Field Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s largest natural history museums. It has extensive, high quality, artifact and specimen collections whose diversity ranges both in age, from the earlies times to the present, and in cultures, coming from all around the world. These, along with the scientific and educational programs, have allowed it to attract a sizable amount of visitors annually.
History
The story of the museum began in 1893 when the its idea was promoted as a result of the World’s Columbian Exposition that was held in Chicago. There was a need to house the exhibits and collections presented at this fair.
The museum was funded by Marshal Field, hence the name of The Field Museum, after being convinced by Edward Ayer. He contributed the sum of $1,000,000. Smaller donations were made in the form of money or exposition stock which made up for an additional one half of the original amount.
Through the years, the museum held various names and had been housed in various locations throughout Chicago. Nowadays, it is located in Chicago Park District property near downtown, and is part of Chicago’s lakefront Museum Campus that includes the John G. Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium.
Exhibitions
There are plenty of exhibitions on at the museum and it is often the case where you’ll need to spend most of the day here in order to see everything. School parties arrive here from all over Illinois and spend several hours at a time perusing the special events, seeing the 3D Tyrannosaurus Rex, and getting up close and personal with the largest, most complete dinosaur of its kind.
Among the other exhibits at the museum is the descent into an ancient Egyptian tomb. Here you will witness a huge collection of mummies and other artifacts from a civilization long since passed. The Underground Adventure Experience allows the visitor to shrink to the size of an ant and you get to see what it’s like from the point of view of a bug. Here you wander through a strange realm where a simple blade of grass appears the size of a medium-sized tree.
Another amazing exhibition at the Field Museum is the First Emperor of China and his bodyguards we know as the Terracotta Warriors. These were made to guard his tomb for the rest of eternity.
There is even plenty to do for the little ones as you educate them with science in the Crown Family Play Laboratory. We also hear so much these days about DNA and how it has been used to solve crime, identify who we are and makes us what we are. The Field Museum has a DNA Discovery Center where one could learn a lot about it.
Visiting the museum
Location
Located in Chicago’s South Lake Shore Drive, it sits elegantly on the waterfront in the heart of campus district and is very easily accessible by public transport, car or bicycle.
Tickets and hours
The Field Museum is open every day (except Christmas Day) from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The basic admission price into the museum is $22 ($15 for children). Seniors and students can gain admission for $19. There are also some special discovery passes that will allow you to see the Terracotta Warriors display – these are priced at $31 for adults, $22 for kids and $26 for pensioners and students. The all-access passes are priced at $38 for adults, $26 for children and $32 for seniors and students. The all-access pass allows you to see the entire museum including the amazing Terracotta Warriors display.