The Field Museum

Part of the Chicago’s Museum Campus on the lake, the Field Museum of Natural History developed from the city’s World Columbian Exhibition in 1893. The Field Museum’s neo-classical building holds exhibits devoted to the natural sciences and anthropology – think mummies, wooly mammoths, and fossils.

The main lobby is home to the museum’s unofficial mascot, “Sue,” the best-preserved and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever found. The soaring lobby gives access to two floors, with exhibits split into categories such as mammals in their habitats, ancient Egypt, and the cultures of different parts of the world. Working laboratories are viewable to the public, letting visitors spy in on scientists as they actually work on preserving fossils and extracting DNA.

Revolving exhibitions at the Field Museum have had themes ranging from Genghis Khan to chocolate. Two King Tut exhibits – one in 1977 and the other in 2006 – brought in millions of visitors to see mummies and treasures rarely seen outside of Egypt.

Basic admission to the Field Museum is $15 for adults, with special exhibitions and visits to the 3-D movie theater costing extra. An all-access pass to the museum is $29 for adults. The museum has a café, and all parking is in the Soldier Field lot.