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October 9th, 2006 Field Museum Chicago, Illinois
Scott have to travel to Chicago for a business trip and so I traveled behind him on Friday evening, so we could have Saturday together. We left Saturday evening, so in effect I was there for less than 24 hours. Expensive for one day, but I had to see the King Tut Exhibit. This exhibit was a little disappointing to me. It cost 25.00 to see it, plus if you wanted the audio tour, it was 6.00 extra (we didn't do that). Parking was 16.00! So just to see the exhibit for the two of us was: $66.00. I only bought 4 postcards are 1.00 each, so total cost not including McDonald's food and previous drinks, was 70.00. It was disappointing simply because of the lack of items we wanted to see. There was no death mask which of course is the epitome of everyone's desire to see. There was no mummy or sarcophagus (I can understand why they didn't want to include the mummy though). There was no golden throne or chariot. There was, however, the diadem, the golden dagger and sheath, the crook and flail, the Alabaster chalice, a mini coffinette which was quite impressive, an alabaster Canoptic Jar bearing the likeness of the boy king, and the infamous Pectoral of Kheper Scarab. I guess I'll have to go to Egypt to see the other treasures! Of more disappointment, photos were NOT allowed and each room had a guard in it. So there was no sneaking one. In addition, it was MASSIVELY crowded!!! It was hard to get close without people thinking you rude. I felt like the time I did with the Star Wars exhibit at the National Air and Space Center...herded like cattle. Aside from the King Tut exhibit, the museum had sections on Gems and minerals (lesser than the Smithsonian); a separate hall of gems and a Jade Gallery, a section of Plants of the world (we skipped that), a Dinosaur exhibit which I believe you had to pay extra for (we didn't bother...we should've been able to see it free for the price we paid). But we did see them cleaning fossils. I would like to do that job! Seems boring to some I guess, but it was neat watching them work. There was a section of artifacts from Pacific Islands from Hawaiian to Papua New Guinea. There was a section for more Egypt stuff, but nothing of major importance in it, though a mummy set up showing a mummy with all the beads and artifacts and how they were found on the mummy was neat, there was a section on Native American Indians (don't remember seeing that), an African exhibit, an Animal (taxidermy) exhibit, statues gifted to the museum are throughout the museum, Sue the Dinosaur, the most complete/largest T-Rex skeleton ever found, and a Tibetan exhibit. There was also a pectoral of holocaust which was deeply moving. There were a couple other things, I don't know really, we went through fast. This museum is large and to go through at a leisurely pace will take at minimum 4-6 hours. If you read everything, plan a whole day. If fast and just look quickly, you can do it in 3-4. Wear good shoes, be prepared to hike stairs and be prepared to spend a lot. Gift shops are expensive. There are restrooms, water fountains and a McDonalds in the basement level. See official site for hours and days of operation as well as pricing.
Above left to right: Postcards (photos not allowed) of 4 exceptional items at the Chicago exhibit: 1) Alabaster Canoptic Jar that held the Viscera of King Tut 2) Wooden Gilt Statues depicting Kingship over upper and lower Egypt 3) Wooden Coffinette that held the viscera of King Tut 4) Alabaster cosmetic jar
Left to right: X-Ray and Child Coffin (X-Ray of the coffin) 2) Misc. Egyptian Artifacts 3) Gilded Children's Coffins 4) Male Mummy Child 5) Mummy with Gilt Face
Left to right: 1) Field Museum 2) Piece of the tomb wall 3) Statue of Sekhmet 4) Sue, the T-Rex 5) Sue again
Left to right: 1) Maori Meeting House 2) Pacific Island Weapons 3) Pole Malanggans 4) Malanggans Display House 5) One of many statues in the Museum
Left to right: 1) Taxidermy Gorilla 2) Tibetan Monk Ceremonial Costume
Sites you might like to visit: Adler PlanetariumMexican Fine Arts Center MuseumMuseum of Science and IndustryNature Museum of the Chicago Academy of SciencesShedd AquariumA. Philip Randolph/George M. Pullman MuseumChicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and DesignChicago Children's MuseumChicago Cultural CenterHellenic Museum and Cultural CenterJane Addams' Hull-House MuseumMuseum of Contemporary ArtMuseum of Contemporary PhotographyNational Vietnam Veterans Art MuseumPeace MuseumVietnam War Museum
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