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  • News Story

New Installation at Chicago History Museum Highlights Origins of Safety Science and the Enduring Impact of Underwriters Laboratories

UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions collaborated with the museum on a new exhibit installation, “The Symbol of Safety: The Story of Underwriters Laboratories and the Creation of Safety Science.”

Underwriters Laboratories exhibit at the Chicago History Museum.

September 4, 2026

Key Points

  • The Chicago History Museum has opened a new exhibit installation on the origins of safety science and Underwriters Laboratories.
  • UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions collaborated with the museum to bring the story of safety science to a public audience.
  • The exhibit installation highlights the history of the UL Mark and its role in advancing product safety and consumer protection.

The Chicago History Museum has opened “The Symbol of Safety: The Story of Underwriters Laboratories and the Creation of Safety Science,” a new exhibit installation that explores how Underwriters Laboratories helped create the field of safety science and shape safety practices worldwide.

Created in collaboration with UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions, the installation opened to the public on Aug. 26. It is part of the museum’s permanent exhibition “Chicago: Crossroads of America” and illustrates how a Chicago-born idea transformed everyday safety practices around the world.

Through artifacts, historical documents, photos, videos and personal stories, visitors will learn about the origins of Underwriters Laboratories, the predecessor to the three UL organizations that today continue to share the mission of working for a safer world.

The “Chicago: Crossroads of America” exhibition allows visitors to discover how Chicago’s people, ideas and institutions have shaped the nation and the entire world. The “Symbol of Safety” installation highlights Chicago’s central role in advancing safety and protecting communities worldwide.

A video about the installation is available on UL Solutions’ YouTube page.

Located in the “Second to None” gallery, the installation explores how Chicago became the birthplace of safety science through the founding of Underwriters Laboratories and the vision of founder William Henry Merrill Jr. in 1894. Visitors will discover how Underwriters Laboratories helped establish new approaches to risk reduction and consumer protection that continue to influence everyday life around the world.

Among the installation’s featured stories is the evolution of the iconic UL Mark, one of the world’s most recognized symbols of safety. Visitors will learn how the UL Mark emerged during an era of growing public concern about fire and electrical safety, becoming a trusted indicator of products evaluated for safety performance.

More information about UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions is available on the organizations’ websites.

Photo caption: The Chicago History Museum’s new exhibit installation “The Symbol of Safety: The Story of Underwriters Laboratories and the Creation of Safety Science” includes artifacts, historical documents, photos, videos and personal stories.