If you’re choosing between the Field Museum and the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry from Chicago’s Midway area, start with what you want to see: the Field Museum is on Museum Campus, while Griffin MSI is in Hyde Park.
Their transit options differ, too: the Field Museum is served by the Roosevelt train stop and Museum Campus buses, while the #55 bus connects Midway with Griffin MSI.
- Field Museum: 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, on Museum Campus; open daily 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with last entry at 4:00 p.m.
- Griffin MSI: 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, in Hyde Park; generally open daily 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
- Direct Midway-area transit: CTA #55 Garfield runs between Midway and Griffin MSI.
- Ticketed add-ons at Griffin MSI: U-505 tours, Coal Mine tours and Giant Dome Theater shows have separate prices.
Field Museum or Museum of Science and Industry?
The Field Museum suits a visit centered on the Museum Campus, while Griffin MSI is a Hyde Park outing with ticketed experiences such as a submarine tour, a coal mine tour and dome-theater shows.
The Field Museum’s address is 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605. It is on the Museum Campus, and the closest CTA train stop is Roosevelt, served by the Red, Orange and Green lines. The museum says the #146 bus from State and Roosevelt goes directly to the campus.
Griffin MSI is at 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637. Its general admission covers most permanent exhibits and select temporary exhibitions; add-ons such as the U-505 tour, Coal Mine tour and Giant Dome Theater have separate charges. The standard general-admission price isn’t included here, so check the official site before you go.
For a broader transit overview, this guide to getting around Chicago from the Midway area covers the wider context.
Planning a visit to the Field Museum
The Field Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last entry at 4:00 p.m.; it closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The museum recommends buying tickets online in advance to secure a preferred date and time. On-site ticket sales are available until daily capacity is reached, and you should arrive at the entry time printed on your ticket. Guided tours are offered daily at no extra cost; ask at the information desk for details.
For transit, take a Red, Orange or Green Line train to Roosevelt, then use the #146 bus from State and Roosevelt for a direct connection to Museum Campus. CTA #130 serves the campus only from mid-May through Labor Day. The closest Metra stop is Museum Campus/11th Street on the Metra Electric District.
The accessible East entrance is at ground level, facing Shedd Aquarium, and a passenger drop-off area is on the east side. Wheelchairs are available at both entrance doors. Elevators on the east and west sides of the main hall reach all three public levels.
Strollers are allowed except in ticketed special exhibitions, where stroller parking is available near the entrances; the museum makes an exception for accessibility needs. Sensory bags are available at the ground-floor Visitor Center and include items such as fidgets, sunglasses, headphones and emotion cards. Trained service animals are allowed in public areas.
Planning a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry
Griffin MSI is generally open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas; its hours can include date-specific extended and holiday hours.
General admission covers most permanent exhibits and select temporary exhibitions. Add-on prices are $18 for adults and $14 for children ages 3–11 for the U-505 submarine tour, and $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3–11 for the Coal Mine tour.
The Giant Dome Theater add-on is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3–11. Shows run every 30 minutes from 10:30 a.m. through 3:00 p.m., or through 4:30 p.m. on extended days.
The U-505 tour is not accessible to wheelchairs or strollers because it involves stairs, uneven floors and tight quarters. Stairs also make the Coal Mine tour inaccessible to wheelchairs and strollers. If you have a timed-entry experience inside the museum, arrive 5 minutes early; late arrival may mean you cannot enter because capacity is limited.
You can buy tickets online, by phone at (773) 684-1414, or at the museum’s ticket counters. Griffin MSI has elevators and ramps serving all floors, accessible toilet stalls in all restrooms, and designated wheelchair seating in the Giant Dome Theater.
Wheelchairs, seated electric mobility scooters, walkers, crutches, canes and braces are permitted in public areas; Segways, hoverboards, wagons, tricycles and carts are not.
How do you get from the Midway area to each museum?
CTA #55 Garfield provides the direct bus connection from Midway to Griffin MSI; the Field Museum route uses a train and a campus bus.
For Griffin MSI, board the eastbound #55 at Midway. Eastbound terminal departures from Midway run from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Westbound terminal departures from the museum run from 4:10 a.m. to 1:10 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 4:10 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. on Sundays. Times at intermediate stops differ.
Other Griffin MSI options include the #6 Jackson Park Express, which stops at 56th Street and Hyde Park Boulevard, one block north of the museum, and the #10 Obama Presidential Center/Museum of Science & Industry Express, which stops at the entrance.
From the Red or Green Line, you can take a train to Garfield and transfer to an eastbound #55.
Depending on your trip, a downtown bus or Metra Electric transfer may be more direct. The Metra Electric Line stop is 55th/56th/57th Street, about two blocks from the museum’s north entrance. If your plans include several city stops, a one-day Chicago route from the Midway area can help you think through the day’s sequence.
The underground garage entrance is at E. 57th Street and S. Cornell Avenue. Museum guests pay $22 per vehicle; the garage opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes 60 minutes after the museum closes.
CTA #55 also provides overnight Owl service between the museum and 55th/St. Louis. On New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Sunday schedules apply.
For a room at the Midway-area Skylark Motel, check the available room options as you plan your museum day.
FAQs
Which museum is directly connected to Midway by bus?
CTA #55 Garfield runs between Midway and Griffin MSI. The Field Museum route uses the Roosevelt train stop and the #146 bus from State and Roosevelt.
Can you buy tickets at either museum?
The Field Museum sells tickets on site until daily capacity is reached and recommends advance online purchase. Griffin MSI accepts tickets bought online, by phone or at its ticket counters.
Are the special tours at Griffin MSI accessible by wheelchair?
The U-505 tour is not accessible to wheelchairs or strollers, and stairs make the Coal Mine tour inaccessible to both. The museum has elevators and ramps serving all floors.