Summer Bucket List: Chicago Field Museum – Dinos to Gem Stones

The grand, classical facade of the Field Museum is seen from below, with large columns, a wide staircase, and blue and white banners advertising "Africa Fashion" and "The Machine Inside: Biomechanics."

As my last summer as a student, I have made an extensive bucket list. The Chicago Field Museum was one of those items. A faint memory of going as a kid lingers in my mind. But as I really only had one or two memories left of a mummy and a big rock I knew I wanted to go back. So on sunny Monday I grabbed my mom and we took a trip to the museum.

The Chicago Field Museum is truly one of those museums where there is something for everyone. Not into animals? That’s fine, because they have gems. Dinosaurs are not your thing? (How could you do that to Sue,) but hey they have Egyptian tombs. Still unsure? They also have the evolution of humans from every part of the Earth. Every exhibit of course features cool stuff, but is also educational. So let’s dive into the air conditioned world of the Field Museum. 

A hand holds two "Field Museum" admission tickets with "ADMISSIONS DESK" visible on a sign above a hallway in the background.
Various mineral specimens, including a large reddish crystal and clear, complexly shaped crystals, are displayed in a brightly lit glass case within a museum.

I have quite a few favorite exhibits. The rocks and fine jewelry is one. They have giant diamonds, real meteors and so many other cool things. And they are just stunning to look at. As someone who collected stones as a kid I can appreciate a good rock. Not only do you get to admire them, but also learn a lot.

Now the field museum also has a wide range of stuffed animals. No, not the kind we had as kids, but real animals preserved by taxidermists. It’s almost like going to a zoo! They have whole set ups of habitats from many different countries. The animals look like they could be alive. You never truly realize how big some of these creatures are until you are standing 2 inches away.

A close-up of a striped zebra taxidermy mount is visible in a museum exhibit, with a ram taxidermy mount partially visible behind it.
A museum display features numerous mounted bird specimens of various species, arranged on branches and stands, with informational text panels on the background wall.<br />

My favorite animal exhibit though is the birds. They have a whole section of birds from all around the world featuring tiny hummingbirds to huge cranes. From fake habitat enclosures to walls of different varieties and species. You don’t realize how small some of them are! Or just how many different species there are of each type.

Two women wearing glasses smile at the camera inside a large, brightly lit museum hall with high ceilings, while a dinosaur skeleton is visible in the background.<br />

So I’m very serious when I say you can find something here. You may need to take a well needed lunch break to get the museum done in one day. And don’t forget to visit Sue the T-Rex too. The pride and joy of the Field Museum!

                                    ~Sienna

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