Field Museum of Natural History

Frommer's Review

Is it any wonder that Steven Spielberg thought the Field Museum of Natural History was a suitable home turf for the intrepid archaeologist and adventurer hero of his Indiana Jones movies? Spread over the museum's 9 acres of floor space are scores of permanent and temporary exhibitions -- some interactive but most requiring the old-fashion skills of observation and imagination.

Navigating all the disparate exhibits can be daunting, so start out in the grand Stanley Field Hall, which you enter from the north or south end. Standing proudly at the north side is the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever unearthed. The museum acquired the specimen -- named Sue for the paleontologist who discovered it in South Dakota in 1990 -- for a cool $8.4 million after a high-stakes bidding war. The real skull is so heavy that a lighter copy had to be mounted on the skeleton; the actual one is on display nearby.

Families should head downstairs for two of the most popular kid-friendly exhibits. The pieces on display in Inside Ancient Egypt came to the museum in the early 1900s, after researchers in Saqqara, Egypt, excavated two of the original chambers from the tomb of Unis-ankh, son of the Fifth Dynasty ruler Pharaoh Unis. The mastaba (tomb) of Unis-ankh forms the core of a spellbinding exhibit that realistically depicts scenes from Egyptian funeral, religious, and other social practices. Visitors can explore aspects of the day-to-day world of ancient Egypt, viewing 23 actual mummies and realistic burial scenes, a living marsh environment and canal works, the ancient royal barge, a religious shrine, and a reproduction of a typical marketplace of the period. Many of the exhibits allow hands-on interaction, and there are special activities for kids, such as making parchment from living papyrus plants. Also for kids: Crown Family PlayLab was opened in September 2007. It is an interactive area for children where kids can discover fossils, put on a play, and explore a woodland diarama.

Next to the Egypt exhibit, you'll find Underground Adventure, a "total immersion environment" populated by giant robotic earwigs, centipedes, wolf spiders, and other subterranean critters. The Disneyesque exhibit is a big hit with kids, but -- annoyingly -- carries an extra admission charge ($7 on top of regular admission).

You might be tempted to skip the "peoples of the world" exhibits, but trust me, some are not only mind-opening but also great fun. Traveling the Pacific, hidden up on the second floor, is definitely worth a stop. Hundreds of artifacts from the museum's oceanic collection re-create scenes of island life in the South Pacific (there's even a full-scale model of a Maori meetinghouse). Africa, an assemblage of African artifacts and provocative interactive multimedia presentations, takes viewers to Senegal, a Cameroon palace, the wildlife-rich savanna, and on a "virtual" journey aboard a slave ship to the Americas. Native Chicagoans will quickly name two more signature highlights: the taxidermies of Bushman (a legendary lowland gorilla that made international headlines while at the city's Lincoln Park Zoo) and the Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo (the pair of male lions that munched nearly 140 British railway workers constructing a bridge in East Africa in 1898; their story is featured in the film The Ghost and the Darkness).

The museum books special traveling exhibits (recent blockbusters included shows on King Tut and ancient Pompeii), but be forewarned: The high-profile exhibits are usually crowded and -- again -- have an additional admission charge. A much better deal is a free tour of the museum highlights; tours begin daily at 11am and 2pm.

When you're ready to take a break, the Corner Bakery cafe, just off the main hall, serves food a cut above the usual museum victuals (to avoid lunchtime lines, pick up a premade salad or sandwich). Allow 3 hours.

Coming Soon:The Granger Hall of Gems, which will be ready in October 2009, is being renovated now.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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