PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

If your only experience at the Field Museum is with your fourth grade class, then you and your family are sorely missing out! Besides getting up close and personal with Sue, the most complete T Rex skeleton in the world, there are so many wonderful exhibits to explore, with lots of hands on stuff to keep the kids busy for hours on end. Be sure to bring the stroller, the comfy shoes and pack a lunch, because this place is probably bigger than you remember!

Besides the dinosaurs, the ancient Egyptian exhibit, complete with a real wrapped mummy, is very, very cool, with lots of hands on features! The entrance to that exhibit And yes, the precious gem exhibit is a great way to get your bling on while the kids marvel at all the shiny things right there with you! Of course, be sure to check their web site beforehand, to see if the featured exhibit is something you and your family would be interested in.

As far as food goes, there’s pricey vending machine fare, a McDonald’s and a Corner Bakery, but personally, I suggest to brown bag it and eat by the free picnic tables down by the narwhal display, timed when the field trippers are absent. Somehow, it just takes me back to when I was a kid, with my can of fruit punch wrapped up in tin foil, trading off half of my PB & J for a snack pack. That, and it’s a guarantee the kids in tow will get some reasonably priced nutrition in there, while spending some good bonding and down time together. Ah yes, it’s nostalgia at its finest!

Since school children tend to monopolize the museum in the early fall and late spring, and the tourists come in droves in the summer, on holidays and during winter breaks, plan your day around them all. If at all possible, go on a week day or when they offer extended hours, so you all can truly enjoy your visit.

Free parking is available by the meters on Sundays, but since they’re in high demand, you need to get down there early to scoop one up! There is also a cash lot nearby, with cabs and public transportation always available. Oh and also, Chicago residents who have a library card can stop by the library and check out a museum pass at the counter! It’s good for 4 people, gets you in for free and lets you bypass the lines!