Anne Frank Exhibit Brings Secret Annex to Chicago's MSI

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry will host 'Anne Frank The Exhibition', a recreation of the hiding place where Anne Frank and her family lived during WWII.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago will host 'Anne Frank The Exhibition', a traveling exhibit that features a full-scale, fully furnished recreation of the Secret Annex in Amsterdam where Anne Frank and seven others hid from the Nazis during World War II. The exhibit will include over 130 original artifacts from the Annex, including Anne Frank's first photo album, handwritten verses, and a letter written by her father Otto after being liberated from Auschwitz. Visitors will be able to step into the Annex and experience what life was like for the Frank family and others in hiding.

Why it matters

The exhibit aims to bring Anne Frank's story to life and inspire visitors, especially young people, to better understand the challenges of the past and how they relate to the world today. It also highlights the critical role the United States played in preserving Anne's legacy, as American support helped save the original building from demolition in the 1950s.

The details

The 20,000-square-foot traveling exhibition will trace Anne Frank's life from her birth in Germany to the family's move to Amsterdam and their eventual hiding in the Secret Annex. Visitors will be immersed in the broader context of Anne's life, including the aftermath of the war when her father Otto worked to preserve her legacy by publishing her diary. The exhibit is designed for children ages 10 and older as well as adults, with age-appropriate resources and an antisemitism curriculum developed by the Anne Frank House and the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina.

  • The exhibit will open on May 1, 2026 at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
  • It will remain open in Chicago through early 2027.

The players

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

The museum hosting the 'Anne Frank The Exhibition' in Chicago.

Anne Frank House

The museum in Amsterdam that houses the original Secret Annex where Anne Frank and her family hid during WWII.

Otto Frank

Anne Frank's father, who worked to preserve his daughter's legacy after the war by publishing her diary.

Ronald Leopold

Executive director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

Chevy Humphrey

President and CEO of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.

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What they’re saying

“We're very excited about bringing the Anne Frank exhibition to Chicago. When we look for traveling exhibits, we look for things that can inspire our community but can also connect us.”

— Chevy Humphrey, President and CEO of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (chicagotribune.com)

“We need to give visitors the impression that once they step into this hiding place, they should have the feeling that those eight people just left. Through these personal items, it brings you closer to the perspective of how they have experienced the time in hiding.”

— Ronald Leopold, Executive director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam (chicagotribune.com)

“Anne changed the world. And the fact that she changed the world is also very much to his credit, to the credit of a father who knew how important that those words … those words that we need in order to better understand the challenges of our own times and of our own world.”

— Ronald Leopold, Executive director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam (chicagotribune.com)

“Kids have the right to shape their own worlds. I really hope that all these kids that come to the exhibition and read the diary, that they will have a better world.”

— Ronald Leopold, Executive director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam (chicagotribune.com)

What’s next

The exhibit, which previously was displayed at the Center for Jewish History in New York City, will remain open in Chicago through early 2027. While there are no immediate plans for additional locations, the organizers hope it will eventually travel across the U.S.

The takeaway

This exhibit provides a powerful and immersive experience that brings Anne Frank's story to life, inspiring visitors to reflect on the past and work towards a more just and equitable future. By connecting to Anne's words and experiences, people can carry forward her legacy and dream of a better world.