Griffin Museum of Science and Industry to Reopen Historic South Entrance for First Time in Over 100 Years

For the first time in more than a century, visitors to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry will be able to walk through the building's original south entrance — the same grand portal that welcomed fairgoers to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

The museum announced a $22 million project to restore its south portico, with groundbreaking set for this winter and completion expected in fall 2027. The renovation will reopen the long-shuttered entrance to the public, add a fully wheelchair-accessible entryway, and introduce an indoor café with an outdoor terrace overlooking the Columbian Basin and Jackson Park.

"This project provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reopen the original main entry of the museum and functionally reconnect the building to the Columbian Basin and the rest of Jackson Park," said Dr. Chevy Humphrey, the museum's president and CEO. "That was how it was originally intended, and we're bringing it back to its original intent."

A Landmark with Deep Chicago Roots

Designed by architect Charles Atwood for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the building is the sole surviving structure from the fair's legendary "White City," a sprawling collection of neoclassical buildings that shaped the architectural DNA of Chicago and beyond — including the Art Institute of Chicago. The restoration, led in partnership with New York-based architecture firm Robert A. M. Stern, aims to honor that legacy while modernizing the visitor experience.

The project received a major financial boost in the form of a $10 million grant — the largest single award in its history — from a Chicago-based philanthropic foundation. The remaining funds round out the full $22 million budget.

More Than a Door: A Neighborhood Connection

The reopened south entrance is expected to do more than restore architectural grandeur. Museum officials say it will help physically link the museum to the recently opened Obama Presidential Center campus in nearby Woodlawn, strengthening a cultural corridor on Chicago's South Side that has been growing for years.

The new café will be open to the public without requiring a museum ticket — part of a broader, long-term goal the museum has set to expand free or reduced-cost access to its spaces and programming.

"We want to create spaces where people can enjoy our campus that will be accessible to them," Humphrey said, acknowledging the effort could take more than a decade to fully realize.

What to Expect

The museum will remain open throughout the construction period, so visitors can continue to enjoy current exhibitions — including "Marvel's Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing" through August 16 and "Anne Frank The Exhibition," a full-scale recreation of the annex where Anne Frank hid during World War II, running through early 2027.

When the south portico finally opens in 2027, Chicagoans will be able to enter through the same doors the museum's architects originally envisioned — framed by Jackson Park's famous cherry blossoms in the spring and a view of the Columbian Basin year-round. After more than 100 years, the front door is coming back.