Over Thanksgiving, we went and visited my sister who lives in Chicago. While we were there, we had the opportunity to visit The Field Museum and specifically, Chicago World's Fair Exhibit that recently opened. I was really interested to go because I had never been to the Field Museum before and didn't really know anything about the Chicago World's Fair.
To help in your visit to the museum, there is a The Field Museum Tours mobile app you can download to tell you about the different displays & exhibits. All you have to do is scan the QR code on the display and info will pop up to tell you more about what you're looking at.
One of the first things in the Chicago World's Fair exhibit is this accounting ledger. You'll notice a green QR code in the corner of the glass.
I hit the green 'Discover' button on the app, scanned the code and this is what popped up:
As some of you know, I am a CPA, so I found this display so interesting. The accounting ledger was so large and contained so much information in it. It helped keep track of the expenses for the 200 buildings that were built for the Fair. Makes me appreciate having computers to keep track of all of this stuff nowadays!
Another neat exhibit, were these 'stuffed' animals that were displayed during the Chicago World's Fair. It's amazing how well they are preserved even after 100+ years.
One of the most interesting facts I learned from the exhibit are the foods that were introduced at the fair. Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum, Cracker Jack, and Shredded Wheat all made their debut at the Chicago World's Fair. I had no idea those products have been around for so long!
Another cool aspect of the exhibit were some of the interactive displays they have. The table above gave you a chance to 'play music' using instruments that were on display from other cultures within the exhibit.
The exhibit also featured large screens with images from the Fair projected onto them that were semi-animated (kind of like a GIF). It was a really neat way to feel like you were stepping back to the Fair in 1893.
As you can see there are a wide array of items on display in the exhibit and it helps illustrate how diverse the Fair was. From Peruvian Mummies to musical instruments from around the world to plant artifacts, the Chicago World's Fair brought such a wide range of items together in one place for patrons to view and learn about.
I was so sad to learn that most all of the buildings that were built for the Chicago World's were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire. But they were able to save lots of the artifacts and pieces from the Fair and this is where The Field Museum grew from.
The Field Museum is still learning more each day about the items that were displayed during the Fair and working on preserving the artifacts so they will be around for years to come.
I had a great time at the exhibit and learned so much about the Fair. The displays really helped take you back in time and get a sense of what the Fair was all about.
If you're in the Chicago area, I encourage you to visit The Field Museum & the Chicago Worlds' Fair exhibit. You will not be disappointed. And don't forget to download the The Field Museum Tours mobile app before you go.
And there's even this great view of the city from the north side of the museum! So pretty (and you can't even tell how cold it was!)
