Perth, Feb 27: Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago will host Anne Frank The Exhibition from May 1, 2026, marking the exhibition’s Midwest debut.
Presented by the Anne Frank House, the showcase offers a full-scale, fully furnished recreation of the Secret Annex where Anne Frank, her parents and sister, and four other Jewish refugees hid for two years to evade Nazi capture.
“Anne Frank’s story is a powerful reminder of what happens when fear and hatred are allowed to take root,” said Dr. Chevy Humphrey, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry President and CEO.
“At the same time, it reveals the quiet but enduring strength of curiosity, creativity and resilience, values that sit at the heart of our mission. We hope this exhibition offers meaningful moments of reflection for our guests, particularly young people, and encourages them to think critically about their role in the world they are inheriting.”
“Anne Frank The Exhibition is a call to conscience, said Ronald Leopold, Executive Director of the Anne Frank House.
“By stepping into the world that confined Anne and her family, visitors are invited to confront the enduring realities of antisemitism, racism and hatred — and to recognize that remembrance is not passive, but a moral act that demands empathy, vigilance and courage.
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, founded through Julius Rosenwald’s conviction that knowledge must belong to everyone, embodies this same spirit of moral responsibility.
Just as Rosenwald believed education is humanity’s greatest equalizer, this exhibition transforms history into living dialogue, ensuring that learning, understanding and compassion are never the privilege of a few, but the right of all.”
The exhibition traces Anne Frank’s early childhood in Frankfurt, her family’s move to Amsterdam as the Nazi regime rose to power, and her life in hiding until her arrest in 1944.
It follows her deportation from Westerbork transit camp to Auschwitz-Birkenau and later to Bergen-Belsen, where she died at age 15.
Beyond the recreated Annex, the exhibition explores Anne Frank not only as a victim of the Holocaust but as a young writer whose diary became one of the most translated books in the world.
The Chicago presentation features more than 130 original artifacts from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, many of which have never been publicly displayed. Items include personal letters from Anne, Margot and Otto Frank, Anne’s first photo album, handwritten verses in friends’ poetry albums and historical documents from the aftermath of the war.
Originally premiering in New York City on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the exhibition is designed for visitors aged 10 and above.
All tickets include an audio guide in English and Spanish.
In keeping with its educational mission, Griffin MSI will provide free access to the exhibition for all field trip groups, alongside free general admission for Illinois school groups.
Each child in these groups will receive a journal to reflect on Anne’s words and their own experiences.
Educational resources accompanying the exhibition include an antisemitism curriculum developed by the Anne Frank House and the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina, aligned with standards adopted by 39 states.
The expanded Chicago edition is led creatively by Tom Brink, Head of Collections & Presentations at the Anne Frank House.
Exhibition design is by Eric Goossens Ontwerpt, with advisory input from Michael S. Glickman, CEO of jMUSE, and educational guidance from Dr. Doyle Stevick of the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina.
The exhibition at Griffin MSI is supported by major benefactors including Tony and Laura Davis and Crown Family Philanthropies, alongside corporate, foundation and philanthropic partners.
It was originally developed and will travel nationally with support from the Leon Levy Foundation and other U.S.-based donors.
Read about our visit to the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam in 2023 here.
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