Reviews of Museum of Broadcast Communications (Museum)

Laura Uliana

Very nice museum, with one really nice exibition on music and politics (and, of course, the radio hall of fame). Loved it!

Marypatricia Barrett

This place was great. The Saturday night live museum exhibit was so cool. The winter rates are a great deal. Went as a group of six and we all had a blast. Some never having seen snl before.

Joanie Franken

Went to see the SNL special exhibit, it was very good

Vanessa Liveris

Wonderful museum...lived the SNL experience

Andrew Folts

Great SNL experience. 3rd floor has lots of broadcasting memrobelia

Donna Morris

We saw the Saturday Night Live Experience, it was fantastic.

Joshua Dugan

I thought the SNL: The Experience tour was pretty boring. I guess I thought maybe it would be more interactive.

P Kurz

Look at the history of radio and television from the beginning of each Era to today and see all the pioneers of each medium that have made their mark to make broadcast a successful medium.

Erik Hannigan

A good way to pass a few hours.

Tim Peterson

Very Chicago nostalgic. If it's combined with something special like the SNL exhibit, it's worth it. Not for kids or teens as the exhibits are 80s and earlier for the most part

Colin Terrill

The SNL exhibit is a must. The rest of the museum was nice, just not sure what they would have if the SNL Experience wasn't there. Check it out before it leaves!

Jordan Lopez

Best radio museum history ever.

mary lucio

Had a fun time...well worth checking out.

Gina Driskell

A must see exhibit of the Saturday Night Live experience. If you're a fan you HAVE TO see it. So cool. From costumes to make-up to script approvals, it's all there.

Carl Magnuson

Loved the Saturday Night Live exhibit. A great last minute, lower cost alternative to the more crowded museums.

Gerri Spain

Really enjoyed the SNL Exhibit. The Museum of Broadcasting has some hidden gems.

Josh

You make might like it if you're a huge SNL fan. Buy otherwise save your money.

Janet Kroll

We liked walking down Memory Lane . Not much on old radio.

Dimitrios Angelis

A great place to visit and learn about broadcast communications.

Grace Brown

loved the snl exhibit! it was great seeing all the iconic props and learning how the show is made

Fred Goldstein

Used to be great. Only one floor left. Not much to see.

Asmaa Al-Gendy

Such a fun experience for an SNL fan! Well put-together.

Joseluis Avalos

A very interesting exhibit currently going on that merges music and politics. The admission is a bit pricey ($18) for general admission, but overall a good experience.

Brad Amodeo

Fantastic exhibit of Chicago and national broadcast history. If you grew up on Chicago in the 60's, 70's, or 80's you will especially enjoy it!

Mia Marie

Very nice and informative. Went for the SNL experience.

Megan Virginie Stephenson

So this may be just me but I didn’t know there was four floors apparently? I only saw the one floor, the special exhibit floor. Also, I couldn’t find the museum because there was hardly any signage to show that there was a museum. So I’m a little disappointed. The one exhibit I did see was interesting, but I was so confused about where things were here. They do have student discounts, but even with that the price is $14.

Rupeshkumar Mahendran

SNL exhibit.was amazing

Christine Vandre

SNL! So much fun, so many memories!

Tony Dillard

Neat look at Chicago's impact on TV and radio. A very interesting and interactive SNL exihibit. Unfortunately there was a few technical difficulties in it. Also nothing about the NBC Chicago shows. Gift shop was in need of some better stuff.

Kelly Blackmon

I went thinking it was museum of US broadcasting. It is the history based on the Chicago area radio an TV. Two floors to the museun. Requiem higher admission to visit both. Disappointed

Lisa Polk

Saw the SNL exhibit -- excellent -- only there until the end of the month -- MUST SEE for fans of the show

Edward Richter

SNL exhibit was excellent. There is also a permanent exhibit that is pretty cool. This museum really needs to advertise more. Not many people know about it.

Justin Bowers

The snl tour was great. The 3rd floor has a ton of room for improvement.

Tiffany Richards

Went to the SNL exhibit. It was amazing. You go at your own pace.

