Hello hello!
This is the second of eight posts detailing my recent adventures in downtown Chicago during the Summer of 2024:
B1: Chicago Overview, CityPASS, & Millennium Park
B2: Field Museum of Natural History (this post)
B3: Shedd Aquarium
B4: Museum of Science and Industry
B5: Art Institute of Chicago (Part 1)
B6: Art Institute of Chicago (Part 2)
B7: Willis/Sears Tower Skydeck, the Rookery, Chicago Fed Money Museum, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago Cultural Center, & Design Museum of Chicago
B8: Medieval Torture Museum (NSFW)
In this volume we'll be delving into the Field Museum of Natural History in all of its glory! I'll be covering the taxidermy animal collection, the dinosaur fossils, the Audubon book, special exhibits on Bloodsuckers, Unseen Oceans, and Underground Adventure, and then a brief look at Egypt, China, and the gemstone collection. All of the pictures in this post were taken by me except for the one map of the museum.
FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
1400 S. Dusable Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
It is possible to walk or bike to the Field Museum. In fact, I walked between Millennium Park and the Museum Campus area several times (about a 25 minute walk each way). You will have to cross normal street intersections but there are pedestrian underpasses and overpasses that let you avoid certain major streets, like portions of Lake Shore Drive.
Website: https://www.fieldmuseum.org/
Hours: Open Daily, 9 A.M. — 5 P.M. (last entry at 4 P.M.)
Cost (as of 2024):
Basic Admission (includes general admission exhibits):
Adult: $30
Child (3 - 11 years old ): $23
Student (show school ID at entry): $27
Child under 3: FREE
Discovery Pass (basic admission plus choice of one ticketed experience):
Adult: $37
Child (3 - 11): $28
Student: $33
Child under 3: FREE
All-Access Pass (basic admission plus all ticketed exhibitions):
Adult: $43
Child (3 - 11): $32
Student: $38
Child under 3: FREE
Illinois (non-Chicago) residents get $2 off
Chicago residents get $8 - $9 off
Free basic admission for Illinois teachers (with employee ID) and active military personnel (with employee or military ID).
Tickets For Free Wednesdays for Illinois residents: Basic admission is free, Discovery Pass is discounted (costs $10 for adults, $8 for children), All-Access Pass is discounted (costs $16 for adults, $14 for children).
Chicago C3 provides Basic admission while the full Chicago CityPASS provides the All-Access Pass.
The three current ticketed exhibitions are:
- Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches (October 27, 2023 – September 2, 2024)
- Unseen Oceans (March 15, 2024– January 5, 2025)
- Underground Adventure
Add-Ons that cost extra money:
- Virtual Reality Experience: $12
- 3D Movie: Adult $10, Child $5, Student $6
Estimated Time: 4 - 5 hours, but you could easily spend 2 - 3 full days exploring all of the content in the museum.
On this visit I spent a full 5 hours and I could have easily spent more. Being familiar with the Field Museum, I rushed through the exhibits that I had seen before, spending more time on newer exhibits, special exhibits, and on taking pictures for this blog. Someone new to the Field Museum or intent on reading every informational display would only scratch the surface in 5 hours.
