I love the Field Museum...it's my happy place. They could put a cot in a Janitor's closet for me to live in and I'd be a happy camper. They have so much cool stuff to explore and learn from. I have a collegiate background in Anthropology and archaeology...specializing in North, Central, and South American Prehistory and I still learn new things every time. All of our museums here in Chicago are amazing and offer both locals and tourists some much education and information and have sparked the love of science and history in many of us. For me it was when King Tut came through in the late 70s. My mom took me. I was in 2nd grade. The Egypt exhibit that was put together for Tut was amazing. I was hooked for life. After seeing this, I went to my local library and checked out this college textbook on Egyptology. I read it and was in love. I was always an advanced reader. By 2nd grade, I was reading at the freshman in high school level, but even with that, when I did a book report on it, my teacher's didn't believe me when I said I read this book. I have been showing them ever since. In one of my iterations in college, I was 3 years into a degree in Anthropology and archaeology...with a minor in history, when I met my first wife and my oldest was born. When I went back to school after we moved to the Chicago area (she's a Cajun from the Lake Charles, LA area), in realization that there were very few rich anthropologists who weren't rich before they were anthropologists lol. So in the spirit of I need to get into something I can raise my family, I settled on computer science and I had an over 25 year career as a web developer/software engineer...to include a several months gig at the Shedd Aquarium...which definitely was one of my favorite gigs I did in my career...the Field never had one for me :-(. But I never gave up my love of the study of history and anthropology and archaeology. For most of my adult life I have been involved in history groups like the Society For Creative Anachronisms (SCA). It's a medieval historical society where we fight and do arts, crafts, and science like the did in the middle ages. We have competition with arts and skills we have and when you are demonstrating a technique of doing something or you make an object, you have to document that you used materials and methods used in the middle ages. So if you made a common t-tunics, you would have had to start with the wool (or other material) and spin it with a drop spindle or wheeled spindle. Then you make the cloth on a loom, cut the cloth appropriately using scissors made in a forge rather than a modern pair. Then sew the tunic together along with whatever decorative trim you use...or not. This would be a functional piece of clothing. The award for this would take in creativity...and keeping it to patterns and designs for your time period. How well materials were used and how accurate the object was for the stated time period. We also engaged in heavy armored combat. While our armor had to somewhat look like something someone could wear when your persona was alive. My persona was a 4th century Pict who was 1/2 Roman (Pictish mom/Roman dad), so I made segmented leather Roman armor complete with a segmented leather skirt. When we fought, it wasn't choreographed fights like you see at Ren Fest and Medieval Times...we were actually fighting. This is really roaming(pun intended) from my review...I wish I could go more into the SCA...if you are a medieval history buff...they are the group to join. Anyhow...as you can see...the historical topics that the Field has really sparked a deep interest in history and science...and even politics...and has a lot to do with who I am today. I may be a bit biased, being a Chicago native, but the Field Museum of Natural History is at least one of the best, if not the best museum of its type in the US...maybe even the world. Back when I could afford it I was a member for many years and enjoyed the many benefits and events. I miss those days. Keep up the amazing work Field Museum!!!