Museum of Holography

CLOSED — with an eviction notice on the window, sadly. :(

I actually had to get a Unilocal account JUST to do this… this place is closed. :(It was as awesome as everyone said it was. Today I took an out of town guest and everything is shuttered up tight-​dude coming out of the building told us it closed a couple of months ago. Truly a sad day, yo.

MUSEUM OF HOLOGRAPHY.
You might ask where the museum is. And the answer is simple, yes, it is in Chicago. So, if you like us have been living here for a few years, and have just recently found out about it, it is O.K. because it is really tiny.
It does not even look like a museum in contemporary understanding. It is located in the west loop, and looks just like any regular 3 story building. It has a sign on the door, please ring a bell, and please do, because the door is closed.
All the Unilocal reviews about it are true. There is a little old lady at the door meeting you, and you can’t help but wonder about her age. Despite that, the lady is very lively and talkative, and seems happy to see you. Probably because you are her only customer at this time.
The whole museum has 4 rooms, filled with holographic pictures. And they are amazing. This whole museum has such a character, and a very interesting feel about it. There is a cat that is following you from room to room, and seems just as interested in you as the owner upfront.
After a brief introductory speech, you are free to wonder around the museum. You can spend as much time as you need to gaze at holograms. Some of them caught our attention more than others, but overall we had a great time. But the best part awaits for you at the end. The lady placed a few round pieces of plastic on her table, that looked like they were colored. But, according to her, they are plain. And then she starts spinning them, and makes you put some 3-​D glasses on. The moment they are on, your life changes forever. Not only the pieces of plastic start reflecting colors, but those spinning patterns come right at you, and shine all colors of the rainbow. And then you start looking around, at your hands, at ceiling lights. It looks so different, your fingers become twice as long, and you see 3 hands instead of one. At this moment you realize how limited human eyes are and how many opportunities are there in our life for Holography. And you start wishing, that holography will be used in your lifetime, because it is just simply said — AMAZING.
If you have a chance, just go there. And if it closed, oh well, come back. And it takes the lady 20 minutes to open the door — just be patient, after all she is 80+ years old. But once you are, enjoy. It is absolutely lovely!

The Museum of Holography is more a collection of holography than a museum in my opinion, but it’s still interesting and worth the time and money.
It’s not very big, but they make good use of the space. A few rooms filled with very cool holograms. You can probably spend a couple hours here. I had no idea there were so many types of holograms to show off, or how impressive they could be.
If you’re like me and have been to almost every museum in the city and have started looking for the obscure ones, this is a must see.

I think this museum may be no more. We went there during business hours today and it was locked up and dark inside. We tried calling but no one answered the phone. There was no note on the building to indicate why they weren’t open (which would have been nice) and no answering machine message. We were disappointed.

Went here when the posted hours said they’d be open, but they weren’t open. No note, and no response to the buzzer. I asked the cat who appeared to be trapped between the glass door and the inside security gate, but she was more concerned with sunbathing.
I hope that I can update this review sometime. I guess I need to try calling first beforehand.

I haven’t visit the museum for a few years, but I did read the article about how the owners who run it might be losing the building. This was back in Feb., 2009 in the Chicago Reader. Another review mentions it below, but that link seems to be defunct. Read the article here:
I became interested in the story of the museum again because of the upcoming primary elections. Our state treasurer, Alexi Giannoulias is running for the U.S. Senate in this race. His family was instrumental in controlling the circumstances that, according to that Reader article, put the museum’s owners in the pickle they were then in.
I’m glad that it looks like the museum is still open. It is a cool place and worth a brief visit. The baubles that they have in their cases for sell used to be unique. But you can buy a hologram trinket in most variety stores these days. It’s their hologram exhibits that are still one of a kind.

MANY AMAZING AND WONDERFUL HOLOGRAMS IN A VERY COMPACT SPACE! Easily seen in under an hour, but I would have loved to spend more time there and zone out.
I was sure I was in the wrong place… it doesn’t look like ‘A MUSEUM’ just a small building. The museum only takes up a few rooms, but there are large and small exhibits to be seen. Some are easily viewed on a quick walk by the frame… others must be viewed close up, or through a viewer.
Dim lighting makes movement a little more care-​filled than a normal bright-​as-​day museum, but of course, there is a reason for this, as you’re there to see the brilliance of the 3-​D holography! They share the history of holography, different types of holography — some seem to warp IN… some OUT. some change directions, and some seem to move constantly! It was Very educational, fun, and mind-​bending!
I wish I had been be able to stay longer, but it is a Very small museum, run by donations, and too little of those, so the hours are few. Basically, it’s a labor of love… so help them out! CALL for the hours, and/​or make an appointment. I’m sure they’ll be able to accommodate you, given enough lead time.
The docent was Very helpful (I was pretty much the only one in the place at the time), and gave some good tips on viewing some of the more challenging pieces. Some are very small (egg-​sized) while others took up a wall of a room. Some were spooky (boo!) and some beautiful. It really was eye-​opening (no pun intended, but I’ll keep it) — I never knew there were so many different styles of holograms!
REALLY GOOD FOR KIDS… BUT ask about (and check out first) the spookier pieces, and avoid them if your kids get scared easily! Since these art pieces look so 3-​D, and SO REALISTIC, and are so «up-​close» some (not many) may appear to be too close for comfort.
I purchased a few spinning hologram toys to keep my mind busy… and warped… until the next time I visit. I’m sorry it’s the ONLY such museum in the U.S. (Apparently there’s another in France or Germany) The one in NY is closed.
If I get back to Chicago, I will definitely make it a point to revisit this wonderful museum.