Walter Podrazik

SNL exhibit is an excellent special attraction and the TV in the 1990s on the third floor has a great collection of memorabilia

Cathy Huber

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the Saturday Night Live exhibit. It includes an assortment of props and memoribilia peppered with show clips over the past 40 years. You experience what a 7 day week looks like preparing for the show. At the end we were shuffled to the 3rd floor where we viewed a timeline of radio and TV including childhood favorites Garfield Goose and Ray Raynor. We practically had the place to ourselves on a Tuesday morning.

Colette Sayre

Enjoyed the Saturday night (SNL) exhibit.

Bennett Morrow

Wonderful. Absolutely amazing. For anybody who has any interest in the workings of TV and broadcast through the years this is a must-see. Like a pilot visiting the Air and Space museum I was in awe from the moment I arrived. I learned so much and just got to enjoy the entire experience and can’t wait until I can see it again.

Karyn Hildebrand

Awesome place brings back a lot of good memories of TV and radio from Bozo the gigglesnort hotel

Scott Pensa

A Great place to visit, except it is currently under construction but, yet still open. Some exhibits you normally were able to see, you won't be able to see due to the construction. The Svengoolie exhibit has been currently taken down during the construction.

donna kavanagh

Went to a book signing and meeting with Sean Spicer a few weeks ago parking across the street was $40 for 6 hours the restaurant was a hundred across the street it's a very vibrant area the museum itself is a lot of fun it also happen to have a recreation of Saturday Night Live said it's worth visiting especially if you are a media not like I am LOL

Nicholas Schmidlin

Fun and interactive muesum. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. Fun and cool place to visit.

Bob Rosenthal

What a great experience. Wow. The museum was overtaken by "Saturday Night Live" memorabilia. From desks and telegrams, to costumes and props we felt like we were there. The way it was setup was so you could experience as if you were a part of the cast. The exhibits were, in many cases hands-on. We got to sit on the Wayne's World couch, saw recordings of cast members from the early days up to today, and did a lot of walking in general. I strongly recommend everyone who has any interest in SNL to go see this while you can. I am still very interested in seeing the rest of the museum when the exhibit is not there. What we did get to see was a collection of old radios and TV sets; we saw memorabilia from Chicago TV shows like Bozo the Clown; we even got to sit at a weather desk with green screen. Of course, as with any museum, they are not lacking in gift shops. Even though it is a relatively small museum they have two. The one at the end of the tour had an area where you could have your picture taken at the Weekend Update desk and have a host superimposed. For $20, it was fun and will help keep good memories alive.

Bill Moran

Great SNL exhibit. Catch it before it leaves. Rest of the place is cool, too!

L.A. Parduhn

The SNL exhibit was awesome! We will definitley be back to see everything else!

Michael Azzaline

Disappointing! Third floor closed for renovations and no one told us until we bought tickets and we're in. No Bozo, Garfield Goose, etc. Save your money until renovations are completed

Michael Johnston

Good clean hotel with a friendly staff.

Cindi Copeland

Saturday Night Live Experience is very informative.

Amy Ravit Korin

I love this museum. As someone who studied communications in college and loves pop culture, this museum is awesome! It is well-curated, colorful and tells the story of radio and TV history with interactive exhibits and great artifacts. The "I Love Lucy" section is great, and I love the TV timeline that spans and entire floor. You can see a news studio in action and learn while having fun!

Bob Sagit

I had a great time at the museum of broadcast Communications, it was very informative.

Ernesto Conrado

Very limited background information and limited display. The mouse has the capacity for several displays.

Josh Culley-Foster

A totally undiscovered gem of a museum in River North. The SNL exhibit is amazing. Really interactive and a ton of original items from the entire history of the show. Honestly one of the best exhibits I've ever seen. So. Much. Fun.

Brian Weaver

They're currently doing a tribute to Saturday Night Live. They actually have the sets and some of the costumes along with scripts and a setup of what it's like to go through the week before the show airs on Saturday night.

Steve Martin

Great SNL exhibit, almost like being at 30 Rock.

Eddie P

The SNL Experience was great at showing the story of how it all got started and the displays of memorabilia and props used on the show through the years.

Vino Mathew

Great place to visit to get some insight into what it takes to create a TV show. The exhibit that we saw was what it takes to create SNL from week to week.

