Soar With The Tuskegee Airmen At Chicago Children’s Museum With All-New Exhibit “Aim High” Opening September 28th

Prepare for an exciting landing, Chicago. A new exhibit, Aim High: Soaring with the Tuskegee Airmen, will soon debut at Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM), 700 E. Grand Ave. on September 28, 2024. Created by Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in partnership with Hosanna House, the interactive exhibition will invite its audience to explore the world of aviation, from the rich history of the Tuskegee Airmen to 21st century STEAM concepts through a robust variety of immersive, hands-on experiences. Inspired by the real tools and tasks of flying and aeronautics, Aim High mixes imagination, artifacts, and hands-on play so visitors of all ages can imagine themselves as aviators. Aim High will touch down in the Museum’s changing exhibit space through January 20, 2025. 

“We’re excited to bring this traveling exhibition to Chicago Children’s Museum,” says CEO Jennifer Farrington. “Chicago Children’s Museum knows that play-based learning can expand a child’s horizons, seeing themselves in roles and futures they hadn’t considered before. Telling the story of the Tuskegee Airmen through this exhibit gives us another wonderful opportunity to connect with families across our city and inspire those kinds of experiences.” 

While visiting Aim High, young aviators will have the opportunity to explore hands-on experiences including: 

• Cockpit Flight Trainer: Get an up-close view of the inside of a **** pit. Watch videos of the plane taking off and landing from the captain’s seat advantage point. This life-size CockPit Flight Trainer is perfect for dramatic play and includes a row of real airplane seats. 

• Things that Fly Praxinoscope: See images of things that fly come to life using this early form of animation. Switch out the custom-made cards to bring other images to life. 

• Land the Plane Maze: Inspired by Air Traffic Control Radar, visitors guide the ball to a safe landing, tilting the round tabletop to avoid the red planes working all the way around to the landing strip. 

• Imagination Mirrors: A mirror activated by pressure sensitive mats shows images of different airplanes. This activity helps children see themselves in roles in the aviation field.  

• Wearable Wings: Children can build and wear a pair of wearable airplane wings or a rocket ship and imagine they are flying through the sky. 

Aim High also features Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, with generous support of MetLife Foundation. Black Wings chronicles the story of African Americans, who, despite racial barriers, attained great achievements in the world of aviation. From brave pioneers of the 1910s to today’s astronauts, this exhibit celebrates the fact that flying is not limited by race. 

Chicago Children’s Museum is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday from 10 am – 2 pm and Friday through Sunday from 10 am – 5 pm. For more information or to plan a visit to experience the new exhibit, please visit the Museum’s website.  

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About Chicago Children’s Museum  

The mission of Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM) is to improve children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect. CCM is dedicated to young children and the important adults in their lives. Play-filled experiences, including more than 15 interactive exhibits and daily programming, tap into how kids learn, and engage from ages 0-10 years old to develop the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. Located at Navy Pier, Chicago’s number one attraction at 700 E. Grand Ave., CCM is the final stop for CTA buses #29, #65, #66 and #124. For more information, please visit www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org.  

About Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh 

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is a place that provides innovative and inclusive museum experiences that inspire kindness, joy, creativity and curiosity for all learners. Our imaginative, open-ended exhibits and programs give families the opportunity to explore topics like art, making and social-emotional learning in ways that are authentic, meaningful, and most of all, fun! 

About Hosanna House 

Since the early 1990s, Hosanna House has gathered people and pulled our resources together with a single purpose in mind, ending a life cycle of poverty and helping individuals and families reach their maximum potential. We work hard to create an environment where: Hope grows and families’ flourish. Parents feel successful and supported. Parents and children build relationships fueled by trust, enjoyment and mutual understanding. Our community comes together to celebrate our achievements. 

About The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service 

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and Smithsonian Affiliations are critical national outreach units at the Smithsonian Institution. For more than 70 years, SITES has been connecting Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history. Smithsonian Affiliations establishes and maintains the Smithsonian’s long-term partnerships with museums, educational organizations and cultural institutions in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Panama. Together, SITES and Affiliations share the Smithsonian’s vast resources with millions of people outside Washington, D.C. Visit sites.si.edu and affiliations.si.edu for more information.