Special Events at The Field Museum

Founders’ Room
Dedicated to the generous donors of The Field Museum and previously used only for internal events, this room, located on the main floor, consists of its own reception area, private bathrooms and kitchen. The room has a floor to ceiling decorative fireplace, large crystal chandelier and both South and East facing views. The rooms also consist of artifacts not able to be seen anywhere else! Full dinner seating is available for 100 or a reception for up to 125.

Founders' Room Space dimensions: 2662 sq ft. /Ceiling Height – 22ft. 6”

James Simpson Theatre

Recently renovated and able to accommodate 700 people, the theater commands a feeling of classic elegance with its imposing Doric-style columns, intricately carved antique moldings and beautifully detailed recessed ceiling that is nothing short of spectacular. It also offers an expansive foyer available for pre-event functions such as continental breakfasts and receptions.

James Simpson Theatre Space dimensions: 11,851 sq ft. The ceiling height for this meeting space ranges from 19 ft. – 21 ft because it is a vaulted ceiling. The arch opening of the stage if 18 ft. 10”.

Rice Hall
Cocktail with giant pandas, Bengal tigers and many other Asian mammals before dining in front of the Serengeti plains and famous Lions of Tsavo. Rice Hall accommodates 140 for dinner and 300 for receptions.

Classrooms A, B & C
Located on our lower level, these spaces can be used for small meetings, break-out rooms and events. The classrooms have varying capacities, but the largest can accommodate up to 100 people for a reception.

Classroom A Space dimensions:
815 sq ft./ Ceiling Height – 11 ft. 9”

Classroom B Space dimensions:
1227 sq ft./ Ceiling Height – 10 ft. 8”

Classroom C Space dimensions:
657 sq ft./ Ceiling Height – 9 ft. 6”

Montgomery Ward Lecture Hall
Renovated in 2007 with high-back cushioned seats for 158 guests, new carpeting and lighting, permanent stage and state of the art technology, The Montgomery Ward Lecture Hall is located on the lower level of the Museum and is perfect for meetings, seminars, and more! It is also conveniently located next to our marble West Lobby which can be used for registration, continental breakfasts and breaks. Pair with our classrooms for break-out space or our James Simpson Theatre as guest overflow.

Space dimensions: 1450 sq. ft. /Ceiling Height - Near stage 13 ft. 11”/ Near Door 11 ft. 11”

Lecture Hall II
Another convenient break-out room or meeting space, Lecture Hall II has the ability for multiple set-ups including schoolroom, theater, or banquet. It contains a small 13.5’ x 5.5’ stage which is great for presentations and interactive workshops!

Space dimensions: 1084 sq. ft. /Ceiling Height – 11 ft. 9”

Breakfast Meeting
(Available for groups of 10-250 people)

Tired of your meetings being ordinary? Interested in hosting something different to motivate your employees? Then pair your next meeting and/or relationship building event with a vibrant Field Museum breakfast experience! Re-charge & refresh your meeting in one of our diverse event spaces. Consider dining with one of our captivating artifacts like Sue, the world’s largest most complete T rex (Stanley Field Hall), or the tantalizing Lions of Tsavo (Rice Hall). Our exclusive list of caterers can prepare a delightful menu, perfect for jumpstarting the day, and rejuvenating attendees!

Event Spaces Available: Marae, Rice Hall, Stanley Field Hall, Founders Room, and Evolving Planet

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Meeting Enhancements

Below are a few unique additions to make your next meeting memorable. We are also able to work with you or your representative on other, customized interactive and team-building experiences. Enhancements are based on availability and at an additional fee. Please contact an Account Manager to discuss what option is best for you.

Behind the Scenes Tour
Journey to the hidden collections of The Field Museum. Let us create a customized tour of our artifacts in spaces normally off-limits to the public! Be escorted by a Field Museum specialist who will provide guests with interesting facts about the Field Museum’s collections. With only 1% of the Museum’s artifacts on display, this can be an eye-opening experience for your guests!

Scavenger Hunts
Drive your curiosity with themed scavenger hunts. A completely customized experience, groups of all sizes can travel throughout the museum searching for clues within The Field Museum’s permanent collections. Designed to be a wonderful teambuilding activity, they are both interactive and easy to facilitate.

Private Exhibition Viewings (evenings)
The Field Museum hosts many temporary exhibitions. Event clients have the option to offer their guests a unique, private viewing of these exhibitions during their event based on availability and at an additional fee.

Group Tickets to temporary exhibitions (daytime)
The Field Museum offers discounts on temporary exhibition tickets to groups of 15 or more guests. Usually timed on the half-hour, this options allows your guests to view the exhibition during daytime hours and take a break from the grind of meeting sessions!

Customized docent presentations
Take a journey with a Field Museum Educational expert. Customized Tours are available by trained staff to educate guests on the museum’s architecture, permanent collections, history, and more. Learn unique facts and walk away with a full museum experience.

Field Museum Scientist Presentations
The Field Museum has over 200 scientists working on projects in 94 countries around the world. We will work with you to customize a presentation based on the Museum’s collections and your interests.

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Cutting-Edge Technology

The Field Museum works with our approved vendors to provide you with all the technology you need to create a successful and dynamic event.

Available services include:

Audience Response System
DVD/Video Presentations
High-speed Internet Access
Podcast
Power-point Presentations
Registration Services
Simultaneous Interpretation
Video Conferencing
Webcast

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Testimonials

“It's always a pleasure to produce events in James Simpson Theater. The acoustics are great for live and recorded music and the A/V capabilities are top notch.”

Heidi Hewitt
Chicago Humanities Festival

“Many thanks to the Field Museum for how you supported our off-site meeting of Sears Home Services executive managers! The “Amazing Race” through the museum for 250+ managers was enjoyed by all and the formal dinner was a great backdrop for the recognition awards given out. We also very much enjoyed the lecture on how nature innovates by the Museum’s Mark Alvey and how it perfectly set up our own senior vice-president’s lecture on Innovation at Sears. Thank you so much for making such a pleasant outing so easy for us!”

Aaron Lafrenz
Director of Training, Sears Home Services

“I want to extend my sincere appreciation for the outstanding efforts the Field Museum and our Small Meetings Coordinator did to insure that our CME meeting was an absolute success. Everyone that we came into contact with went the extra mile and had a "can do attitude" that made our meeting unforgettable.”

Amie K. Devine, CMP
Continuing Medical Education
Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine

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Host a Meeting!

To discuss hosting your next meeting at The Field Museum please fill out our RFP form or call 312-665-7600 today!

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