Secrets and Specimens

Step into the shadows of science at this 21+ after-hours event where eerie tales meet evidence. Secrets and Specimens invites you to explore strange stories and unsettling legends from the Field’s collections—and uncover how science helps explain the unexplainable.

Explore pop-up storytelling sessions scattered throughout the galleries, where Field Museum staff and scientists bring chilling true stories to life. Hear how the museum played a role in unraveling eerie mysteries—from the infamous tale of the man-eating Tsavo Lions, to how forensic botany helped solve the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal, to the haunting final notes of herpetologist Karl Patterson Schmidt, who documented his own death after a venomous snakebite.

Plus, put your own skills to the test with hands-on mystery-solving activities and observation-based challenges that explore how scientists use the tools of their trade to separate science from superstition.
Follow the clues, and you may even discover a hidden speakeasy tucked within the museum, offering a moody retreat for the curious.

Whether you’re a skeptic, a storyteller, or a science lover, Secrets and Specimens invites you to see the museum in a whole new light—where every strange tale hides a scientific truth waiting to be uncovered.

Tickets include light snacks, beer and wine. Additional food and beverages will be available for purchase.

All ticket sales are final.

Please email us at adults@fieldmuseum.org or call 312.665.7264 with any questions.