Name: Illinois Free Wednesday
Start: 2026-08-12T09:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-08-12T15:00:00-05:00
Location: Field Museum

Are there packages I can purchase to save money when visiting Chicago?

I have Chicago CityPASS®, Go City pass, or am eligible for discounted admission that I cannot reserve online—how can I secure tickets to the Pokémon Fossil Museum?

I'm a teacher, what should I expect in the exhibit?

What happens if I need to reschedule my group's visit? 

Can I purchase tickets for the exhibit on the day of my group’s visit? 

Can I receive a refund for students who missed the field trip?

 How long should my group plan to spend in the exhibition? 

Is there any special programming for my students?

I missed my group’s entry time. What should we do? 

In order to ensure that groups have a great visit, pre-K through 5th-grade students must be accompanied by a minimum of one adult for every five students and a maximum of one adult for every child. Students in 6th through 12th grade must be accompanied by a minimum of one adult for every ten students and a maximum of one adult for every child.

How many chaperones can my Illinois School Group bring?

After you submit your registration form, you will receive an email with an invoice PDF. You can submit that payment amount by mailing a check before the trip or calling our office at (312) 665-7500 with a credit card.

Payment must be received 2 weeks prior to your trip date. If payment is not received 2 weeks prior to the field trip date, tickets will be released to the general public.

How do I submit payment?

Illinois groups registered at least 2 weeks in advance are allotted a discounted price of $7 per person to enter the &nbsp;Pok&eacute;mon Fossil Museum exhibition. Every person entering the exhibit will need a ticket.

Your group will still be able to enter all General Admission exhibits on your trip.Limited tickets are reserved for Illinois field trip groups each day.

How much are tickets for the Pokémon Fossil Museum exhibition for Illinois field trip groups?

Starting March 3, Illinois field trip groups may register using our <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/page/register-your-field-trip-group">field trip registration form</a>. &nbsp;All field trips should be booked at least 2 weeks in advance. Limited tickets are reserved for Illinois field trip groups each day.&nbsp;

How can my group register for a field trip to see the Pokémon Fossil Museum exhibition?

When will tickets be available for Illinois school groups?

Unfortunately, there are no scholarships available for this special exhibition. All Illinois students, chaperones, and teachers on the field trip who are visiting the exhibit must pay $7 to enter. You can still book your <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/landing/field-trips">General Admission field trip</a> for free, and visit the Evolving Planet exhibition to learn about fossils.

My group can not pay the $7 per person fee to see the Pokémon Fossil Museum exhibition. Are there any scholarships or free programming?

How do I purchase a ticket to the Pokémon Fossil Museum exhibition? 

What happens if I need to reschedule my visit? 

Are tickets to the exhibition timed?

Are tickets transferable?

Tickets for the date I want to visit are not yet available. When will I be able to access those?

How long will tickets be available for the Pokémon Fossil Museum? 

I’m a member—how can I redeem my member benefits for Pokémon Fossil Museum?

Are there any other websites that sell Pokémon Fossil Museum special exhibition tickets?

I didn’t receive an email confirmation for my tickets—who can help me? 

I have another question about visit Pokémon Fossil Museum—who can I reach out to? 

When can I make reservations for Pokémon Fossil Museum?

What’s the best way to stay up-to-date on Pokémon Fossil Museum?

How will I be able to make reservations for Pokémon Fossil Museum?

 How many Pokemon Fossil Museum special exhibition tickets are included with my membership?

 What does my membership include?

Do the tickets required for the Member Preview Days count against my allotment of Pokémon Fossil Museum tickets?

Do you have a lost and found?

How can I purchase tickets?

Does the Field Museum have parking available?

Do you have an adult-sized or universal changing space?

Do you have lockers or storage?

Do you have educational resources for students?

Do you have an area for nursing parents?

Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?

Do you have sensory-friendly hours?

Can I bring my own food and drinks?

How do I book a group visit to the Museum? 

How do I get to the Field?

How do I schedule a field trip to the Museum?

Is there wheelchair-accessible parking? 

What is there to eat at the Field?

Where can I park?

Why can't I apply a community discount to my online ticket purchase?

Will the Field Museum donate tickets to support my fundraiser or event?

Can I take pictures?

Can I leave and come back later?

Can I have my wedding, party, or other event at the Field?

Can I bring a wheelchair or stroller?

Can I bring a bag?

