First Look: Field Museum reimagined Halls of Africa and Ancient Egypt to open spring 2028

The Field Museum is renovating and reimagining its galleries of Africa and ancient Egypt, opening in spring 2028. These galleries will trace the origins of humanity and explore Africa’s powerful and innovative civilizations, including ancient Egypt. The Museum’s previous halls of Africa and ancient Egypt were both opened more than 30 years ago. Now, the Field is embracing the opportunity to link the stories of this continent and create a newly immersive, engaging gallery experience.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the Field Museum and our visitors. Highlighting some of the most compelling stories of human history, these new galleries will trace the origins of humanity, showcase thousands of years of life and death in ancient Egypt, and explore the global contributions of Africa’s great civilizations,” says President & CEO Dr. Julian Siggers. “They will be the Field Museum’s most immersive, spectacular galleries yet.”

The Museum is working with international design firm Haley Sharpe on this multi-year project, which will encompass 20,000 square feet on the Museum’s main floor. Dr. Foreman Bandama (Assistant Curator, African Anthropology) is lead curator, with consulting curator Dr. Emily Teeter (Emerita, Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, University of Chicago) leading development of the sections focused on ancient Egypt and Nubia (Kush).

“We are celebrating the great African achievements and innovations that restore the continent's place in global discourse, as a producer and not just a consumer of knowledge,” says Bandama. “The Africa Hall and Inside Ancient Egypt were over 30 years old, and so much research has happened since then. It is time to bring that research into context, one story, one gallery, and one object at a time.”

The galleries are being developed in conversation with local and international scholars and community members on the Museum’s Africa Halls Community Consultation Council. Chicago-based Joy Media served as community engagement consultant to engage diverse audiences in this community-informed project. In 2026, the Museum launched a program series called Living Cultures: Global Sounds, Shared Stories in partnership with the KNDRD Agency to highlight related intersections of music, art, and storytelling.

“The goal is to remind our visitors of the incredible ingenuity of African people, and to pay tribute to their cultural contributions and the many innovations they fostered,” says Teeter. “This new gallery will make the Field Museum’s Egyptian collection shine—featuring a new selection of objects and new perspectives.”

The new halls will present themes that span the African continent, with a closer focus on several “destination” kingdoms and civilizations. A spotlight on Great Zimbabwe (Dzimbabwe) will feature Dr. Bandama’s ongoing archaeological research on this important ancient site in present-day Zimbabwe. The section on ancient Egypt will present the monumental 4,300-year-old tomb chapel of Netcher User, which has been hidden from view for four decades and will be carefully moved to the Museum’s main floor early next year.

To accommodate the renovations, the former Africa Hall and “Memphis Market” section of Inside Ancient Egypt are already closed. The rest of Inside Ancient Egypt will close in early 2027.

For additional updates, please visit www.fieldmuseum.org.