By Townhall Chicago News Staff
The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry launched its 84th annual Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light exhibit Saturday, kicking off the holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony and daylong cultural festival.
The exhibit, which runs through Jan. 3, 2027, features a forest of more than 50 trees decorated by community volunteers sharing family and cultural traditions from around the globe, according to a museum press release. Displays throughout the exhibit represent international celebrations of light, including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali and other traditions.
Saturday’s opening featured a countdown to the lighting of the exhibit’s four-story Grand Tree at 11 a.m. Live performances from local cultural organizations ran from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the museum’s Rotunda as part of the Tree Lighting and Cultural Festival, according to the museum.
The annual spectacle began in 1942 with a single tree that was newly decorated each day for 12 days to represent the countries fighting alongside the United States during World War II, according to the press release. That original display of global holiday customs was designed to serve as a reminder of the values and traditions connecting people across cultures. The exhibit has since expanded to represent dozens of nations and traditions.
This year’s holiday programming includes several new and returning events. A “Naughty or Nice” adults-only after-hours party is scheduled for Dec. 10 from 6 to 10 p.m., offering seasonal cocktails, holiday trivia and crafts, and after-hours museum access for guests 21 and older. New this year, a family-friendly version of the event will be held Dec. 19 from 6 to 10 p.m., featuring face painting and a meeting with Santa, according to the museum.
The museum is also offering indoor snowfall simulations every 30 minutes in the North Court near the Grand Tree, bringing the experience of a white Christmas indoors.
Griffin MSI’s Museum Kitchen is collaborating with Publican Quality for a special holiday menu, including sandwiches and sides from James Beard Award-winning baker Greg Wade, according to the museum. A Stan’s Donuts holiday pop-up will feature seasonal donuts, milkshakes and specialty cocktails.
Winter break camps for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are available Dec. 21 through 23 and Dec. 28 through 30, featuring hands-on science activities inspired by the holiday exhibit.
Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light is included with general museum admission. The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is located at 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood.
