Today I wanted to share with you a bit about the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL.

I have visited there many times and our family has a year's membership there as well. I figure, if I have to live in the north, I need to start appreciating what it has to offer.

And the Field Museum has a lot to offer..

For starters, it is located on the shore of Lake Michigan and has a wonderful view
of Soldier Field where the Chicago Bears have their home.

It offers a Members Only evening where members have the museum to themselves and see behind the scenes where visitors rarely go. Last year, we got to see a taxidermist stuffing a wild cat. It was pretty gross, but the kids thought it was cool.

This year, they have a new exhibit, Evolving Planet, which "takes visitors on an awe-inspiring journey through 4 billion years of life on Earth, from single-celled organisms to towering dinosaurs and our extended human family. Unique fossils, animated videos, hands-on interactive displays, and recreated sea- and landscapes help tell the compelling story of evolution—the single process that connects everything that’s ever lived on Earth". Sounds pretty interesting and I can't wait to see it.

Sue, the T-rex, has her home at the Field Museum. Sue is real. Her skeleton consists of "the fossilized bones of the single largest, most complete, and best preserved T. rex fossil yet discovered".


One thing I want to see before it leaves Chicago is the Pompeii, stories from an Eruption exhibit.

The museum is located on a campus with the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium, giving visitors plenty of options.

So, if y'all ever find yourself in Chicago (not speaking about you Chicagoans who frequent my blog and are in the city anyway), I promise there will be something for every member of your family to do.

I have to admit...Chicago is a pretty interesting place to visit, even for a country gal like me. But y'all don't tell anyone I said that or I'll smack ya' upside the head. ;)

** Pompeii photo courtesy of the Field Museum website. All other photos were taken by the author, moi.