Bob Furst

If you're an SNL it's good.

Rick Butterly

Good museum. Went there for SNL Experience and was impressed. Not sure what else is there. Parked in a lot adjacent to museum.

Carrie Castillo

It was so great seeing all of the characters that are CHICAGO. From Blob to Garfield Goose and Cudley Dudley, I smiled my whole way through the museum. I just wish I had more time to visit.

Charlotte O'Donnell

Interesting to see tv history from Chicago, displays are well done just didn't interest me that much. SNL display was great

DARKEST

Very interesting but very short the SNL set SO cool but still (don't believe the hype).

Brian McLeod

A hidden gem in the heart of Chicago. Yes, it's home to the SNL exhibit. But there's so much more to check out. If you are interested in broadcasting, I highly recommend going here for a day!

Scott Arnold

What a great experience! SNL was great and I enjoyed looking at all the old broadcast equipment.

Jean Weishaar

The SNL exhibit was above my expectations. Well done!

Rodrigo Alejandre

Ok

Floyd Aylin

Fantastic museum! Has the complete history of Saturday Night Live, including original sets and memorabilia from the show. The rest is broadcasting history over the life of radio and television. A great indoor parking garage just across the street and down a block.

brad fox

Super hidden gem, the SNL show was fantastic, you will love it if you have ever watch a show. very interesting exhibit, very well done. quite extensive and worth every penny for admission. great time, great sets, great audio, great clips Don't miss it, leaving in December 2018

Ann Braun

A walk down memory lane... the fact that we remembered so much of this speaks to our age but I think younger people would also like to see all of this interesting background on mediums they now take for granted. Worth the price of admission and it's conveniently located.

Moma Girl

I was here for the SNL exhibit and was surprised to see another level with Bozo show and Svenguli and other local Chicago TV memorabilia! Had a great time

Les R

Overall a pretty unique and cool place to spend an hour or two. The SNL exhibit is on the 2nd and 4th floors, and you are routed to go that way before you see the rest of the musuem ( which is on the 3rd floor). So when I was there, I bought my ticket and went upstairs. I did check my coat and was immediately put in the SNL exhibit. So if there is a choice to skip it, I missed it. But do see it. It was interesting even though I am not am SNL fan. I do appreciate the history of SNL and the musuem does a fine job of capturing that history.

Jørgen Beck

The snl exo was excellent

Roy Holt

The SNL exhibit is awesome! Lots of other random neat pieces of history.

Elliott Serrano

Awesome place to experience television and radio history! Saw the SNL Experience which was quite the attraction. Made you feel like you were on the show.

Carrie Schindler

Saw the SNL exhibit. I was blown away.

Adam Brundell

Saw the SNL exhibit here. It was cool and there were many interesting videos and informational signs to read. I had sort of hoped for something a little more interactive, though. It was nice to see some of the props used in the early days of the show, as well as to see the development stage of each new episode, which runs without much break from Sunday to Friday. I won't spoil it, but the end part is quite fun. The gift shop is a bit lacking, would've liked to see cooler T-shirts, but that's pretty minor. We didn't spend much time in the rest of the museum, but there seemed to be some other interesting exhibits. Overall, a fun thing to do if you're in Chicago.

Mary Philips

Employees were great, exhibits was fantastic. Saw the SNL experience exhibit

Akshaya Patel

Interesting place, if you are in the area you should visit. There are some nice authentic ethnic cusine eateries in the area.

Stan Perlman

Great SNL exhibit. The regular exhibit is thorough

Ray Forgianni

Nice museum. Great temporary exhibt on Saturday Night Live.

Chris Ukachukwu

Decent museum of broadcast and associated media dedicated by/to Bruce Dumont, a Chicago broadcaster. Loved the SNL experience and other earlier Chicago productions + radio stuff.

John Kuhnlein

This is the museum that Paul Harvey set up to honor himself. Thus his entire family is in their hall of fame. Gives you an idea on what to expect. That said it's ok.not worth the price of admission. I have to assume there are Groupon's out there. At 2 for 1 it's worth killing an hour.

