The Heart at the Museum of Science and Industry

How many of us Chicagoan's remember walking through the heart at the Museum Of Science and Industry? 

Loved It!

Susan Engle Budash shared Paul M. Crabb's post.

Walk Thru Heart (Gone)



Chicago, Illinois


During its life, the giant Walk - Thru Heart model at the Museum of Science and Industry, installed in 1954, had circulated millions of people through its dark, throbbing chambers. "The Great Heart" was 14-ft. tall and made of plaster, sculpted and painted in all its arterial detail, and augmented with a sonic recreation of a heart's beating. By 2009, the museum had replaced it with a new high tech heart -- with digital projections, but no walk-through.

While past exhibit treasures may linger on in storage, the old ticker had to be broken up in place during the renovation.

A 2013 visitor to the museum, Rich Birley, reports: "I asked our tour guide about the beating heart and to my shock she said the only thing left is this -- she pulled a sandwich bag out of a drawer and handed me a 3" by 3" piece of the heart. She said that they destroyed it. Considering that virtually every single person who ever entered that museum in the past decades has walked through that heart, and its iconic place in the history of the museum, it was quite a surprise to be holding the only piece left."

Another walk-thru giant heart remains on display at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute.