Field Museum of Natural History

The Field Museum of Natural History is one of the great natural history museums of the world, and for families, it delivers an experience that rivals the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Located on Chicago's Museum Campus alongside Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum houses over 40 million artifacts and specimens — though you will only see a fraction of those in a single visit.

SUE is the reason most families come, and she does not disappoint. The largest, most complete, and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered stands in the grand Stanley Field Hall, and the sheer scale of the skeleton stops visitors in their tracks. Kids who are in their dinosaur phase will plant themselves in front of SUE and refuse to move.

The museum has done an excellent job of providing context around the skeleton — interactive displays explain how SUE was discovered in South Dakota, how the fossils were excavated and prepared, and what scientists have learned about T. rex biology from this single specimen.

But SUE is just the beginning of the dinosaur experience. The Evolving Planet gallery on the upper level is where the serious paleontology lives. This comprehensive exhibit walks through 4 billion years of life on Earth with hundreds of fossils, interactive displays, and reconstructed environments.

The dinosaur section includes Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and several other complete skeletons. For kids studying evolution or Earth science, this gallery alone justifies the visit.

Inside Ancient Egypt on the lower level is the museum's other marquee family experience. This is not a typical Egyptian gallery with artifacts in cases. The Field Museum reconstructed an entire Egyptian mastaba tomb that you walk through, complete with narrow passageways, hieroglyphic-covered walls, and actual mummies.

The collection includes real human and animal mummies, canopic jars, jewelry, and everyday objects from ancient Egyptian life. Kids who are into mythology, history, or adventure stories find this exhibit absolutely thrilling — it feels like stepping into an Indiana Jones movie.

The Crown Family PlayLab is the museum's dedicated space for younger children and families, and it is genuinely excellent. The centerpiece is a fossil dig pit where kids use brushes and tools to uncover replica fossils, simulating real paleontological fieldwork. There are also building stations, animal observation areas, and tactile exploration activities.

The PlayLab is free with museum admission but has limited capacity, so visit early in the day before it fills up.

The museum is enormous — the building covers 480,000 square feet — and you cannot see everything in one visit. Do not try. Pick 3 to 4 areas that match your family's interests and explore those thoroughly. Attempting to race through the entire museum guarantees exhaustion and shallow engagement. A focused 3-hour visit beats a 5-hour marathon every time.

Practically, the Museum Campus has its own parking lots ($25-$30 per day) but taking the CTA is more convenient. The 146 bus runs along the lakefront from downtown directly to the Museum Campus. The Roosevelt L station is a 15-minute walk. The museum is fully stroller-accessible with elevators and wide hallways. Family restrooms with changing stations are on every level.

Food inside the museum is standard institutional fare at standard museum prices. The Field Bistro has the best options for sit-down eating. If your family can wait, the South Loop neighborhood a short walk west has better and cheaper dining options.