To this observer, this gargantuan museum is the best of the Museum Campus lot. Besides having excellent and diverse permanent collections, the Field Museum of Natural History has been able to present blockbuster special exhibitions ranging from Egyptian relics to baseball to chocolate.

The museum has occupied its current neo-classical building since 1921. The noted architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, completed this building after initial plans were started in 1912 by its predecessor firm, D. H. Burnham and Company. The museum was originally founded as part of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 to display a vast collection of anthropological and biological items. The museum admits to holding over twenty million specimens, hence its ongoing building expansion program.

The grand central hall of the museum, which can be reached via the north or south entrance, rises to a height of 76 feet. The unofficial mascot of today's Field Museum is Sue, the largest and best-preserved T-Rex skeleton to be unearthed. Next on the prominence list is the Inside Ancient Egypt exhibit, with a few mummies and other finds. The central hall also holds a couple of captivating totem poles. Although a bit stiff, the colorful displays of animals and plants from around the world are fun to see for the kids.

Besides McDonald's and Corner Bakery, the museum actually has basement seating that seems to promote self-catering for families and school groups. There are quite a few vending machines, and I imagine you could pack your own picnic lunch if so desired.

The museum's store has a colorful assortment of items for sale.

This is not the largest museum in the world by any means, and its focus is very definitely on natural history and archaeology. You won't see any art exhibits here, for example. Unlike, say, the Louvre in Paris, it's a museum that you can explore quite well in a couple of hours - you would not spend the day here, and it's not a place you can get lost in.

It does have things that you might not see elsewhere, though - namely, the huge dinosaur fossils (Sue and a couple of others), and a really interesting Native American permanent side-exhibition, which was my personal favourite. It's also a nice walk to get there - it's in a good spot with nice surrounding grounds.

Einstein is the major feature at the Field Museum, on display from October 17, 2003 through January 19, 2004. Plan for about two hours, if you like to see museum exhibits thoroughly. There is a lot of writing that you will want to read to experience it to the fullest. Even with the audio tour we spent two hours, because we needed to re-learn Einstein's theories which are all covered.

Einstein forever changed the way we look at the universe through his insight and creativity. He made us look at light, time, energy and gravity in a different way, making him the most famous scientist of the 20th century. What you forget is that he was not just a brilliant man, but a man with a generous imagination, because it was his imagination which helped him develop these theories.

In addition to understanding his theories, the exhibit also allows the visitor to learn more about Einstein the man. You'll see photographs, personal possessions, letters, multimedia displays and original manuscripts documenting his life. Included in the exhibit is the 1912 document in which Einstein first drafted his special theory of relativity and wrote the famous equation E=MC squared. You get to see the equation written in his own hand.

In addition to being a scientist, Einstein was also a humanitarian and anti-war activist. Born a Jew in Germany, Einstein lived in several countries before moving to the United States. Since he traveled constantly, he truly considered himself a citizen of the world. Einstein used his celebrity status to speak out on global issues including pacifism, racism, anti-Semitism, nuclear disarmament and more.

The letters, notebooks and manuscripts presented in this exhibition include his correspondence with political figures (like Franklin Delano Roosevelt about nuclear research), his diaries and his family letters to his wives.

I suggest purchasing the Curator's Audio Tour for an additional $5.00. The audio tour is narrated by the curator who happens to be an astrophysicst. When he first introduced himself I was concerned that it would be over my head, but he does an excellent job bringing complicated theories down to a layman's level. As you stop along the way to visit pieces of the exhibit, you hear extra information about his personal life and political relationships as well as scientific experts explain Einstein's theories.

The Field Museum also offers several public programs in conjunction with this exhibit. Explore the mysteries of black holes, Einstein's FBI file, and more through dynamic speaker events. The kids can have fun with Einstein's theories in hands-on family workshops.

This is a great place to take the kids to learn all kinds of things. There were underwater animal exhibits, animals from around the world and here in the US. Sue, the T-rex is at home here and it's rather impressive to see and read about her.

A big hint for homeschooling families, admission is free for teachers, so make sure to prove you homeschool the kids and you'll get in free. There was lots to see and do and it was worth the admission.

Parking is $7.75 and they wanted to 'search' your bag as you entered the museum. They looked in my camera case, but didn't ask my husband to empty his pockets. The 'search' didn't make much sense!

The field Museum is a great place for all ages. Although I enjoy museums, my companion for this trip doesn't, he thinks museums are boring. The field Museum changed his mind not only was the artwork displayed excellent it was very attention grabbing. He loved it and now wants to vist again.