SUMMARY
The Field Museum is a world-class museum and has long been one of my favorite museums. While you can get through small museums in 2 hours and spend a full day (6 - 8 hours) at a medium sized museum, the Field Museum has enough galleries and content to occupy multiple days of visits! Here is a map of the museum:
The Field Museum is one of the few attractions that I would wholeheartedly rate as 5 stars. Comparing it to other natural history museums, history museums, and science museums but excluding most art museums, here is how it stacks up:
5 stars:
- Field Museum (Chicago)
- Castello Sforzesco (Milan, Italy)
4 stars:
- The Ringling (Sarasota)
- Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
- CDC Museum (Atlanta, Free)
- Mardi Gras World (New Orleans)
- World War 2 Museum (New Orleans)
- Museum d'Histoire Naturelle (Nice, France) (2 stars without the Lego special exhibit)
- Musée Masséna (Nice, France)
- Galata Museo del Mare (Genoa, Italy)
- Museo del Duomo (Milan, Italy)
3 stars:
- Chicago Fed Money Museum (Chicago, Free)
- Medieval Torture Museum (Chicago)
- Michael C Carlos Museum (Atlanta)
- Center for Puppetry Arts (Atlanta)
- Fernbank Museum of Natural History (Atlanta)
- Musée d'Archéologie de Nice-Cimiez (Nice France)
- Palais Lascaris (Nice, France)
- Museo Diocesano (Genoa, Italy)
- Civico Museo Archeologico (Milan, Italy)
- Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci (Milan, Italy)
- Museo di Storia Naturale (Milan, Italy)
2 stars:
- Museum of Illusions (Atlanta)
- Atlanta History Center (Atlanta)
- Musée d'Archéologie d'Antibes (Antibes, France)
- Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genoa, Italy)
- Museo del Tesoro di San Lorenzo (Genoa, Italy)
1 star:
- National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta)
As someone who loves animals, the galleries of taxidermy specimens is fascinating and on par with going to a zoo. At some future point I might write a post comparing natural history museums versus zoos. Some of these galleries might seem dated since the exhibits have been around since the early 20th century but I still enjoy them.
The dinosaurs and fossils exhibit is fine, with Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex being the main standout. Kids who love dinosaurs may enjoy this area the most but if you have seen other natural history museums, then you probably won't notice too many differences between them.
There is a small room on the second floor which just contains the Birds of America book by John James Audubon. There is not much to see or do other than admire the book briefly, but given the importance of the book to ornithology and Audubon's impact on the natural sciences and wildlife conservation it was nice to reflect on a piece of history. Yes, Audubon has a complicated past, intertwined with racism and slavery, but the same can be said of much of U.S. history including numerous presidents, scientists, and artists.
There were three special ticketed exhibits. Bloodsuckers and Unseen Oceans were new for me while I had seen Underground Adventure multiple times in the past. I really enjoyed the Bloodsuckers exhibit. There was a lot to learn about the niche subject of hematophagy and they did a great job interspersing scientific information, historical context, and popular media references. Unseen Oceans is an okay exhibit especially if you don't frequent aquariums. But if you are familiar with aquariums, then it's nothing really special. Underground Adventure is kid themed (pretend that you are shrinking to microscopic size!). Soil science might not be too exciting but it can teach how underground ecosystems work. All of these ticketed exhibits were included in my Chicago CityPASS but if I had to pay a la carte for them, then Bloodsuckers would be worth it, Unseen Oceans would not be worth it, and Underground Adventure would be worth it for your first visit but not subsequent visits. While I was not too impressed with Underground Adventure, interestingly it was my nephew's favorite part of the Field Museum so it may have surprising appeal for kids.
The ancient Egypt exhibit is old. Some might feel that it is dated while others may like the nostalgia. In a lot of travel guides, this is highlighted as one of the notable features of the Field Museum but I guess I've just seen it too many times before.
The updated China exhibit was new to me. It was nice that it got a renovation because the original China exhibit was a bit dated. Another cultural region that has received a refreshingly modern update was the Native Truths exhibit on Native Americans. In contrast, the Pacific, Traveling the Pacific, and the Tibet galleries still feel very old-fashioned and a bit stale (the one standout in that area is the Maori House which is great).
The Hall of Gems has a lot of eye-catching displays packed into a small space. There is also a Hall of Jade that is less flashy.
I did not pay extra to watch any of the 3D movies - there was plenty of other things to see during my time visiting.
There is a good amount of interactive and fun activities for kids to do, though it's not quite at the level of the Museum of Science and Industry. The ground floor has a dedicated Family PlayLab. While it's not specifically labeled for kids and families only, for practical purposes that's how entry is enforced. (In contrast, the Museum of Science and Industry's Idea Factory clearly labels their age restrictions).
ENTRANCE
Here are pictures of the Stanley Field Hall at the Main level entrance. You can see the iconic Carl Akeley's Fighting African Elephants. Akeley, often considered the "Father of Modern Taxidermy" brought back the elephants from Kenya in 1905 and created the display in 1908 - 1909.