Are there programs that offer free or discounted admission?

Are there hotels near the Field?

When is the Museum open?

What has SUE taught us?

Why is SUE so important?

How did SUE get to the Field Museum?

Do I have to wear a mask?

Do I have to be vaccinated to come to the Field?

Do you have wheelchairs or strollers to borrow or rent?

Does the Field Museum have an approved or preferred vendor list?

What are the venue rental fees for an event?

Is a deposit required? Is my deposit refundable?

Do you offer free days for Illinois residents?

Do active military personnel and Illinois teachers get in free?

Can you help me with an online ticketing purchase?

Use this 3D model to see how scientists reconstruct animals like Cryolophosaurus from the fossil record.

See English interactive

See Spanish interactive

3D Model: Cryolophosaurus Skull | Dinosaur Toolkit

Learn how the first giant dinosaurs like Glacialisaurus moved by exploring this 3D model.

3D Model: Glacialisaurus Foot | Dinosaur Toolkit

Interact with this 3D model to find out what we can learn about SUE the T. rex&#39;s life by looking at its fossils, then test your knowledge

3D Model: Tyrannosaurus rex | Dinosaur Toolkit

Test basic lever types and explore the trade-off between a force advantage and speed advantage in the animal world.

Advantages of Levers | Biomechanics Toolkit

The importance and impact of Field Museum&rsquo;s African flowering plant specimens are highlighted in two podcasts. These podcasts were written, recorded, and edited by two college interns who worked alongside experts and collections specimens.&nbsp; Museums and Medicines highlights the impact plant specimens have had on human health and why their conservation is so important.

Download Museums and Medicines

Adventures in the Herbarium: Museums and Medicines

The importance and impact of Field Museum&rsquo;s African flowering plant specimens are highlighted in two podcasts. These podcasts were written, recorded, and edited by two college interns who worked alongside experts and collections specimens.&nbsp; Pixels and Petals highlights the digital imaging process and the impact of herbarium specimens.

Download Pixels and Petals

Adventures in the Herbarium: Pixels and Petals

Learn how scientists observe and track animal behavior and how you can do the same with your pets at home.

Animal Observations | Science Hub at Home

Act as consultants to the City of Chicago and assess their relocation plan for urban coyotes.

Animal Survival Unit | Early Elementary Science Partnership

Analyze how we learn about history through objects and theorize what gaps can exist in object-based stories.

Archaeological Footprint | China Toolkit

Encourage close examination of a single artifact&mdash;an object produced by humans&mdash;using observations and inferences.

1. General Field Trip Guides

Document for 1. General Field Trip Guides

Artifact Observation Guide

Discover what you can learn from the objects all around us when you look carefully and apply a specific disciplinary lens. Spanish subtitles available.

See English video

Ask an Artifact | China Toolkit

Create your own museum collection at home.

At Home Collections | Science Hub at Home

Watch Lorene Sisquoc teaching and weaving a basket at the Field Museum opening of Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories.

Basket Making Demonstration with Lorene Sisquoc

Listen to and watch Lorene Sisquoc and Kelly Church discuss basket weaving and oral traditions.

Basket Making Discussion & Demo: Lorene Sisquoc and Kelly Church

Bayanihan: Unity in Community

Learn why being big isn&rsquo;t always an advantage and find out how mythic creatures like Godzilla and King Kong could never have carried their own weight.

Being Big on Land

Uncover how an animal’s size affects its ability to regulate temperature.

Bergmann's Rule | Biomechanics Toolkit

Middle school-aged students will investigate the differences between native and invasive plants and demonstrate their learning by creating a model of a native plant garden.

Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Jump into BIOlympics events to see how animals achieve amazing feats. Use that knowledge to choose competitors for different events.

See English game

BIOlympics Game | Biomechanics Toolkit

Listen to different songs or calls made by local Illinois birds.

Bird Calls and Songs | PlayLab at Home

Discover the birds of Chicago with these birding techniques.

Birding 101 | Science Hub at Home

Listen to and watch Chef Jessica discuss her career as a chef and fry bread.

Chef Jessica Pamonicutt Discusses Cooking and Fry Bread

Chicago's Chinatown Coloring Pages

An infographic guide to Chinatown's past, present, and future.

