Last night, NECA 2025 Chicago officially kicked off at the opening reception at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. This year’s event was inspired by the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago (also called the 1893 World’s Fair), which was one of the first expositions to successfully feature the use of electricity, as well as the glamor of the Roaring ‘20s.
Guests were greeted at the entrance by a rousing performance by an illuminated drum corps.
The museum is housed in one of the original buildings created for the 1893 World’s Fair, called the Palace of Fine Arts. It now provides unique experiences through award-winning, interactive exhibits designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity and inspire innovators of all ages.
Guests could also peruse the museum’s many artifacts during the event. Some of the most prominent were the historic planes hanging overhead, as well as a locomotive engine that guests could enter and explore.
Safety first! A museum exhibit showed some of the safety signage and important PPE that steelworkers used to wear.
Attendees could also marvel at the wonders of science through interactive installations showcasing the wonders of electricity and scientific breakthroughs of the 19th century, such as an exhibit where guests could experiment with static electricity.
Guests experiment with static electricity at the Griffin museum’s physics exhibit.
One of the interactive exhibits event-goers could engage with was a virtual reality adventure.
.jpeg?sfvrsn=2490421a_1)
Guests take in an interactive exhibit about the ocean.
As for the food, Chicago’s finest fare was on hand. Attendees were offered concessions, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres inspired by the World’s Fair and the Roaring 20s. There were also many other fun activities to participate in, such as getting portraits drawn by caricature artists.
NECA staff member Mia Flowers gets her caricature drawn by a digital artist.
And of course, the Milwaukee Tool Shed Band and other local musicians offered tunes a-plenty for attendees to enjoy, often on the dance floor.
The Milwaukee Tool Shed Band performed to a large, energetic crowd.
A local band crooned to the crowd downstairs with a mix of pop and country hits.
About The Author
Colleen Beaty
Managing EditorColleen Beaty is managing editor at ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine, where she has worked since 2020. She has been writing about topics such as outside line work, wildlife and habitat conservation for two decades. In her role with ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, she primarily works with the editorial team to fine-tune stories for the magazines and curate content for ECmag.com. She can also be found hosting ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR's webinars. She holds a BS in wildlife conservation from the University of Delaware.
Colleen is fueled by tea (especially chai), and can often be found cross-stitching or birding in her spare time (but not both at once).
Reach her on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