The entrance on the Ground level leads to the East Atrium and Pavilion:
Both the Stanley Field Hall and the East Atrium and Pavilion can be rented out for special events:
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/stanley-field-hall-balcony
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/east-atrium-pavilion
ANIMALS
Let's start with the animal exhibits. Most of these are in the various mammal halls on the main floor though there are also some displays on the lower ground level. Many of these taxidermy displays were prepared by Carl Akeley while he was the Field Museum's Chief Taxidermist from 1896 to 1909.
Giant panda and red panda:
Raccoons and relatives, including the ringtail. I took a picture of a live ringtail at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.
Felines:
These are the skulls of the infamous Lions of Tsavo, a pair of man-eating lions who terrorized railway construction workers in Kenya in 1898. They were said to have killed dozens of people with some early estimates reaching over a hundred deaths. There have been several books and movies about the incident, including the 1996 film The Ghost and the Darkness with Val Kilmer.
Canids:
My furry fox friends!
Otters and seal pups. This display is on the ground level near a picnic area.
Sloths:
Marsupials from down under:
Opossum vs Possum:
I think the possum (which looks like a sugar glider) wins the cuteness contest!
But this momma opossum isn't happy about it!
Platypus:
Capybaras:
Chipmunks:
Muskrat. I once encountered a dying muskrat in Michigan. Maybe one day I will post some pictures of it.
Penguins and puffins:
Owls:
For my friend who likes hippos:
This is a celluloid model:
Learning about the digestive system of the hippo:
DINOSAURS & FOSSILS
This area is located on the upper floor.
Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird:
Stegosaurus:
Triceratops skull:
This T Rex is hungry!
"Sue" is one of the largest, most extensive (over 90%), and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever found. Sue was also the subject of a legal dispute over ownership. The fossil was eventually sold for auction in October 1997 for $8.3 million, which set a record for the most paid for a dinosaur fossil until that record was broken in 2020.
Sue's skull (weighing 600 pounds) is kept separate from the body not because of weight concerns but for access reasons since it is the most heavily studied part of the fossil.
Megatherium (Giant Sloth):
Smilodon (Saber-Toothed Tiger):
AUDUBON BOOK
The Birds of America
by John James Audubon
Publication date: 1827 – 1838
Dimensions: 39.5 inches tall by 28.5 inches wide
It is estimated that no more than 200 complete sets were ever compiled and that only 120 complete sets are currently known to exist.
Exhibit scheduled to close on January 18th, 2026.
BLOODSUCKERS: LEGENDS TO LEECHES
Special exhibit running from October 27, 2023 – September 2, 2024 focusing on hematophagy and animals that feed on blood.
Giant models of mosquito proboscis, black fly slashing mouthparts, and leech jaws:
A tank full of living lampreys:
A tank full of living leeches:
An interactive simulation game where you take on the role of a mosquito looking for a meal:
A gallery of organisms that feed on blood:
Preserved bat:
Preserved colugo (flying / gliding lemur):
Model of a vampire bat feeding on a cow:
The legendary Chupacabra:
Comparison of vampire myths around the world:
Historic timeline of how vampire beliefs have evolved:
Even Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries) made the exhibit!
Vampires in film and media:
Leeches, mosquitos, and ticks in popular culture:
Medicinal leeches:
Tick education:
Living ticks:
Comparison of bite mark patterns that you can physically touch:
UNSEEN OCEANS
Special exhibit running from March 15, 2024 – January 5, 2025 focusing on ocean science and marine life.
A floor-to-ceiling swirl of model biofluorescent fish and otherworldly plankton:
Live seahorse:
Live fish:
UNDERGROUND ADVENTURE
This is a ticketed exhibit but is a permanent part of the museum and first opened in March 1999. It focuses on soil science with a larger than life root system and animatronic bugs.
This crayfish moves up and down:
INSIDE ANCIENT EGYPT
This is a permanent exhibit on what life was like in ancient Egypt. This is an older exhibit that has been around since at least the 1990's.
There is a three-story replica of a mastaba, a type of ancient Egyptian tomb, that houses two authentic chamber rooms from the burial site of 5th Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Unis’s son Unis-Ankh.
