Chicago families can now say goodnight to the moon in a whole new way. At the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park, the beloved bedtime story Goodnight Moon comes to life as an immersive experience that invites visitors to step right into the Great Green Room, surrounded by the sights, sounds and characters generations of children have loved since Margaret Wise Brown’s book, with Clement Hurd’s iconic illustrations, first appeared in 1947.
There is real science tucked inside the story. Families can explore how sleep works, with playful questions about dreams and nightmares, the cycles of the moon, and even how astronauts sleep in the weightlessness of space. Interactive technology lets children digitally paint the world around them, filling the room with color, before everyone settles in for a story time unlike any other.
Combining digital projection, art and storytelling, the exhibition is designed to be shared by the whole family, from toddlers hearing the story for the first time to grandparents who once read it aloud. Goodnight Moon opens on November 5, 2026, and runs through January 3, 2027, at the museum, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Best of all, it is included with general admission, making it an easy and joyful addition to a family day on Museum Campus’s south end.
Photo: GualdimG, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
