Field Museum of Natural History

On Sunday I went to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. I took over 400 pictures of the inside of the museum, but I want to start with pictures of the outside so you can see how big it is. This is just one of three such museums devoted to the natural sciences that sit on Chicago's 57-acre lakefront Museum Campus. The other two are the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium. These are all named after famous Chicago millionaires of the early 20th century who donated generously to the city so we can now enjoy this egghead crap. The Field Museum is in fact named for its first benefactor, Marshall Field... then President of Marshall Fields, the offspring of Potter Palmer's dry goods store (now Macy's *FUMES WITH RAGE*)

These three institutions are regarded as among the finest of their kind in the world and together attract more visits annually than any comparable site in Chicago. In 2006, the Field Museum was the number one cultural attraction in Chicago but surrendered the title in 2007 to the Shedd Aquarium. You get the idea... this is a popular place for Chicago and the world.

The museum was founded in 1893 for the World's Columbian Exposition AKA the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. It was housed in the Palace of Fine Arts until 1921 when it was moved to its present location. The original building in Hyde Park, several miles to the south, now houses Chicago's famous Museum of Science and Industry.

I'll get photos of the inside of the museum and some of the exhibit halls in future blog articles.