Mummies:
Canopic jars used to hold organs removed during mummification:
Statue of Sekhmet, the lioness goddess of war and medicine:
A shrine to Bast / Bastet, the cat goddess, associated with protection, fertility, and pleasure:
HALL OF CHINA
Although the Field Museum has had an exhibit on China in the past, it was significantly updated in 2015 with the Cyrus Tang Hall of China:
The Sue Ling Gin Garden / Spirit Stone Garden is another venue available for rental:
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/plan-your-special-event/event-meeting-spaces/sue-ling-gin-garden
HALL OF GEMS
The Grainger Hall of Gems can be found on the upper level.
Sapphires:
Rubies:
Emeralds:
Topazes:
The Chalmers Topaz is one of the largest cut topaz gems in the world. It weighs in at 5,899.5 carats.
ART
The Charging Lions, 1925
Bronze
Carl Akeley , 1864 - 1926
Key Deer, 1990
Bronze
John Kearney , 1924 - 2014
Dimensions: 45 x 48 x 24"
Gift of Lynn Kearney
Penguin
John Kearney , 1924 - 2014
OTHER ODDS AND ENDS
This model of a cheetah is in The Machine Inside: Biomechanics exhibit on the ground level.
A full-sized (12 feet in diameter) replica of the Aztec Sun Stone in the Ancient Americas exhibit:
Built in 1881 on Tokomaru Bay, this wharenui is one of only three such Maori meeting houses now outside of New Zealand:
Bear statue:
GIFT SHOP
Be prepared to be overwhelmed with cuteness! There were a lot of items that met the cuteness standard at the Field Museum gift shop!
Giraffe Nuggetz Plush
Owl Nuggetz Plush
Panda Nuggetz Plush
Hedgehog Nuggetz Plush
Sloth Nuggetz Plush
$9.99 each
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/giraffe-nuggetz
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/owl-nuggetz
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/panda-nuggetz
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/hedgehog-nuggetz
https://www.amazon.com/Petting-Zoo-Stuffed-Plushie-Wildlife/dp/B0CTXRF6KW
Elephant Slapstix Plush
$14.99
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/elephant-slapstix-plush
Giraffe Slap Bracelet Candypalz
Blue Butterfly Slap Bracelet Candypalz
Sloth Slap Bracelet Candypalz
$17.99 each
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/giraffe-candypalz
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/blue-butterfly-candypalz
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/sloth-candypalz
Sloth Slapstix Plush
Monkey Slapstix Plush
Red Eye Tree Frog Slapstix Plush
The Petting Zoo Ring Tailed Lemur Stuffed Animal Plushie Slap Bracelet
The Petting Zoo Grey Wolf Stuffed Animal Plushie Slap Bracelet
$14.99 each
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/sloth-slapstix
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/monkey-slapstix
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/red-eyed-tree-frog-slapstix
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTXS3RTS
https://www.amazon.com/Petting-Zoo-Bracelet-Slapstix-Wildlife/dp/B0CTXQXTPW
Waterbear (Tardigrade) Plush
$19.99 ($49.99 for Jumbo size)
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/waterbear-tardigrade-plush
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/jumbo-waterbear-tardigrade-plush
Koala Plush
Bison Plush
Mandrill Plush
African Elephant Plush
The Petting Zoo Peacock
$24.99 each ($21.99 - $22.99 on Amazon)
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/koala-plush-1
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/bison-plush
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/bison-plush-1
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/mandrill-plush
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/african-elephant-plush
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096X4NBLX
Standing Black Horse Plush
$49.99
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/standing-black-horse-plush
Hanging Ring-Tailed Lemur Plush
Hanging Sloth Plush
$19.99 each
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/20inch-ringtailed-lamur
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/20inch-hanging-sloth
(Yeah they misspelled "lemur" as "lamur" in the website link).
Stegosaurus Cuddlekin Plush
$26.99
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/stegosaurus_plush
Dilophosaurus Puppet Plush
T. rex Plush Puppet
Triceratops Plush Puppet
$34.99 each
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/dilophosaurus-puppet
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/trex-puppet
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/triceratops-puppet
This enormous Stegosaurus plush costs over $100:
There was a variety of cute socks by Socksmith.
Sloth
$12
https://www.socksmith.com/products/mens-sloth-socks
You Wanna Pizza Me?
