I think the Field Museum is an okay place to visit. I think I went here expecting a lot of neat things, but was disappointed to find that this museum was costly and not really all that interesting. The exhibits that were included in the base price were really not that great and anything that seemed unique and interesting cost more. They had a bunch of exhibits, but nothing really outstanding or mind boggling. The one thing I did like here was the jewels room, which housed many precious and priceless jewels and stones. If you are visiting here, make sure to bring along your student ID, because it will save you a few dollars on admission. There is also a McDonalds in the basement of this place for those of you looking for something to eat as you browse.

I'm going to be honest on this one...the Field Museum wasn't my favorite place. I found it a bit boring, I mean how many stuffed birds and bugs can you look at? I think it was placed very conveniently near the Aquarium, Planetarium, and Soldier Field. I would pass on this one...I know it's one of the gems of Chicago, but it was a disappointment for me.

One of the greatest historical museums in the World, the Field Museum is a must for any tourist to pass through Chicago. It houses several galleries of exhibits, some limited exclusives. Millions of authentic and original artifacts you may see here within this Greco-Roman style museum. There is something for everyone, from rooms filled with priceless gems and precious stones set on black velvet to adventures through Egypt, complete with real cased mummies and carefully preserved papyrus. It will take weeks to make a thorough tour.

What struck me on first entering was the peculiar smell. This enormous building, because it has held so many artifacts from the past, has taken on an ancient aroma to add to its beautiful atmosphere. There was never a moment when this place didn't surprise me in its authenticity.

The exclusives in 2002 were exhibits on the history of pearls and chocolate. Millions of pearls, from a queen's crown and scepter to the crude, unprocessed thing itself lined the walls. Going back to Moctezuma's Mexico to experience the chocolate of then was fascinating. I remember a model cacao tree inside, this being my chief interest as a chocoholic.

Because I am an artist, I particularly loved the stuffed animal gallery, the "Nature Walk". This is a HUGE gallery filled with exotics around the world. Everything to an artists and animal lovers heart is in here.

Exhibits on culture, science, history can all be found in the Field.

Polar Thaw: Global Warming in the Artic is on display at the Field Museum from September 23, 2003 through November 16, 2003. This is a photographic exhibit which helps the visitor discover the environmental consequences of global warming. Color photos from the Arctic and Antarctic are displayed.

Gary Braasch is the nationally recognized photographer who documented the effects on the Earth's slowly increasing temperatures. The result of increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other heat traps gases in the atmosphere and causes global warming. The exhibition features over 30 beautiful images which demonstrate the impact of the climate change on the icy landscapes of the Arctic and Antarctic. Their inhabitants, including polar bears, caribou, penguins, and humans are also photographed.

While we all know about the effects of global warming, they do not hit home too often because they affect places so far away. There are photos of fjords which have receded hundreds of feet from where they were only 30 years ago. We see the pictures of penguins that keep coming to the same nesting ground due to years of habit. These grounds are no longer good for their eggs and are covered with snow. The penguins lay their eggs in the snow anyway and the eggs never hatch.

You can expect to learn a few things as well. One interesting fact I learned was about some beetles that destroy trees. Since the weather is not as cold as it used to be, their larvae live longer and are not killed off by the cold. These larvae grow into beetles and have destroyed the trees in the region.

I love the pictures of the animals and land that are exhibited. Reading the captions, you wonder how many more years these environments will be around.

Eviction and Homecoming: The Story of Brazil's Panara Indians is on display at the Field Museum from September 12, 2003 through February 8, 2004. This photographic exhibit allows visitors to follow this indigenous community's triumphant struggle to reclaim their homeland and cultural identity.

The photographs document the inspiring story of the of the Panara Indians who live in the rainforests of Brazil. The Panara had little contact with the industrialized world when they were approached by the Villas Boas brothers, two men hired by the Brazilian government in its efforts to clear the path for a Transamazonian highway. This contact with new people exposed them to their diseases and consequently, the Panara population dropeed to 50% in about three years. In 1973, the surviving members were relocated from the forests to a reservation, where they tried unsuccessfully to rebuild their way of life.

Two decades later, some of the Panara discovered that a portion of their original territory was not destroyed to develop the highway, and was still covered with forests. After a landmark court battle, the Panara were allowed to reclaim the rights to 1.2 million acres of their rainforest homeland. They returned to build a new village and begin again, while facing challenges of the newer generation who were not accustomed to the remote lifestyle.

The photographs of Pedro Martinelli tell the Panara story. In his black and white photographs, Martinelli captured the civilized world's first glimpse of the Panara (including pictures from that first meeting), their decimation from disease, the anguish of forced relocation, and the hope that came with the return to their beloved homeland. The writing next to each photograph is very thorough and explains the situation in detail.

The range of pictures involved is varied. The exhibit starts out with pictures of the workers clearing the forests for the highways. At this point, no contact with the Panara had been made. The men left clotheslines strung up with various gifts including food and other items. The Panara took the items, but no one ever saw them. The first time the men saw the Panara was from a plane flying over their village. The Panara shot arrows at the plane and you can see pictures of this event. The Panara were worried that they were found and moved away and burned their village to the ground.

There is also a film at the end of the exhibit which recaps the experience and contains interviews with some of the people involved.