Museum of Science and Industry
Chicago
A visit to a full-size submarine may be every young boy’s dream, but the U-505 on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is not just any submarine. Sunk off the coast of West Africa in 1944, the U-505 was once an integral cog in the Atlantic U-boat campaign and is now the only German submarine in the United States.
Surrounding the submarine, a 35,000-square-foot exhibit explores the history and workings of the craft in-depth, but the 25-minute interior tour uncovers the nitty-gritty details of how 60 men ate, worked and slept in shifts in such a confined space for months at a time. The tour gives participants a complete walkthrough of everything from the bunks to the mess to the torpedo bays.
Due to preservation concerns, wheeled devices, including strollers and wheelchairs, are not permitted inside the submarine, which accommodates 15 people per wave, with approximately 10 minutes between groups.
Edison and Ford Winter Estates
Fort Myers, Florida
Though we don’t associate the modern tourist destination Fort Myers with Thomas Edison as much as we do the tech hub in New Jersey that bears his name, Edison played an integral part in transforming the town from a 350-resident swampy trade outpost to the city it is today.
This and other stories, such as how Edison and Ford brought more than 14,000 exotic plants to the Botanic Research Laboratory to find a renewable source for rubber, are a huge part of the Edison and Ford Winter Estate experience, but the behind-the-scenes tour takes things a step further, entering private family and research spaces with the curator.
The two-hour tour requires a minimum of 15 members and includes newly discovered artifacts unearthed during the recently completed, award-winning renovation.
www.edisonfordwinterestates.org
Museum of Photographic Arts
San Diego
One of the first museums in the country dedicated exclusively to fine art photography, the Museum of Photographic Arts has created a behind-the-scenes tour that can include anything from private print viewings to workshop visits, depending on the interests of the group.
Though the museum’s displays are large exhibition-focused, groups on the behind-the-scenes tour have the opportunity for a curator to pull pieces from the 7,000-print permanent collection to create a deeper understanding of the works now on display as well as the art form in general.
The tour also offers a better look at the National Historic Landmark Casa de Balboa, once the Natural History Museum and now also home to the Model Railroad Museum.
