Ages ago – I think before Christmas even, Kiwi and I had some time in Chicago and enjoyed walking along the Lake Shore. We also stopped in to visit the Field museum of natural history. The museum reminded me of the one in London and the Pitt Rivers/Natural history museum in Oxford- both worth visits if you are ever near by!

The fields museum had lofty spaces and big marble steps and pillars. We enjoyed a lazy day walking around and discussing the common form of museums and where this idea came from. At the entrance there is a great view of downtown Chicago and the lake. When you first walk in to the museum it smells like a museum – I love it, its like a combination of old books, floor polish and damp people! The main museum is centred around a huge atrium that contains some elephants and a T-Rex. Along the sides are balconies looking down and they have many exhibits off to the side, along with a few floors with lots of things to look at.

The main ‘exhibit’ here is the T-Rex. It’s huge and quite impressive. More baffling is the information attached to it. This isn’t an ordinary T-Rex. This is Sue, the T-Rex. Sue has a whole story about her life, and where in her second incarnation, as bones, she has visited. Its a bit baffling why Sue has been named, but she is the star attraction and certainly acts like it! Upstairs there is also a whole room of dinosaurs which is awesome! They had my favourites, a Diplodocus, and Triceratops.

If you are feeling extra cultural the museum is next door to the Shed aquarium which has a fascinating sculpture outside….