With Chicago’s terrific destinations closed to foot traffic, families and anyone curious about what goes on at some of the city’s popular museums can take a virtual field trip thanks to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and HitPlay.
This week’s visit is to Sue, the T Rex, and other residents of the Field Museum. More on that later.
First stop was the Shedd Aquarium. The video, which went live a week ago Wednesday online and last Friday on WTTW (repeated Monday, May 4 on WTTW), started with a chuckle as viewers followed Wellington and his penguin friends into the aquarium.
Viewers then visit the Wild Reef, watch how zebra sharks line up at an unusual sort of feeding station where they touch their noses to a buoy to get their food. Then visitors see Wellington and meet a rescued green sea turtle at the Caribbean Reef.
You can see the Shedd Field Trip by clicking Shedd/YouTube/Watch.
On May 6, the video took visitors to the Field Museum. Scroll down on the HitPlay website to the Field Museum video to visit dinosaurs, a new exhibit on the Apsáalooke people, and become better acquainted with the institution’s collection of beetles and butterflies.
The video will be on WTTW Friday, May 8 and again on Monday, May 11, 2020.
Families who want to make something to go with the video can send it through social media with the hashtag #StayHomeHitPlay.
Jodie Jacobs
Related: Video series visits Shedd and other Chicago institutions