THE FIELD MUSEUM
Through a collection of over 24 million objects, explore the past, present and future of the physical earth, its plants, animals, people and their cultures at this beloved Chicago institution.
Chicago's Field Museum, one of the world's great museums, is a treasure trove of natural history for you to uncover. Built to house the biological and anthropological collections assembled for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the museum's collection has grown to an astounding 24 million objects ranging from ancient mummies to exquisite gemstones, to endangered plants and animals.
The landmark building presides proudly over Chicago's lakefront museum campus and with 4.6 billion years under one roof, it's your passport to travel around the world and back in time.
FEATURED EXHIBITIONS
In 1940, four teenage friends stumbled upon the Lascaux cave in southern France and made the most incredible discovery. Nearly 2,000 paintings and engravings of animals lined the underground cave walls—highly sophisticated artwork made by the hands of our early ancestors almost 20,000 years ago. The new debut exhibit Scenes from the Stone Age: The Cave Paintings of Lascaux brings the thrill of that first discovery to the Field (March 20- September 8, 2013). Considered the premier example of Paleolithic art, these beautiful depictions of bison, deer, horses and other figures have been recreated as full-scale replicas through the use of modern technology. As you pass through the cave-like gallery, panels that are exact reproductions hauntingly come to life as they are illuminated by simulated torch lights.
If you've ever wondered who is that lies beneath a mummy's wrappings, your answer is on display like never before. Meet mummies #30007 and #11517 and see them morph into real people at Images of the Afterlife (June 8, 2012 - June 9, 2013). Still fully wrapped and in their coffins, discover how museum scientists used CT scans and the latest 3D imaging to reveal the mummies' age-old secrets. The surrounding wall projections and illuminated digital prints reveal the exact process for determining everything from the thickness of skin to the shape of eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Then see the measurements come alive through the hands of an artist as the centerpieces of the exhibit - hand-sculpted busts of King Tutankhamun and the two mummies - reveal a human side to these ancient remains.
Other temporary exhibits to look out for at The Field Museum include:
- Fashion and The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto
(September 14, 2012 – June 16, 2013) - Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence
(March 7 – September 8, 2013)
PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS
Unlock the secrets of the mysterious and mystical with Inside Ancient Egypt. Climb to the top of a tomb to see a mummy below and descend to find the aftermath of robbers. Then, read the Book of the Dead—a guide to the afterworld - surrounded by coffins and buried objects of gold, shell, and more.
Journey through 4 billion years of life on Earth in the Evolving Planet. You'll find unique fossils, hands-on interactive displays, and recreated sea- and landscapes that help tell the story of how we got here today.
Imagine living in an 800-year-old pueblo and sharing one room - cooking, eating and sleeping - with your whole family in The Ancient Americas. Then, shrink to less than an inch tall in Underground Adventure, where you can crawl inside a cicada skeleton to see and feel how tough it is to be a bug.
Discover gemstones that look like they came from other planets along with Tiffany & Co. pieces from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in the Grainger Hall of Gems. Don't miss the eye-popping 5,890-carat Chalmers topaz or any of the 600 gemstones and 150 pieces of jewelry on display.
Watch The Field's exhibitions come to life in the Ernst & Young 3-D Theater - Chicago's only completely digital 3-D theater. Or follow museum scientists as they study the diversity of life and team up to protect living treasures from Chicago to South America to Pacific coral reefs at Abbot Hall of Conservation Restoring Earth.
For little explorers, the immersive kid-friendly environment at Crown Family PlayLab has six themed play areas bursting with real artifacts and specimens for them to make their own discoveries, develop new skills and take on the role of scientist for a day. Dig up dinosaur bones, grind corn in a pueblo or put on an animal costume and crawl, hop and fly.
