The Field Museum of Natural History: Tickets

The Field Museum of Natural History Tickets and Information

‍

• The Field Museum of Natural History Address: 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, IL, 60605, Chicago
• Opening Hours: Daily from 09:00 - 17:00

‍

Is The Field Museum of Natural History Worth Visiting

• This is a must, in our opinion, yes.
• Full of fascinating artefacts
• A great place to take kids.

‍

What Visitors See At The Field Museum of Natural History

• Thousands of artefacts
• Dinosaur skeletons
• Scientific discoveries
• Mummies
• Gemstones
• And MUCH more!

‍

About The Field Museum of Natural History

The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago is one of the largest and most renowned natural history museums in the world! It offers you a deep dive into natural history, anthropology, and environmental science with its collection of over 40 million specimens and artefacts, which cover everything from ancient cultures to modern ecosystems! A truly fascinating place to visit and something for all ages to enjoy, so it's a great place to visit as a family.

Due to it's vast collection, the museum is set-up over various sections, which is useful as it means you can concentrate on the section that most interest you!

Some of the most popular are:

Griffin Hall of Evolving Planet & Sue the T. rex

• Home to the world-famous SUE the T.Rex in the Elizabeth Morse Genius Hall of Dinosaurs. It's one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons ever discovered and a major attraction at the museum. A must-see for anyone visiting!
• In this section you can find some of the creatures that have lived on earth over the course of its history. From single-cell organisms through to dinosaurs and various fossils!
• The section also has animated videos and interactive displays that tell you the story of history and our evolution.

The Grainger Hall of Gems

• A fascinating and incredible collection of more than 600 gemstones in their natural form, and their various stages. The collection was actually started when the World Fair's president purchased the Tiffany & Co collection that was on show at the World Fair in 1893 and then donated the collection to what was the then new Chicago Natural History Museum! The section includes jewellery from around the world. It’s not just for gem enthusiasts, the exhibit is genuinely fascinating. One of the interesting bits is seeing how gemstone are found in their raw form, before they are cut and polished and set, and the displays show all stages -raw - cut, polished and then set. So you can see how it’s found and then how it ends up sparkling as a piece of jewellery! ‍

‍Inside Ancient Egypt Exhibit

• ‍‍In this section you can find mummies, artefacts, and replica tombs. The section offers a glimpse into life and death in ancient Egypt. The collection includes more than 20 human mummies and 30 animal mummies. The museum has also built a replica ancient Egyptian marketplace, which was designed based on scenes depicted on real tomb walls, which suggests how life was in ancient Egypt.

Ronald and Christina Gidwitz The Hall of Birds

• This section features an extensive collection (more than 530,000 specimens now) of birds from across the globe. It's not just birds though, but also includes eggs and nests and is thought to cover around 90% of bird species on the planet.

Grainger Science Hub

• A favourite amongst the younger visitors, this section shows specimens that are normally locked away! The Grainger Science Hub rotates the selection on show to ensure returning visitors (of which there are many!) get a fresh view! You can get up close to specimens in this section. For example take a closer look at fungi and meteorite specimens!

Meteorites (in the Grainger Gallery)

• Another firm favourite! This section has real life meteorites on display. Science can tell us so much about the fragments of meteorites that make it to earth. This section will shed a bit of light on some of them!

‍

Other sections include:

• Abbots Hall of Conservation: Restoring Earth
• Africa
• Audubon’s Birds of America
• Bloodsuckers: Legends of Leeches (additional ticket required)
• Elizabeth Hubert Malott Hall of Jades
• Nature Walk & Messages from the Wilderness
• Plants of the Wild, amongst others.

The museum is an absolute must, in our opinion. A place where kids' minds can open and see the potential. Calling all future scientists!

‍

Interesting Facts About The Field Museum of Natural History‍

• The Field Museum: is named after Marshall Field, the Chicago department store magnate who was a major benefactor having donated $1 million to help fund its construction. His vision was to create a museum that would inspire the public and advance scientific understanding.
• Home to SUE the T. rex: The Field Museum houses the most complete and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered. Named SUE after its discoverer, Sue Hendrickson, this T. rex is one of the museum's most famous exhibits.
• Massive Collection: The museum's collection includes over 40 million artefacts and specimens which range from fossils to cultural artefacts, making it one of the largest natural history collections in the world.
• Historic Origins: The Field Museum was established in 1893, originally as part of the World’s Columbian Exposition. It was created to house the biological and anthropological collections amassed for the Exposition.
• Titanosaur: In 2018, a massive titanosaur named Máximo was unveiled in the museum's main hall. Máximo is the largest dinosaur ever displayed at the museum, measuring about 122 feet long.
• Underground Collections: Beneath the museum lies a vast network of storage rooms and laboratories. This hidden space is where millions of specimens are preserved and studied by scientists from around the world.
• Pioneering Exhibits: The museum is known for its innovative exhibits. In 1921, it opened the world's first-ever exhibit dedicated to a single cultural group, focusing on the Aztecs.