German Wwii Submarine U-505, Chicago

About German Wwii Submarine U-505

German Wwii Submarine U-505 is a National Historic Landmark exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago where visitors explore a captured World War II U-boat through interactive displays and nearly 200 artifacts. The exhibit tells the story of the submarine's capture and examines U-boat technology, living conditions, and wartime operations. Visitors climb through a recreated submarine environment to experience the tight quarters where 59 sailors lived and worked. A scaled galley demonstrates the single-person kitchen, while interactive "hot bunk" displays explain how crew members shared beds in shifts because only 35 bunks existed for the full crew. At a recreated conning tower, visitors use periscopes with high-resolution displays to identify targets and navigate harbors against the clock. Another interactive challenge uses an 11-foot water tank to demonstrate how submarines adjusted ballast tanks to dive and surface. Videos narrated by Bill Kurtis accompany the archival media and artifacts throughout the exhibition in Chicago, Illinois.