Journey to the Field Museum

Last Monday the Museum of Natural History Education Staff took a field trip to the Field Museum in Chicago. For many it was their first visit, others had visited as children but everyone was filled with excitement and anticipation. Driving past the Field Museum one could not help but to look upon in amazement and wonder at the enormous building we would soon explore. Excitement rose as we walked up the grand stairs and through the massive columns, reminiscent of our own building.  Upon arrival one is greeted by two African Elephants and Sue the T-rex as they watch over the lobby and welcome visitors. After taking pictures of Sue we headed straight upstairs to learn more about the largest and most complete T-rex.  It was easy to get lost in the power of such an animal gazing into a face full of teeth that enticed fear and wonder. 

We soon headed to Evolving Planet exhibit that highlights 4 billion years of life on earth. One could easily lose track of time looking at the wonderful displays full of fossils, models, murals and timelines.  Parts of this gallery were very reminiscent of Iowa Hall, as we were welcomed by trilobites, Dunkleosteus, scale trees and ice age beasts. There was even a ground sloth skeleton that immediately drew our attention and was cause for a group photo. After spending a few hours exploring earth’s history we stopped for a quick bite to eat as we arranged our next adventure into ancient Egypt. We began our journey by entering an Egyptian tomb, leading us down a winding staircase into galleries full of artifacts, jewelry, pottery and even real mummies.

Time was quickly escaping us and we had only seen a fraction of what was offered. We soon began to shrink to one one-hundredth of our size as we entered the Underground Adventure. Here we came face to face with larger than life spiders, bugs and other creepy crawlies as we explored their role and importance in soil.  After regaining our normal size we headed off to The Ancient Americas where we concluded our trip immersed in the rich culture and history of our past ancestors.

Our trip to the Field Museum was a fantastic experience! Below are some highlights from the staff as they share their favorite part of the trip.

One of my favorite displays at the Field Museum is the trilobite section of the “Evolving Planet” exhibit. I’m fascinated by the evolution of trilobites, which were small creatures that lived on the ocean floor for hundreds of millions of years. They were also one of the first creatures to evolve eyes. Trilobite fossils are found in Iowa and are shown in the exhibits of Iowa Hall, but the variation that is found around the world is incredible with thousands of species known worldwide. They ranged in size from a few millimeters up to more than 70 centimeters in length, although the ones found in Iowa are usually just a few centimeters long. The display at the Field Museum illustrates the amazing diversity of trilobites and helps us to appreciate this small creature that was so successful evolutionarily but is now extinct.

                   -Sarah Horgen

My favorite part of the museum was visiting the "Inside Ancient Egypt". For a couple reasons, I took a few Ancient Egypt classes for my degree, and as everyone knows I love cats, so seeing the Shine to the Goddess Bastet was very cool.

                   -Ashlee Gloede

My favorite exhibit was the “Evolving Planet” gallery. The collection of fossils and specimens was so impressive! The most intriguing fossil would have to be the Helicoprion fossil. I’ve seen illustrations of this odd creature in books but to see an actual fossil was fantastic.  It is hard to imagine such a weird looking creature once lived millions of years ago.

                   -Miles Dietz

One of my favorite parts of our trip to the Field Museum was the “Underground Adventures” exhibit. There was a lot drama and activity in the space, which made it an engaging experience. Before entering the exhibit, patrons "transmogrify" and I had the feeling of being a kid at Disney or Universal Studios. The animatronics were a nice touch, and there were plenty of creepy-crawlies to find!

                   -Rebecca Pope

What I enjoyed most about the Field Museum was the “Evolving Planet”
exhibits. In particular I was interested in following the evolution of
mammals. It is mind boggling to see the progression from reptile-like
synapsids all the way up to modern humans through the terrific fossil
collection of the museum. I also enjoyed the complete skeletons of the
unique species of mammals that lived during the last the Ice Age. One
of my favorites was the Irish Deer, which you see in the photo.

                   -Drew Ayrit               

My favorite display--although its not easy to choose--was the part concerning the few early human species in the Evolving Planet exhibition. I firmly believe that to better understand who we are we must understand who we aren't and who we could be. To see the homo neanderthalensis and homo sapiens compared, two species of humans who lived alongside each other, made tools, buried their dead ritualistically, and produced objects of purely aesthetic purpose, was fascinating toward that end. Looking at prehistoric human cultures is also awe-inspiring; there's a mysticism to it that I am definitely pulled in by. I would love to go back and spend more time there.

             -Jordan Thompson

-Written by Media and Education Specialist Miles Dietz