Field Museum of Natural History Museum

Address: 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605, USA

Website: https://www.fieldmuseum.org/

The Field Museum of Natural History is a major natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1893 and known for its extensive scientific collections and public exhibits.

The museum holds millions of specimens across paleontology, geology and anthropology and features large permanent halls. One of the most famous displays is the mounted Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as SUE, presented in a prominent fossil gallery. Additional highlights include large cultural collections and gem and mineral displays that are arranged in distinct exhibition halls.

The museum originated from collections assembled for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and developed into a public research institution and exhibition museum over the late 19th and 20th centuries. Its collections and exhibition program have expanded continuously to support scientific research, education and rotating public exhibitions.

Situated on Chicago’s Museum Campus along Lake Michigan, the museum sits near Grant Park and Soldier Field, just south of downtown Chicago and easily reached by public transit and pedestrian routes.

• SUE: Home to one of the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons, an iconic single-object highlight for many visitors.
• Museum Campus location: Located on Chicago’s Museum Campus adjacent to Soldier Field and the lakefront, making it convenient to combine with other museums and parks.
• Rotating exhibits: Large research collections are not fully on public display; special exhibits and rotating displays change seasonally, so check the museum schedule before visiting.

What to See#

• Major exhibition halls: Permanent halls include a large evolution gallery that traces life from early fossils to dinosaurs and mammals, a gem and minerals gallery with notable specimens, and a major exhibition space that houses the mounted T. rex known as SUE.
• SUE (T. rex): The mounted T. rex specimen SUE is on display as one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever found and is a central draw of the museum’s paleontology collection.
• Anthropology galleries: The museum also maintains extensive anthropological and archaeological collections representing cultures from around the world, with dedicated displays for Ancient Egypt and the Americas.

The Field Museum is on Chicago’s Museum Campus at 1400 S Lake Shore Drive next to Soldier Field. Take the CTA Red Line to Roosevelt station and walk east/southeast across Roosevelt Road into the Museum Campus (about a 10-15 minute walk). By car it’s 2-4 miles south of the Loop via Lake Shore Drive-take the Roosevelt/11th Street exit and follow signs for Museum Campus parking.

• Buy timed-entry tickets online and head first to the Stanley Field Hall to see SUE the T. rex before crowds build-special exhibits also require advance booking and can command long lines.
• Visit on weekday mornings right at opening to avoid school-group rushes (late mornings and weekends are busiest), and plan your route so you hit the popular permanent exhibits early and quieter anthropology displays later.
• Use the museum's map to prioritize large, time-consuming exhibits (dinosaur halls, Ancient Egypt) and check for scheduled feeds/demonstrations so you don't miss short programs that many visitors overlook.