The name's Bond, James Bond ... when this movie geek and car gearhead heard that the Griffin Museum of Science + Industry was hosting a 007 exhibit featuring costumes, props and vehicles from the films you know I had to take a road trip to Chicago. How often do you get the chance to obtain close up views of items used in filming some of your favorite movies?! Only on display until October 27, 2024, this limited time exhibit, 007 SCIENCE: INVENTING THE WORLD OF JAMES BOND, showcases how film production teams utilized real-world science to cast Hollywood magic on moviegoers. I am so GEEKED that I made the trip to Chicago's science museum for this James Bond 007 experience!
007 SCIENCE, INVENTING THE WORLD OF JAMES BOND highlights how moviemakers harnessed scientific thinking to craft 007's iconic gadgets and vehicles as well as employed physics, chemistry, engineering and mathematics to create the thrilling stunts and actions sequences the films are known for. There is a big emphasis in the exhibit on the technology used for spying by both the fictional 007 and his real-life counterparts in the CIA and MI-6. Get a look at fantastical gadgets created for the Bond films alongside the real-life inventions they prefigured—see a prototype jetpack from “Thunderball” and the modern Gravity Industries Jet Suit.
You have to love the cars in 007 movies and there are a number of them on display here ranging from the classic Aston Martin DB5 Bond Car seen in films that include "Goldfinger", "Thunderball", "Tomorrow Never Dies", "Skyfall" and "No Time to Die" to the more modern DB10 model created by the car manufacture to be featured in "Spectre." The weaponized Jaguar XKR used by the villainous henchman Zao in "Die Another Day" is also featured in the exhibit to provide some contrast to the hero's vehicles.
You can also get a look at one of James Bond's most memorable cars, Wet Nellie, a custom-built submarine shaped to look like a Lotus Esprit S1 sports car used in "The Spy Who Loved Me." Interesting the submarine actually works but it wasn't able to maintain a dry interior so occupants had to wear scuba gear while operating it. The film crew hired an ex-Navy SEAL to drive Wet Nellie when shooting underwater scenes and borrowed the chairman of Lotus personal vehicle for shooting road scenes featuring the car.
There is also a lab space inspired by Q, the source of secret field technologies in the Bond movies, where you can test your abilities to design the perfect spy vehicle as well as learn about the science behind the tech and technique of the world’s most famous spy. As you make your way through the galleries complete a scavenger hunt questionnaire that adds to the educational element of the experience. Turn it in on your way out to get a free sticker!
Also, on display is concept art used to develop the look of the films to assist in creating costumes, props and sets. I always find this type of artwork intriguing and am glad some of these samples were included within the exhibit.
Admission to the James Bond exhibit is a separate, timed-entry ticket purchase in addition to the general museum admission price. So, if you visit, make sure to explore all of this wonderful museum. The Griffin Museum of Science + Industry is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. There is a lot to see across three stories of gallery space including the command module of Apollo 8, life size scale replica of a working coal mine, a German submarine captured during WWII, a Next Gen Ford Mustang NASCAR stock car and more!
While the James Bond exhibit was the highlight of the visit for me, my teenager who joined me on this journey for a father-son summer road trip will probably say the Interactive Flight Simulator was his favorite thing at the science museum. You harness into a flight simulator that literally moves in the direction the plane is being steered. We flew a F-4 Phantom simulation where he piloted and I co-piloted and I'm not joking when saying we were hanging upside down for a good portion of the "flight."