Chicago's Chinatown Community Guide

Learn the untold history of four Kumu Hula (master teachers of Hawaiian Hula) who perpetuated, preserved, and protected Hula as a way of life.&nbsp;

View Virtual Tour

Chicago's Legacy Hula Virtual Tour

This activity invites you to document, honor, and analyze a community through history, place, and lived experience.

Zine Instructiosn

Community Guide Instructions

Create your own Community Guide

Creating a Poupou (Ancestor Panel) 

Examine dinosaur physical traits to identify similarities and differences in their features and construct a system of classification.

Dinosaur Family Tree | Dinosaur Toolkit

Observe animal dioramas to compare and contrast organisms and explore the diversity of life.

diversity_of_life.pdf

Document for Popular Content Connections

Diversity of Life | Exploring the Field Guide

Discover how much force a seemingly brittle object like an egg can withstand when it’s dome-shaped.

Dome Strength | Biomechanics Toolkit

Examine why plants and birds have certain features to uncover the relationship between structure and function.

everything_has_a_purpose.pdf

Everything Has a Purpose | Exploring the Field Guide

Investigate the role of an archaeologist and discover the types of questions that drive their work. Spanish subtitles available.

Evidence in the Unwritten | China Toolkit

Investigate a museum exhibition using the claim, evidence, reasoning cycle.

Exhibition Investigation Guide

Observe and analyze artifacts from the Pacific Islands to develop evidence-based claims about how these cultures view the world.

2. Exploring The Field Guides

exploring_artifacts_from_the_pacific.pdf

Document for 2. Exploring The Field Guides

Exploring Artifacts from the Pacific | Exploring the Field Guide

Explore the history of writing in China by drawing conclusions about the impact of the written word on human civilizations and how language changes over time.

Exploring Language | China Toolkit

Analyze objects using varied lenses, including anthropology, history, economics, geography, and art history.

Exploring Objects | China Toolkit

Use animal structure and function to design a way that humans can reduce the force felt and/or energy absorbed by an object.

Forces Design Challenge | Biomechanics Toolkit

Figure out how fast you can run and how that compares to some of the fastest and slowest animals on the planet.

Furiously Fast Falcons | Science Hub at Home

Analyze and interpret data about sauropods and build a nonfiction narrative about how this group of dinosaurs evolved over millions of years.

Giants from the Past | Dinosaur Toolkit

Go behind the scenes in our mammals wet lab to watch the dissection of a giraffe heart.

See Spanish video

Giraffe Heart Dissection | Biomechanics Toolkit

As American As...? Teaching Chinese American History through Food

Learn more

Harris Loan Experience Box

Learn about scientists who study plants and create your own herbarium sheet.

Herbarium Sheets | PlayLab at Home

Investigate fossil remains of hominids to learn how humans and our relatives evolved over time.

hominid_adaptations.pdf

Hominid Adaptations | Exploring the Field Guide

Learn about the contradictions depicted in the Qingming Scroll and compare it with present-day representations of idealized societies.

Investigating the Qingming Scroll | China Toolkit

Track down reptiles and amphibians by exploring your own natural spaces.

In Your Backyard | Science Hub at Home

Discover why islands contain so many unique species.

Island Evolution

Listen to and watch Native Truths artist Jason Wesaw, a member of the Potawatomi Nation. His art practice spans many mediums including ceramics, textiles and works on paper.

Jason Wesaw Speaks About his Art

Can you leap like a frog? Investigate how frogs jump then compete in a jumping contest.

Jump Like a Frog | Science Hub at Home

Listen to Karen talk about the impact the exhibit has on reminding everyone that Native people are still here.

Karen Ann Hoffman- Native People are Still Here

&nbsp;Listen to Karen talk about storytelling and stories.

Karen Ann Hoffman on Art

Listen to Karen talk about the importance and impact of Native work taking up space.

Karen Ann Hoffman on Claiming Space

Listen to Karen talk about storytelling and stories.

Karen Ann Hoffman on Stories

Listen to the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and draw comparisons between weather forecasting and responses in Chicago and the fictional town of Chewandswallow.

Kindergarten Weather Unit | Early Elementary Science Partnership

Even cities are filled with nature. What will you find when you take a closer look?

Life All Over | Science Hub at Home

Learn how to tell a lizard from a salamnder then challenge to do the same friends and family with a puzzle.

Illinois Free Wednesday

Beat the mid-week blues and come visit SUE— the Field is free on Wednesdays for Illinois Residents!

Details

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