-to spot for STEM field trips in Chicago, and you may have expected it to round out our list. I want to highlight a smaller institution for your visit: the McCormick Bridgehouse Museum and the adjacent Riverwalk. The Bridgehouse Museum, located in the famous Michigan Avenue Bridge, explores both the natural history and human engineering of the Chicago River. Before or after their museum visit, students can explore the Riverwalk, a beautiful new addition to Chicago’s space.
Enjoy your STEM Field Trips in Chicago!
Any and all of these spots for STEM field trips in Chicago should leave students both entertained and enlightened. Such an experience can be just what budding, tech-savvy kids need to blossom into tomorrow’s great minds.
– Alex Bean, Content Manager and Tour Guide
ABOUT CHICAGO DETOURS
Chicago Detours is a boutique tour company passionate about connecting people to places and each other through the power of storytelling. We bring curious people to explore, learn and interact with Chicago’s history, architecture and culture through in-person private group tours, content production, and virtual tours.
