Field Museum of Natural History
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The Field Museum of Natural History, in Chicago, Illinois, USA, sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as Museum Campus Chicago.
The architecture of this building typifies the style initiated by the World's Columbian Exposition of the 1890s. It was named the Columbian Museum of Chicago on September 16, 1893, but renamed after Marshall Field, a donor, in 1905. The museum was originally housed in the structure now occupied by the Museum of Science and Industry. The current location is a building that opened in 1921. The museum was the site of the 1997 movie "The Relic"
For some years in the 1950s and 1960s it was officially known as the "Chicago Natural History Museum", but eventually the still-popular name "Field Museum" was restored.
The Museum is organized into four major departments: Anthropology, Zoology, Botany, and Geology.
Some prized exhibits at The Field Museum include:
- Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex [fossil skeleton] currently known.
- A comprehensive set of human cultural anthropology exhibits, including artifacts from ancient Egypt, the Pacific Northwest, and Tibet.
- A large and diverse taxidermy collection featuring many large animals, including two prized African elephants, and the infamous Lions of Tsavo featured in the 1996 movie "The Ghost and the Darkness".
Sue the Dinosaur
![Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex [fossil skeleton] currently known.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sue_at_Field_Museum.jpg "Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex [fossil skeleton] currently known.")
On May 17, 2000 the Field Museum unveiled Sue, the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossil yet discovered. Sue is 45 feet long, stands 13 feet high at the hips and is 67 million years old. The fossil was named Sue after the paleontologist who found it — Sue Hendrickson. Sue is a permanent feature at the Field Museum. Sue's body is located on the main floor in the Stanley Field Hall. Her head was too heavy to be mounted on the rest of the body, so it is located on a second floor balcony. There is no additional charge to see the exhibit.
Research and Education
The Field Museum is a leader in international research. The Museum currently has over 20 million specimens in its collections. It is currently working on digitizing its collection so that other scientists and the public have better access to specimens. Other work includes a joint effort between Chicago, London, and Baghdad to catalog artifacts located at the three museums that came from Kish, which is a 5,000 year old city south of Baghdad. The Museum's library comprises more than 250,000 volumes.
The Harris Educational Loan Program began in 1911. It works with area schools and families to increase education. Hundreds of items can be borrowed from the Program by teachers and parents for use outside the Museum.
Permanent Exhibits
There are many permanent exhibits located at the Field Museum for the public to enjoy. Many animal specimens are on display in the Nature Walk, Mammals of Asia, Mammals of Africa, and several other exhibits. Visitors can get an up close look at the different habitats that hundreds of animals live in.
The Grainger Hall of Gems features a large collection of diamonds and gems from around the world, even a Tiffany stained glass window. The Hall of Jades focuses on the way that the Chinese used Jade for eight thousand years.
Two laboratories in the museum can be viewed by the public through glass windows. In the McDonald's Prep Lab the public can watch as paleontologists prepare real fossils for study. The Regenstein Laboratory is a 1,600 square foot conservation and collections facility. Visitors can watch as conservators work to preserve and study objects from all over the world.
Underground Adventure 'shrinks' visitors to the size of a penny. They will get to see what insects and soil look like from that size. School groups and families will learn about the soil's biodiversity and the importance of healthy soil. There is an additional charge to see the exhibit.
Inside Ancient Egypt offers a glimpse into what life was like for ancient Egyptians. Twenty-three human mummies are on display, as well as many animal mummies. The Exhibit features a tomb that visitors can go in - complete with 5,000 year old hieroglyphs. There are many interactive displays for both children and adults.
The Museum has a Native American exhibit, with totem poles and traditional costumes. The area is partially under construction, but many artifacts are still on display. Located within the exhibit is the newly reconstructed Pawnee Earth Lodge. Visitors to the lodge will learn what life was like for the Pawnee. It has proven to be one of the largest attractions for the Museum, especially for school groups.
The Museum's newest permanent exhibit, Evolving Planet (formerly Life Over Time), utilizes the museum's extensive fossil collection in order to present both the history and the evolution of life on earth over 4 billion years, from the first organism to present day life. Contained within this exhibit are the murals of Charles R. Knight, the first artist to capture dinosaurs in as life-like a manner as was possible in his time (the 20-ft mural Triceratops vs. Tyrannosaurus is familiar worldwide). Also featured is an expanded dinosaur hall with dinosaurs from every era, as well as interactive displays that can be more easily updated as paleontologists make new discoveries in the field.
Other exhibits include exhibits on Tibet and China where visitors can view traditional clothing. There is an exhibit on life in Africa, where visitors can learn about the many different cultures on the continent, and an exhibit where visitors may visit several Pacific Islands. The museum houses an authentic 19th century Māori Meeting House, Ruatepupuke, from Tokomoru Bay, New Zealand.