The next time you turn on the faucet to get a drink, just imagine all the species, mammoth or microscopic, that this single resource sustains. Water is life-giving, yet finite. In parts of the world water is taken for granted; in others, it is coveted.
The Field Museum’s summer 2009 exhibition, Water, is a timely, in-depth, thought-provoking experience for the whole family, focusing on how we use water and the future of this natural resource. The 7,500-square-foot exhibition illuminates many challenges various cultures encounter with water – whether living on a lake that floods annually, or walking for miles, simply to find a drink. Water explores the many ways water shapes life on Earth, making our planet livable.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the critical role water plays in our lives” says Philip Willink, PhD, assistant collections manager of fishes at The Field Museum. “It is necessary to understand how humans interact with water if we are to appreciate and effectively manage this precious resource. The Museum has the opportunity to open up a public dialogue on the importance of water and aquatic systems throughout the world.”
The Field Museum is one stop on the exhibition’s international tour that includes South America, Asia, and Australia. The Chicago presentation features unique elements, focusing visitors’ attention on extensive information about our area’s largest source of fresh water: Lake Michigan.
Chicago is home to the world’s largest conventional water purification and treatment plant. The Field Museum’s Water exhibition shows an exclusive video of the daily purification and treatment processes: in other words, what happens before the faucet and after the flush. The process begins two miles off the Lake Michigan shoreline at water intake cribs – the entry point for a giant tunnel that conveys water to the purification plant – and ends on Chicago’s southwest side where millions of gallons of wastewater are treated and returned to the water cycle. This video links local visitors to the systems that bring water to their homes, offices and schools, and then takes it away.
The exhibition incorporates numerous hands-on interactive experiences, including a simulation of a river dam, a theater, immersive dioramas and a seven-foot globe featuring a multimedia presentation on the global nature of water. The accompanying walk-through piece in this press kit goes into vivid detail about all 10 sections of this exhibition.
The Field Museum’s division of Environment, Culture, and Conservation (ECCo) has been leading the way in water conservation and preservation throughout the world for several decades. Laurel Ross, urban conservation director of ECCo says, “Because the Chicago region is so close to Lake Michigan, some might think water conservation is someone else’s issue. It is not. Water visitors will leave with an understanding of why water conservation is critical to the survival of all life on our planet.”
Exhibition Organization and International Tour
Water is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York and the Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, in collaboration with The Field Museum, Chicago; Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland; Instituto Sangari, São Paulo, Brazil; National Museum of Australia, Canberra; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada; San Diego Natural History Museum; and Science Center Singapore with PUB Singapore.
Exhibition Sponsorship
Water is sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Underwriters Laboratories. Generous support provided by Wege Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Chicago Department of Water Management, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and Oberweiler Foundation.
The Field Museum Admission
Gold Pass tickets to Water include basic admission to The Field Museum and are priced at $23 for adults, $20 for seniors and students with ID, and $13 for children 3-11. Discounts are available for Chicago residents. Visit fieldmuseum.org or call 866-FIELD-03. Special rates are available for tour operators and groups of 15 or more. Call our Group Sales office toll-free at 888-FIELD-85 (888-343-5385).
Hours
The Field Museum’s hours are 9am to 5pm Monday through Sunday.
Location and Travel Information
The Field Museum is located at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. Visitors can get to the Museum via CTA bus lines #6 and #146, or by taking the Metra electric and South Shore train lines. Indoor parking is available just steps from the Museum’s main entrance. For more travel information, call the Illinois Department of Transportation, 312-368-4636, or the RTA Travel Center Hotline, (312) 836-7000.
www.fieldmuseum.org
Top Image: Lake Michigan is home to several water intake cribs. This is the entry point for a giant tunnel that conveys water to the world’s largest conventional water purification plant, located in Chicago. © Richard C. Drew
Lower Image: Actual moving images of Earth from space are projected on a seven-foot diameter globe. © D. Finnin/AMNH.
