Relive The Apollo 8 Launch From A '60s Living Room In MSI Exhibit

CHICAGO - It's back to the 1960s at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago this month. A new exhibit, "Moon Room 1968," will be open until Jan. 6. It takes visitors back to December 1968 as millions of Americans watched the launch of Apollo 8 from their living rooms, many of which likely closely resembled the display that's already opened at the museum.

A museum newsletter touts the exhibit as putting "you in a ’60s living room at the moment astronauts left for the Moon, and Earth saw itself in a whole new light." Scroll through the photos at the top of this article for a look inside the exhibit.

Guests can watch the Apollo 8 footage on a vintage television surrounded by era décor; type a letter to Apollo 8 crewmembers Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot Bill Anders; and sit for a holiday photo complete with an aluminum tree, a decorative staple that dominated many homes during the height of the Space Age.

“MSI is a museum that has always been a ‘please touch’ museum that puts guests at the center
of any experience,” said Anne Rashford, director of temporary exhibits and business
partnerships.

“The Apollo 8 mission was so transformative in the race to the Moon that we felt
the best way to celebrate the 50th anniversary was to put guests into a setting that allows them
to really feel the energy and excitement felt by the entire country.”

The exhibit is part of the museum's month-long celebration of space exploration and Apollo 8.

Photos: J.B. Spector/Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.