I love the Museum of Holography. Its such an interesting, great find. I am constantly looking for unusual finds in the city, and this is a perfect example. I went on a Saturday afternoon. The man at the entrance was very nice, and left us to explore at our leisure. The bathroom is sight to see as well. Overall, it was very interesting experience, and I am so glad that I went. I highly recommend this museum.

I’m all about quaint charm, but I have to say this place was not worth the $ 5. It pretty much has all the same holograms that you’d see in the mall… in the mid ‘90s. The place also smells overwhelmingly dank. I didn’t really find the owner terribly endearing. She was pretty pushy and held us hostage at the exit until we promised her we’d all «study science for the future.» I’m not sure what that even meant. Yikes.
Oh, and I almost forgot (we visited a couple years ago) they weren’t open when they were supposed to be. We waited outside for about 20 minutes before anyone came to unlock the door.

It’s cute and interesting. I don’t know that it’d make my usually list of recommendations, but I’m glad I went once. It’s more of a «museum» in the sense that Ripley’s Believe it Or Not has a museum than in the sense that most people think of one.
It’s A-​OK with me.

I hear what you guys are all saying about your experience at the Museum of Holography. When I first came to the museum, the old lady at the counter did make me do a double take. She was very charming, but it felt strange. Something felt «off.»
I was so interested, in fact, that I wrote a cover story about the Museum of Holography and the old lady you see at the reception desk, Loren Billings.
The story is published as the cover of this week’s Chicago Reader. Take a look at the story here:
It covers who Loren Billings is and how the museum got started. You might also be surprised to find that the museum may be closing. Thanks to three mysterious «friends» and a million-​dollar loan approved by Illinois state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Loren could soon be on the curb.

Kitschy as hell.
Where else can you see a single testes, Michael Jordan, and cutesy funsy kittens in hologram form? Exactly.
The old lady that runs the place (or mans the desk, whatever) was cute and strange. She made me want to call up Errol Morris and demand that he come on over and do a documentary about her. I seriously want to go back and talk to her for hours… even though she embarrassed me a few times.
I’m a short girl, and her glasses were resting on her nose, so I’ll allow the fact that she initially tried to charge me the children’s admission price. (My friend and I corrected her to which she looked at him, puzzled and said «So she is your mate?») I’ll accept that she followed me a bit, asking if I needed a cube to stand on to see the holograms. I, in a way, found her aloof and forgetful nature endearing and it made me miss having living grandparents… Why?
All for the most amazing soliloquy in which she explained to my friend and I that holograms are special because they’re made of atoms and we, too, are made of atoms. (Well so are lots of things, and that saying will not get old amongst he and I). She also explained that «bad planets get sucked into black holes» and that when «the sun goes out, we’re all doomed» right before cheerily bidding us farewell. Yeeaaah.

I love this little place… recommend it to anyone visiting Chicago. I think it costs like 5 bucks and you can take your time going through looking at all the 3D images. It’s a great place to go when you’re under the influence of something… anything…even just your mind.

$ 5.00 welllll spent!
My brother and I have been joking about the Museum of Holography for quite a while now. Always planning to go, but hadn’t made it until yesterday afternon…
We arrived just before 4pm, rang the bell, met the house cat and a charming little older woman gave us a quick rundown on Holography and atoms and lasers and such. She just kind of «fit» there in the atmosphere of the place.
It is not a huge museum by any means. But man, is there a lot to see. Tiny holograms, med, large, completely 3D lit up images. A medical exhibit with the insanely fascinating «Lung Tree.» It was right up my alley. Old, a bit dark and dingy… but with character, an experience beyond the holograms… it was a step back into time.
I’ll take out of towners, children, etc. in a heart beat. I had no idea I’d be so taken with holograms… as far as I was concerned they were on baseball cards and funky earrings from the 80s… totally wrong about that. Go there. It’s a lovely activity when you’re sitting around, twiddling your thumbs Wednesday through Sunday afternoon… but before five.
Two big thumbs up from the brother and I.

My dad read about this place in some book and insisted that we go when he came into town. Admission was $ 4/​adult.
In my opinion, the museum wasn’t «big» but it did have some amazing holograms (how in the hell do they make those?). It would be a good place to take kids.
Our tour guide, who had to be pushing 80, did know her stuff about holographs!
And there was a cat that was walking around which gave it that «homey» feel.
All Chicagoans should check it out at some point.

We modern folk tend to be a bit jaded, but if you can clear you consciousness just a bit, this little museum has some awesome displays.
Holography is familiar to most of us through things like the appearance of Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, a three dimensional image projected into space.
Here they have every variation on the hologram you have ever seen and then some. It is a fun place to visit and bring the kids.
And for those of us with a metaphysical bent, it has a special lesson. The whole image is contained in every cell. Think about it.

This museum needs to step up its marketing game. Few Chicagoans even know about it! But the paintings here tend to be a little less mainstream — if you can imagine what «mainstream art» means — so give it a visit if you’re looking for something different than what the Art Institute has to offer. It’s not out of your way if you’re already downtown.

Do you ever look up one of your favorite places, then realized you haven’t reviewed it yet?! This is one of those times, indeed.
This is by far the museum where you get the absolute best bang for your buck. I know it sounds cheesy or lame that it’s a museum of holography, but that’s probably because you’re thinking of one of those lame holographs you’d get in the cereal box when you were little. This place will amaze you to the point that you’ll sigh in disgust at the cost of all other museums from here on out. There’s even a neat section related to holographs used for medical teaching. It’s a must see!
Also the woman who must be the (only) curator (since we all are stating that we met her) is quite the passionate one in regards to holographs. The day we went the lights weren’t working on some of the large holographs so she held a flashlight so that we could see the masterpieces. THAT is dedication to some holographs.