$10 - $12
https://www.socksmith.com/products/you-wanna-pizza-me-cotton-crew-1
https://www.socksmith.com/products/you-wanna-pizza-me-cotton-crew
My Dear Hedgehog 3-Pack
Sasquatch Campout Youth Crew Socks 3-Pack
Rhino-Corn Junior Crew Socks 3-Pack
$15.50 each
https://www.sockshopandshoeco.com/products/my-dear-hedgehog-1
https://www.sockittome.com/products/sasquatch-campout-youth-crew-socks-3-pack-pyc0130
https://www.sockittome.com/products/rhino-corn-junior-crew-socks-3-pack-pjc0163
Make a Splash Crew Socks
$9.50 - $13
https://villagesockshop.com/products/sock-it-to-me-make-a-splash-kids-sock?variant=32179512606835
https://marrygrams.com/products/make-a-splash-elephant-womens-crew-socks
Gnarly Cute (Narwhal) for Kids
Sloth Grom for Kids
Nervous Rex for Kids
Under The Sea for Kids
Billy Goats for Kids
$6 each
https://www.socksmith.com/products/kids-sea-animal-socks-narwhal
https://www.socksmith.com/products/fun-kids-socks-sloth-grom
https://www.socksmith.com/products/kids-nervous-rex-socks
https://www.socksmith.com/products/kids-under-the-sea-socks
https://www.socksmith.com/products/kids-billy-goats-socks
Fortune Cat Coin Bank
$13.50
Mino-yaki-Five kinds of cat-dyed bean bowl gift box set
$34.04
https://en.pinkoi.com/product/2KEsdt2N
Old World Christmas - Koala Bear Ornament
$17.99
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/koala-bear-ornament
Old World Christmas - Polar Bear with Cub Ornament
$27.99
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/polar-bear-with-cub-ornament
Bastet Cat Statuette - Green
$34.99
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/bastet-cat-statuette-green
Bastet Mini Statuette
$17.99
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/bastet-mini-statuette
Anubis Reclining Statuette
$24.99
https://store.fieldmuseum.org/products/anubis-reclining-statuette
A giant statue of Anubis:
Stone owls:
Wild Republic Mysteries of Atlantis, Octopus
$12.99
https://www.amazon.com/WILD-REPUBLIC-Mysteries-Atlantis-Recycled/dp/B0BYGRQ39V
There was also a selection of gift shop items for the Bloodsuckers special exhibit. Your mileage may vary on just how "cute" they are, but they are certainly interesting:
Bats: An Illustrated Guide to All Species
by Marianne Taylor (Author), Merlin Tuttle (Photographer)
$23.03
https://www.amazon.com/Bats-Illustrated-Guide-All-Species/dp/1588346471
The Bat (Disgusting Critters)
by Elise Gravel
$6.99 (paperback); $9.09 (hardback)
https://www.amazon.com/Bat-Disgusting-Critters-Elise-Gravel/dp/0735266506
Bats!: Strange and Wonderful
by Laurence Pringle (Author), Meryl Learnihan Henderson (Illustrator)
$9.99 (paperback); $15.59 (hardback)
https://www.amazon.com/Bats-Strange-Wonderful-Laurence-Pringle/dp/1590787811
GIANTMicrobes Plush: Mosquito
OUT OF STOCK
https://collectiblewildlifegifts.com/mosquito-very-nice-plush-insect-with-4-minis-in-zippered-pouches-14-f1572b606/
GIANTMicrobes Plush: Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)
$12.95
https://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/flea.html
GIANTMicrobes Plush: Leech (Hirudo medicinalis)
$7.95
https://www.amazon.com/GIANTmicrobes-Leech-Hirudo-medicinalis-Plush/dp/B00XNFV3FA
GIANTMicrobes Plush: Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
$12.95
https://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/tick.html
GIANTMicrobes Plush: Mosquito (Culex pipiens)
$12.95
https://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/mosquito.html
GIANTMicrobes Plush: Louse (Pediculus capitis)
$12.95
https://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/louse.html
GIANTMicrobes Plush: Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius)
$12.95
https://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/bedbug.html
