Field Museum of Natural History

Lonely Planet review

With over 70 PhD-wielding scientists and 20 million artifacts, you know things are going to be hopping at the Field Museum. The big attraction is the Tyrannosaurus rex named Sue, a 13ft-tall, 41ft-long beast who menaces the grand space with ferocious aplomb. Sue, the most complete T rex ever discovered, takes its name from Sue Hendrickson, the fossil-hunter who found the 90-percent-complete skeleton in South Dakota in 1990.

The head honchos at the Field know how large dinosaurs loom large in the grade-school imagination, which is why Sue is just one of many dinosaur-related exhibits here. 'Evolving Planet' has more of the big guys and gals. You can also watch staff paleontologists clean up fossils, learn about the evolution of the massive reptiles, and even learn about Homo sapien s' evolutionary ties to the extinct beasts.

A clever blend of the fanciful with a large amount of Field artifacts, the 'Inside Ancient Egypt' exhibit recreates an Egyptian burial chamber on three levels. The mastaba (tomb) contains 23 actual mummies and is a reconstruction of the one built for Unis-ankh, the son of the last pharaoh of the Fifth dynasty, who died at age 21 in 2407 BC. The bottom level, with its twisting caverns, is especially worthwhile. Those reeds growing in the stream are real.

Other displays worth your time include 'Underground Adventure,' a vast exhibit exploring the habitats of animals and insects that live underground, and the 'Pawnee Earth Lodge,' which allows visitors to explore a complete dwelling of the Great Plains tribe.

If there's a dinosaur lover in your life, drop by the one of the on-site stores (Sue actually has her very own store, near where she stands).