In our Transportation Gallery you can explore the first vehicle ever to hit 100 miles per hour, the gondola that flew the first humans to the stratosphere and an exacting 1903 Wright Flyer replica that itself took flight a century later.
Climb aboard the 999 “Empire State Express” steam locomotive to learn about the first land vehicle to reach more than 100 miles per hour. Look up to glimpse a flight formation above you featuring an all-star lineup of early aviation, including the barnstorming "Jenny" biplane and the lethal WWII Stuka dive-bomber — one of only two of this model left today. Board the genuine Boeing 727 on the Museum's balcony and learn about the airline industry from the inside out. Everywhere you look, there's another era of air and land travel to explore. More than record breakers, these inventions embody the human need for motion. Vehicles in the gallery have drawn crowds at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, the 1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair and, of course, the Museum.
Explore the inner and outer workings of an actual United Airlines Boeing 727 as you climb aboard the plane's fuselage and learn about the technology that shapes commercial aviation. The wondrous world of flight is featured through numerous hands-on activities, interactive displays and experiences, including real United Airlines pilots that volunteer in the exhibit, talking to guests about the plane, flying and aviation careers.
Learn more in the Take Flight exhibit
The 1917 Curtiss JN-4D, or "Jenny," was a plane that greatly influenced military, recreational and commercial aviation. It popularized aviation by giving thousands of Americans their first sight of an airplane. In order to draw the public's eye, Jenny pilots put their airplanes into dramatic positions, and the Museum's plane is seen upside down, in the midst of a barrel roll.
The establishment of commercial airmail service was a boon to the aviation industry and the 1928 Boeing 40B, one of two surviving planes of its kind, served as a mail transport plane. It even served as an early airliner.
The 1930 Texaco TravelAir Model R Racer is a plane from the "golden age" of air racing. This TravelAir set several hundred intercity speed records in the early 1930s, including breaking Lindbergh's west-east record in 1930. To indicate speed, the TravelAir makes a swift and steep banking turn from above the Coal Mine into the East Court.
Spitfires are often credited with winning the Battle of Britain and were flown by some of the most famous fighter pilots for the duration of WWII. The Museum's 1940 Supermarine Mark 1A Spitfire is positioned in a "cat and mouse" game with the enemy German Stuka. The Spitfire is shown in an attacking, banking position to show off its unique elliptical wings, while the Stuka is mid-dive.
The 1941 Junkers Ju-87R-2 Tropical Stuka is one of two surviving Stukas in the world. The plane revolutionized military aviation and military warfare with blitzkrieg tactics of fast, aggressive dive-bombing to support the quick advancement of German ground troops, and the Museum's Stuka is displayed in a steep dive.
On May 10, 1893, the 999 became the fastest land vehicle when it reached a record speed of 112.5 mph. The 999 maintained the record for a decade. Designed by William Buchanan and manufactured by the New York Central Railroad in West Albany, New York in 1893, the 999 was commissioned to haul the Empire State Express, which ran from Syracuse to Buffalo. This relatively smooth run and the 999's cutting-edge design gave the new locomotive an opportunity to make history. Following its record-setting run, "The World's Fastest Locomotive" toured the country and was displayed at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After the Exposition, the 999 continued to provide passenger and freight service for many years. The famous locomotive returned to Chicago in 1933 for the Century of Progress World's Fair and again from 1948-49 for the Chicago Railroad Fair.
The Piccard Gondola was the centerpiece of the “greatest human drama” when Jean Piccard and his wife Jeannette tried to break the world altitude record at Chicago’s 1933 exposition, A Century of Progress. While 50,000 people had gathered to watch this historic attempt in October 1933, a leaky valve doomed the flight. The second flight a month later on November 20, 1933 broke the world altitude record at 61,237 feet and took the first Americans into the stratosphere. On October 23, 1934, Jeannette Piccard became the first woman to reach the stratosphere when she piloted the gondola to 57,579 feet for its third and final flight, setting the women’s altitude record.
Relive the birth of aviation alongside this history-making replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer. The first such replica in the U.S. to achieve flight during the centennial year of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, the biplane dubbed “The Spirit of Glen Ellyn” provides an up-close glimpse of the reality and daring of early aeronautics.
This model railroad can whisk you cross-country in minutes, or fascinate you for hours.
Explore the pervasiveness of plastic pollution and the steps we can take to address it.
Come sail away on a journey across millennia of seafaring with the authentic models of the Ships Gallery.
© 2025 Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