Chris Luth

Underwhelming for the price. Supposedly the museum is 4 floors but only 1 was open today: the Louder Than Words exhibition (about protest music). Not sure if there’s normally other stuff happening, but I asked a staff member just to be sure, and that’s all I got to see for my $18 admission. Even half that amount would have been overpriced. No idea how Google Maps gets the idea that most people spend 3 hours here; I watched most of the videos and read all of the signs and I finished in 45 minutes. Skippable, and I say that as a broadcast journalism major. 3 stars because the content was interesting, but admission should be more like $8 and the museum should be renamed to emphasize that it’s about a single exhibition at a time, not a comprehensive museum of the history of broadcasting.

Neil Hart

Good place to increase our knowledge base. The collection was nice. Perfect place to bring children .

Cyndy Mora

SNL exhibit was worth the trip downtown!

Manuel Colón

If you are a big SNL fan, you definitely need to check this out while it's still around. Super fun and informative!

Dick Palmer

The exhibit Louder Than Words is excellent!

Joy Sobowale

Really cool! There was an SNL history exhibit when I went. Very cool and interesting. They have rotating exhibits so definitely worth the visit multiple times. The layout is a little ambiguous, I wasn't sure where the end was, but it had many rooms with engaging content, so that wasn't a problem. Definitely recommended!

Annette Jones

Great Show event's Saturday Night Live. Artists with talented act's . Museum like atmistfer call for more information.

Joy Janulis

Very good place to go

Dan Fetter

SNL exhibit was fantastic. True fans will not be disappointed.

John Clark

Saw the SNL History exhibit, Of you like SNL, You will like this. Well done!

Grant Wade

Loved the SNL exhibit.

BVX1

One floor does a pretty adequate job of tracing the history of television and radio programming over the decades. But the rest of the museum has an absolutely wonderful, insightful, vast & in-depth look at all things Saturday Night Live. The exhibit traces the development of a typical show as it comes to life throughout the week leading up to the live broadcast. Not just the names and faces we've grown up with are featured, but also the writers, costume and makeup artists, set designers & builders, Directors, etc., etc. Highly recommended!!!

Ritika Upadhyay

I was here for the SNL exhibit and I loved it! The staff are super friendly and helpful and checking out the rest of the museum along with the exhibit took me a good 2 hours ish. I definitely recommend visiting

Ethan Wade

A fun museum with eveolving that show the history of broadcast journalism and entertainment in the US. From the original Meet The Press desk to an original AP Wire machine, there's a lot of original artifacts that are fun to see in person.

Kimberley Hawkinson

Great place to see all the old shows if you are nostalgic.

Mary Gaertig

SNL Experience was awesome. Highly recommended.

Maribeth Westlund

Unique museum. The Saturday Night Live exhibit was fantastic! So many memories. Walking us through the week of preparation was so interesting. Gather your friends and family and go!

Doug Williamson

Simply put, a absolute must see!!! The nostalgia will flow heavy through your mind visiting here!!!

Stephanie Wilkerson

Pretty cool place with interesting history of local and national broadcasting - kind of a Chicago twist applied throughout. We really enjoyed the Saturday Night Live exhibit!

Leonard Wegrzyn

Had exhibits from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Wanted to see Bozo

Brock Bennett

The SNL experience was a must go to for any SNL fan.

Devin Bushrow

Lot of history here, really cool place

P Murray

Amazing SNL experience exhibit here...real sets, costumes, and other items from the first show to the 40th anniversary. Really enjoyed it.

Peter O'Mara

The SNL exhibit was great. The exhibit is set up to take you through the week leading up to the live show. You get to see the writing process, then costumes and set design, production, and finally the Saturday dress rehearsal and show. Very well done, funny and informative.

Pamela Dubs

Selfguided tour about SNL production. It was very interesting and informative.

Angeli Kuhn

The SNL exhibit was really nice. The rest is ok.

Laura s

I absolutely loved the museum especially the Saturday night why exhibit so fun and awesome my friend was with me but want to leave so I really want a chance to go back and really spend some time checking everything out definitely go and see it while it's in Chicago the SnAl museum

Jesse Andersen

I absolutely loved the SNL:The Experience exhibit earlier today. Every room (or day) was so detailed, I got to hold Wayne's guitar and laughed at some funny video clps of some skits. The finale was the real fun part, made me feel like i was really at a show...

