Free Programs This Weekend   top Happy Halloween at the Crown Family PlayLab! Come join us for a PlayLab Costume Party! Games, activities, and prizes for the costumes inspired by natural history and science. This event includes: A Creepy Crawly Family Workshop 11:00am-2:00pm Trick-or-Treat art projects and games 11:00am-2:00pm Costume contests at 11:30am, 1:00pm, and 2:00pm A special appearance from Cirque Du Soleil 11:30am-1:00pm Performance/ Program/ Workshop Family Saturday, October 31, 2009 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Free with basic admission. Free Exhibitions   top The Burnham Memorial Design Competition August 21, 2009—November 1, 2009 As urban planner, architect, and designer of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, no one has more indelibly shaped Chicago than Daniel Burnham. As part of the city-wide centennial celebration of Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago, a design competition has gathered proposals for a new outdoor, public memorial to Burnham. The proposed site for the memorial is on Chicago’s Museum Campus, just north of The Field Museum. More information... DNA Discovery Center Ongoing Discover what DNA is, how it works, and what it can tell us about all life on Earth in this new, fascinating, hands-on exhibition at The Field Museum. More information... Evolving Planet Now Open! Evolving Planet takes visitors on an awe-inspiring journey through 4 billion years of life on Earth, from single-celled organisms to towering dinosaurs and our extended human family. Unique fossils, animated videos, hands-on interactive displays, and recreated sea- and landscapes help tell the compelling story of evolution—the single process that connects everything that’s ever lived on Earth. More information... Travels of the Crow: Journey of an Indian Nation Through July 11, 2010 How did the Crow people become hunters, warriors, and nomads? Though settled farmers long ago, the Crow tell the story of a search for the sacred tobacco plant that eventually led them to the Bighorn Mountains of Montana. This quest accomplished, the Crow transformed themselves into highly skilled equestrians, bison-hunters, and warriors. Large-format photographs of artifacts from The Field Museum’s collections illustrate nomadic life on the northern plains, the continuing importance of the tobacco society, and the Crow appreciation of the horse. More Information... The Ancient Americas Ongoing Step into the windswept world of Ice-Age mammoth hunters. Walk through a replica of an 800-year-old pueblo dwelling and imagine your entire family cooking, eating, and sleeping in one small room. Explore the Aztec empire and its island capital, Tenochtitlan, a city of more than 200,000 people and an extraordinary feat of engineering for any era. Discover what Field Museum scientists and others have learned about the Americans who lived here before us, and how it’s changing nearly everything we thought we knew! More Information... Regenstein Laboratory Ongoing Get a behind the scenes glimpse at artifact conservators at work in this exciting new space. You’ll see Museum experts study, clean and prepare artifacts from our extensive anthropology collections. Witness the preservation of artifacts such as painted figures from Papua New Guinea, Polynesian jewelry and Native American pottery. More Information… Free Gallery Programs   top Interpretive Station Activities Stop by an interpretive station for hand-on activities throughout the Museum. Find out what your name looks like in Egyptian hieroglyphs, put together a huge floor map of Africa, or dissect an owl pellet to find out what the bird ate. Check the information desk when you arrive for a list of the day’s activities. Demonstration/ Program Family Weekends 10 a.m. - noon & 1-3 p.m. Free with Museum Admission McDonald's Fossil Preparation Laboratory Watch technicians chisel delicate fossils from layers of rock as you glimpse the scientific work that goes on behind the scenes at the Museum. Program For All Ages Daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Free with Museum Admission Free Tours   top SUE Museum docents will answer questions and share their in-depth knowledge, facts and figures. Permanent Exhibition For All Ages Weekends 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Free with Museum Admission Pawnee Earth Lodge Examine touchable objects and learn about traditional Native American Pawnee culture, culture change, and contemporary Pawnee life. Gallery Tour For All Ages Weekdays, 1 p.m. Weekends, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free with Museum Admission Maori Meeting House Tour Visit this authentic and stunning house and learn about its cultural significance and use. Gallery Tour For All Ages Weekdays, 10 am - 3 pm Weekends, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Free with Museum Admission Northwest Coast Indians and Arctic Peoples Discover a spectacular array of artifacts depicting two North American neighboring environments and cultures. Gallery Tour For All Ages Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Thursdays 11:30 a.m. Free with Museum Admission Ancient Egypt Tour Unlock the mysteries of ancient Egypt. Learn about mummies, hieroglyphs, daily customs and the importance of the afterlife. Exhibit Walk-Through For All Ages Weekends noon Free with Museum Admission Museum Highlight Tours Enjoy a guided tour of some of the Museum's most popular, famous and unique exhibitions. Hear the stories behind these fascinating treasures from nature and human culture. Find more information on other special family programs taking place during your visit. Exhibit Walk-Through For All Ages Saturday, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. Free with Museum admission.