CHICAGO - My folks were big on the "gee whiz" factor when I was a kid. Their vacation choices always opened my eyes to the wonder of the world. It was their greatest gift to me.

We'd go see the highest peaks, the tallest Redwoods, the deepest and biggest caves, the glacier lakes where the water was the most green and clear.

When it came to things man-made, our destinations were Mount Rushmore, the Corn Palace in the Black Hills and Chicago's museums, the Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium.

That's how I was first introduced to the Museum of Science and Industry, which is closing out the celebration of its 75th anniversary. The old building dates to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition when it served as the Palace of Fine Arts.

A half century later, I still remember what it was like to walk wide-eyed through a captured German submarine. I remember the claustrophobic dimness of a trip into the coal mine and the planes suspended from the ceiling. The exhibits detailing the inner workings of the human body fired me up to study science.

"The Museum has touched the lives of more than 175 million guests since it opened in 1933," said David Mosena, the museum's president and CEO. "We can only guess how many children, after visiting this museum, decided to become biologists or doctors, geneticists or chemists."

Here's just a sample of what you can expect to see at MSI.

Christmas Around the World

The Museum's annual Christmas Around the World-Holidays of Light celebration has added sparkle during MSI's diamond anniversary. The theme is "Celebrating 75 Years of Museum Memories." Features include more than 50 trees, including a new Bulgaria tree, decorated by members of Chicago's ethnic communities.

Other highlights include "snow," performances by dance and choral groups on the Holiday Stage and more.

Fast Forward

"What if you could repair your body at the cellular level to live forever? What if you could really replicate food like on Star Trek? What if robots were so lifelike you couldn't distinguish them from real humans? What if a farmer could grow his crops in a crowded city?

Impossible challenges that seem impossible at first can be overcome by beginning with this simple question, "What if?"

The MSI staff asked several innovators, including one as young as age 20, "What if?" The result is the museum's newest permanent exhibit called, "Fast Forward … Inventing the Future." The exhibit showcases "cutting-edge technology and innovations developed by groundbreaking inventors and scientists from around the world. …guests learn how ingenuity and creativity are being used to shape our future and advance our society in the areas of agriculture, transportation, entertainment, energy and much more," say museum officials.

U-505

The USS Chatelain used depth charges to force the German U-505 to surface and surrender on June 4, 1944, near the coast of West Africa. Until then, the submarine had been part of a force that had terrorized Allied shipping. A few years ago, the boat was moved indoors where it is open for tours while it serves as a memorial to 55,000 American sailors killed fighting the Germans in World Wars I and II. The U-505 is the only German sub captured during the later war.

Coal Mine

The Coal Mine, MSI's first interactive experience, takes visitors travel down into a mine shaft where they experience what life below the surface was like when Illinois was a primary producer of coal. Visit the safety room and various work rooms inside the mine. See fossils as miners would have seen them as they were unearthed. As visitors surface, they are taken to a modern control room to see how automated mining works today.

Smart Home

This exhibit is a real three-story modular and sustainable home where green technologies are used. Guests get guided tours of the 2,500-square-foot home and grounds to learn about reusable resources, smart energy consumption, sustainable gardens and green roofs and more. The exhibit requires an additional ticket.

Earth Revealed

A suspended globe 6 feet in diameter made of carbon fiber projects visual data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. The result is what MSI officials call a "dynamic, revolving" sphere "that demonstrates the Earth as a living system." Explore changes in the climate, weather and currents and see the impact of humans have on our planet.

There's far more to see, including: one of America's first diesel-electric passenger trains; Colleen Moore's miniature Fairy Castle; views of earth from space; a modern-day farm display called Farm Tech; a chick hatchery; the Henry Crown Space Center; NetWorld, an interactive exhibit on how we stay connected; and a dozen robots assembling toys in ToyMaker 3000.

Make sure you check out the MSI Omnimax Theater and 3D Theater for visual experiences. Shows currently include one on a Grand Canyon river adventure, elephants in Africa and sharks.

Harry Potter

The museum will host the world premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition from April 30 to Sept. 7. In making the announcement this month, MSI officials promised Potter fans a chance to "to get a first-hand look inside the famous wizard's magical world." The exhibit includes authentic costumes and props from the films displayed in settings inspired by the Hogwarts film sets.

Gee whiz.

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The Museum of Science and Industry 411

Hours: Located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, the museum is open every day except Christmas. Regular hours are 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets: Purchase can be made on site or online at www.msichicago.org. Cost is $13 for adults, $12 for seniors and $9 for children ages 3-11. Admission is free every weekday in September, Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Parking: Indoor parking costs $12 a day.

Restaurants: Brain Food Court, The Brain Food Café and Finnegan's Ice Cream Parlor.

More information: (773) 684-1414. or visit www.msichicago.org.