JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF CHICAGO

FIELD MUSEUM

Chicago's Field Museum is considered one of the finest natural history museums in the U.S. It even gained national acclaim when Steven Spielberg made it the home base for the esteemed archaeologist in his Indiana Jones movies. Movie appearances aside, however, the Field Museum was originally founded to house the biological and anthropological collections assembled for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. That collection still remains the core of the Field's permanent collection. However, in more than a century, the museum has grown into a home for more than 20 million specimens and a 25,000 volume natural history library. 

The Field Museum boasts a number of both permanent and temporary exhibits that will appeal to museum goers of all ages.

Nature Exhibits

Nature exhibits include areas dedicated to the animals of Africa, North American birds, plants of the world, sea mammals and an underground adventure. 

Main Hall One of the African exhibits tells the story of the Lions of Tsavo, two lions that once terrorized East Africa. Other exhibits include Evolving Planet, a journey through 4 billion years of life on earth and Moving Earth, where you can discover why the plates on the earth move.

Also in the nature section are several galleries with profile rocks and fossils. Other galleries focus on Jade, diamonds and other gems.

Culture Exhibits

Permanent culture-related exhibits include a look inside Ancient Egypt, a chance to view a full scale Pawnee earth lodge, the hall of the Ancient Americas and the lacquer ware art of Japan. There's also a Maori Meeting House and an exhibit on life in Tibet as well as exhibits on Eskimos and Northwest Coast Indians.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

The Museum of Science and Industry is one of the most popular museums in the United States. It covers diverse areas like energy, the environment, the human body, space exploration and transportation. It is located in the South Side, not far from the University of Chicago.

The museum occupies a beautiful Beaux-Arts building designed by Charles C. Atwood. It was built for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition as the Palace of Fine Arts. After the fair the building was occupied by the Field Museum. But in 1921 the Field museum moved to its current home in Grant Park and the building, which was initially constructed as temporary structure, started to deteriorate fast.

In 1926, Julius Rosenwald, owner of Sears, Roebuck & Co. came to the rescue. Inspired by a visit in 1911 to the Deutsches Museum in Munich featuring interactive exhibits, he wanted to bring such a museum to Chicago. Thanks to a donation of 3 million dollar, the new Industrial museum was founded as the Rosenwald Industrial Museum.

Sources  :

                        www.wikipedia.org

                        www.traveleye.com