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.

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.

It is a spacious and well run museum. The gift shopps and bathrooms are well organized. The docents are well informed. We visit this museum every trip to Chicago.

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 was fun but we went toward the end of the day and I was a bit tired and not in the mood for big crowds. The first thing you see upon walking into the main hall is Sue, the enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex which is worth the price of admission all by itself. There is some good educational writings on the T Rex around the base and it gives you a great perspective of its size since it is placed right next to two large elephants that were stuffed a few decades ago.

There is enough here for an eight hour visit but we had only 2. The other thing I wanted to mention is the extraordinary ancient Egypt exhibit. They actually took a real tomb apart and reassembled it right in the museum. There are lots of artifacts from hieroglyphics on the stone walls to real mummified Egyptians as well as jewelry and furniture. I was amazed by this exhibit but the crowds in the lower level were a real turn off. If you go to the Field Museum, go early and start with the Egyptian temple. Many of the upper level exhibits get scant attention and can be viewed later.

The upper floors house the great jade collection as well as really excellent exhibits on flora, butterflies, meteors, papa New Guinea, Tahiti, precious stones, fossils etc. Lots to see and absorb. Here is a link www.fmnh.org