William Baltuska

If you like pop culture tv and movies as well as radio this is the place to be.

Jacx

Was expecting a little more. Still worth the experience.

Michael Polk

Visiting the SNL exhibit which is scheduled to close end of March.

Dan Pacer

Went here to visit the SNL exhibit - you should definitely go while it's still there!

David Vega

Great snl tour. Original sets and costumes. A great history flashback.

Mark Callander

The Radio Hall of Fame was my favorite.

H Hathaway Miranda

Fantastic SNL exhibit. Great to see Harpo studio entrance in the lobby.

Tim Bimmerle

SNL display is amazing. A must see before it leaves.

April Faulkner

A fun place to spend a few hours. I was thrilled when my mom first suggest we check it out but it far exceeded my expectations! They walked you through the life of an SNL writer with audio, visual, and tactile example. The costumes were so much fun and being able to see the sets of well known skits was awesome!

Randy Herbstman

Went to an event there and got to see the SNL exhibit. That was pretty cool. They had a ton of old memorabilia and interesting videos. Plus Wayne's World couch!

Ali Bauma

Amazing

Yo Angie

This venue takes you through a typical week of SNL, day by day, as if you were hosting. It's so very interesting. It takes about an hour and a half. Then another hour for the museum of TV history. It was really fabulous. A must for any SNL fan.

Gregory F

Great place and I managed to catch the SNL experience before it left! Looking forward to the next installation.

RJ Ryan

This was so fun! I went there specifically for the traveling SNL exhibit and was not disappointed.

Marika Farundee

learning about how to communicate with aliens hm getting ready lol nice place to visit

Robert Vandal

I really had a great time experiencing the history of television and radio at this Museum. We went during the SNL exhibit and it was so much fun to see all of that memorabilia from Saturday Night Live. Really bought back some fun memories of the show!

Mack Grubb

Went to the SNL exhibit and it was a blast from the past. Great information as well as artifacts and replicas from the set. Very well done! Loved all the video clips and renewed my interest in watching old SNL clips in the future!

Edelmira Celedonio

I thoroughly enjoyed the SNL Expoerience. Brought back such great memories. The staff were great and everything was very well planned for our enjoyment. Parking was just steps away. Thank you

Michael Palesh

Went to see the Louder Than Words exhibit and found it interesting and educational. Was worth seeing

Carol Saydera

Fun place to go. The snl. exhibit was awesome

Ben Lanman

SNL exhibit was great, informative and fun. If you have ever been a fan of the show it's worth the price of admission

Joseph Pizzio

Fun! We went for and enjoyed the SNL Experience...

Luis Adrian Toriz Dorantes

Incredible price for the awesome exposition of rock

Chris Sarabi

Such a great place. The staff were super friendly and went above and beyond to be accommodating. The SNL exhibit was amazing. I spent a good 3 hours there checking everything out. Highly recommend

Ryan Fee

The SNL exhibit is pretty cool and we'll worth the admission to the museum.

Nancy Stickler

We had a great time at the SNL exhibit on a cold Saturday afternoon. The exhibit not only showcases the actors, writers and props, but also walks you through what is involved day by day to get to the live broadcast. In the end, they say that although this show appears to be live chaos, every line and movement is carefully planned and rehearsed. We were wishing we had tickets to Second City - would have made a great combo. The museum is easy to find, clean, well located to combine with shopping, dining, drinking. Recommend.

Amber B

Wish I would have had more time. It was great to learn the behind the scenes of SNL.

Scott Fleetwood

The SNL Experience was phenomenal and the other exhibitions were great, too! Can't wait for the next installation!

Jeff Gottdownunder

You best hurry and see the SNL exhibit before it closes at end of March. If you like SNL, it's a must see. The displays were thoughtful, with a good mix of casts, and they definitely do a nice job replicating the experience. source: I'd give my right arm to see a live taping of this show in NY.

Thomas Huber

SNL exhibit was excellent as was the history of Chicago children's tv programs

Hassan Barzani

Always love my time and experience with the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Had the honor and privilege to intern and volunteer here from June 2016-January 2017. Great times. Miss everyone. Keep up the great work Museum of Broadcast Communications.

