Oceans Unseen: Exploring the Field Museum’s New Temporary Exhibit

Going to the Field Museum is always exciting, but our recent visit stood out. We went there with Josh’s colleagues for a meeting and got to see the temporary exhibit, Oceans Unseen. This exhibit takes you beneath the waves to discover the hidden wonders of the deep ocean. The exhibit features live sea creatures, interactive activities, and some really cool black light areas. Oceans Unseen is open until January 5, 2025- so be sure to mark it on your calendar!

What to Know About the Field Museum

The Field Museum, located in Chicago, is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. The three floors of the museum show off just a small part of the museum’s massive collection of natural and cultural collections. There are always new temporary exhibits to see, including Oceans Unseen.

Field Museum Basics

• Address: 1400 S. Dusable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
• Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm daily (last entry at 4:00pm)
• Tickets: Ticket prices vary based on whether you are a Chicago, Illinois, or out of state resident. You can check prices and reserve tickets at: https://www.fieldmuseum.org/visit

How to See Oceans Unseen

• Location and Hours: Oceans Unseen is on the main level, on the east side of the building. The entrance is next to the other current temporary exhibit, Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches.
• Tickets and Admission: Oceans Unseen is a ticketed exhibit, with a couple options for tickets. You can either buy an All-Access Pass which includes general admission plus all ticketed exhibits or a Discover Pass which includes general admission and your choice of one ticketed exhibit.

What is Oceans Unseen About?

Oceans Unseen takes you to the lesser-known parts of the ocean. The exhibit highlights the weird and unique marine life of the deep oceans and the incredible ecosystems that thrive there. The exhibit also teaches about marine exploration and shares the stories of scientists working to uncover the secrets of the ocean.

Highlights of the Oceans Unseen Museum

The visit to Oceans Unseen starts with learning about plankton and other tiny sea creatures. This room is lit with blacklights and is so cool!

Next was an even trippier room featuring glowing fish. Signs and informational panels in this room taught about creatures that glow in the deep ocean.

To one side of the glowing fish room was three aquariums with live sea creatures- like this seahorse and eel. There was also this interactive exhibit to show what studying the deep ocean looks like. Off to the other side was the giant table of kinetic sand.

Another unexpectedly trippy room was this one that talked about ocean geography, like trenches and such. Photos can’t capture how cool the visual effects were in person!

There were lots of displays about the research being done in the ocean and the work scientists do and the tools they use.

Besides the submersible photo op from earlier in this post, they also had a simulator version. You got to navigate the submersible and collect samples to learn about the ocean.

Getting to the Field Museum

The Field Museum is located in Chicago’s Museum Campus, which also features the Shedd Aquarium, Soldier Field, Adler Planetarium, 12th Street Beach, and several parks. Situated along the Lake Michigan shoreline, Museum Campus is one of the city’s most scenic areas.

• Driving: If you decide to drive to the Field Museum, you have a few parking options. You can park in the Soldier Field North Garage or the East Museum Lot. The Soldier Field North Garage usually costs $25 for up to 4 hours or $30 for up to 12 hours, though rates and availability can change during Bears or Fire games. The East Museum Lot, an outdoor lot, charges $30 for up to 12 hours.
• CTA Train: The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) train’s Red, Orange, and Green lines stop at Roosevelt station, which is less than a mile from the Field Museum. If you prefer not to walk from Roosevelt, you can take the #146 bus, which goes directly to Museum Campus.
• CTA Bus: The #146 and #130 bus lines both stop at Museum Campus, however the #130 only does this during peak summer season.
• Metra: If you’re coming from the suburbs, consider taking the Metra. Our Metra line goes to Ogilvie Transportation Center, and we enjoy the walk to Museum Campus from there—it takes just under an hour and leads you through Millennium Park and past Buckingham Fountain. Union Station offers a slightly shorter walk. Alternatively, you can take the CTA or catch an Uber from the train station.

Tips for Visiting the Field Museum

Best Times to Visit: The Field Museum is a popular tourist spot, so it’s best to visit during the off-season, on weekdays, and early in the morning. During the school year, there are often school groups, so late afternoons on weekdays can also be a good time to visit.

Free Days: All the major Chicago museums offer free admission to Illinois residents throughout the year, in 2024 every Wednesday is free day at the Field Museum. You will need to show proof of your residency. Free admission is only for basic admission, so if you’re looking to see the Bloodsuckers exhibit, you can purchase a discounted All-Access or Discovery Pass.

Rules: You are allowed to bring your own food and drinks to the Field Museum, but can only eat/drink in designated areas. You are also allowed to carry coats and backpacks in the museum, but there are lockers for rent if you don’t want to.

If you liked Oceans Unseen, you might also like:

• Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet: This exhibit takes you through the history of life on earth. From single-celled organisms up to humans, you’ll explore a variety of fossils, videos, and interactive exhibits.
• Oceans: Our Blue Planet 3D Movie: This 20 minute 3D movie takes you on a journey of the world’s oceans. This is a ticketed movie.
• What Is an Animal? & Animal Biology: If you’re looking for more ocean creatures, this exhibit includes life-sized models of ocean creatures such as a giant squid and whale shark, interactive activities, a giant barnacle wall, and mini-documentaries on animal science.
• Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches- An Inside Look at the Field Museum Exhibit