Day 2 of my Chicago adventures found me exploring the Field Museum. Located within the south loop, this area also has many of Chicago’s “must sees”: the Field Museum, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, (these 3 lakefront institutions occupies the 57-acre museum campus), museum of Contemporary Photography and Chinatown. And as I only had enough time to devote to one of these sights, I chose the Field Museum.
The Field Museum boasts a collection of more than 20 million artifacts and is considered one of the best in the US. The jewel in their crown is Sue the tyrannosaurus rex. Discovered in the hell Creek formation of western South Dakota in 1990, the 13th foot high by 42 ft long dinosaur is the largest, the most complete and the best preserved ever found. The dinosaur is named Sue, after Susan Hendrickson, the fossil hunter who discovered it, not because it was a female. The sex of the tyrannosaurus rex is unknown.
Fun fact: the head on the skeleton is a replica. The real skull, displayed nearby in the museum, weighs 600 pounds and therefore too heavy to mount on the body.
If you’re into dinosaurs, make sure to check out the dinosaur hall on the upper level. There are tons on display.
If you’re limited on time, like I was, hit up the best exhibits: evolving planet, the ancient Americas, Africa, and inside ancient Egypt, where 20 mummies and animals are on display.
This sculpture is of the kindly cat-goddess, Bastet. Much loved for her nature – strong, fertile and agile as a cat – the goddess Bastet also represents the warm, live-giving sun.
The Field Museum also had a special traveling exhibit: China’s First Emperors and His Terracotta Warriors. If I hadn’t already visited Xi’an in China and seen the terracotta warriors in the pits, I would’ve paid money to see the exhibit.
As it was a glorious day, I walked along the seawall by Lake Michigan, spied the Navy Pier in the distance and walked through Grant Park – one of the finest green spaces in Chicago – before coming up to Buckingham Fountain. I never would’ve thought Chicago was so green and pretty.
I ended the day with dinner in Wicker Park/Bucktown. The area is lively and boasts a lot of restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. It’s especially bustling along Wicker Park’s most famous intersection, ‘Six Corners’ – where North, Milwaukee and Damen streets come together.
I’m sure it’s a lot more fun people watching into the late evenings, but I usually miss out as I’m back at my AirBnB by then, curled up on the couch, watching Netflix, Hulu, Amazon TV, what have you. I haven’t done nightlife in years.
View more photos of my trip on my Flickr album.
Hours:
Daily: 9am-5pm | Closed Dec 25
Address:
1400 S Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, 60605
GPS coordinates: 41.866265, -87.6191692
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