John Deters

The SNL exhibit was very interesting and I enjoyed the rest of the museum too.

Steven Minton

Cool place if you grew up in Chicago in the 60's

Blak Gal

I enjoyed it. I specifically went for the #SNLEXperience. I really wanted to see a better display of #Buckwheat I loved and remembered that character the most! It wasn't much of a display for Buckwheat, BUT I remembered the other characters also when I was there and it was just an enjoyable experience, plus I got to see the rest of the museum when I was done with the #Snlexperirnce. Glad I went

Vanessa Vasquez

The SNL exhibit was awesome!

Juan Cepero

Came here for the SNL exhibit and it did not disappoint! The exhibit took you through life on the set at SNL. It takes you through everyday of the week, from writing, planning, costume and set design, rehearsals and all the way up to the live show. It was really neat to see the insight of such an iconic show. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking or something fun to do.

Janine Wieland

So happy that i got to see SNL its don't miss.

John Hague

Poorly/Vaguely communicated closure of entire museum following end of special exhibit. Couldn't get in!

Bethany Breyne

A true hidden gem! Check it out, their every day exhibit is neat, but the traveling exhibits are awesome! Loved the SNL exhibit!!

Krista

Great exhibit!

Ryan Fortman

The SNL experience exceeded my expectations. Great museum!

Michael Heaven

I visited the museum for the Saturday Night Live Exhibit. The exhibit was excellent. There are original costumes from the show as well as informative videos describing what goes on to put the show on when it is in production.

Brian Gochal

This was a great surprise destination. There wasn't any advertising that led us to know of it's existence, so we were glad we saw it on our way to Yoke. What drew us in was the Saturday Night Live exhibit. For $25 you get an unguided multiroom experience of what it's like to start on MOnday and end up on Saturday with a show. From a short movie at the beginning to multiple rooms filled with historical items like letters to the staff, props, stage sets and on and on, it really was a wonderful experience. If you find yourself lagging behind and getting to the next room there is a multimedia event already in progress, take the time to stay and wait for it to begin again. Really worth it. There is lots to read and lots to watch. Take your time and enjoy. A must stop for any SNL fans

Pedro Buitrago

If you go you have to do the SNL experience if you don't you only get to see one floor with the history of broadcast majorly shows of early 90s or 80s there it's a small theater that shows shows from the late 80s the SNL experience include day by day how they prepare the show it's incredible

Sy Guzman

Spent the afternoon viewing the Saturday Night Live exhibit. The staff was courteous and informative. The second floor had collectables from old shows and viewing areas with chairs to relax. Great way to get out of the heat this summer! Students receive discount on tickets with school/college ID.

Ingrid Durham

The MBC is located on the third floor of a building next door to Marina City. It gives you a peek into world of radio and television, from the early radio shows to television in the 90's. There is a collection of old tv's and radios that is quite impressive. Having grown up in Chicago in the 1960's, I geeked out over the Bozo, Captain Kangaroo, and Ray Rayner exhibits. I did, however, find many of the exhibits to be a bit thin. I can see where they can expand. The crowning glory of the visit was The SNL Experience. It will be at the MBC until December of 2018. The exhibit takes you from beginning to end in a typical week preparing for the live performance of Saturday Night Live. There are video clips from shows through the last 40+ years running throughout the exhibit. There are costumes, pieces of and recreations of sets. It is a must-see for SNL fans. Discounts of $5 are available through Travelzoo and Goldstar.

Ryan Yantis

Neat place. Family-friendly and a good overview of the history of broadcast Communications. Staff is very friendly.

JoAnn Alleman

Forget the seriousness of today’s news and unpleasantries! Go back and relive 40+years of SNL memories of funnier than heck characters and skits that are set in concrete as the best in creative writing. There was no need for profanity then. Just poke fun and have a good laugh at ourselves! Give yourself as much time to enjoy it all. Then treat yourself to the Weekend Update News Desk! If you grew up in Chicago, your heart will be touched by memorable childhood TV friends.

Phillip Haley

Great time... Was there for the SNL exhibit and will be going back!