Spooky season has arrived at Chicago’s Field Museum, and it comes with a scientific twist. Fright at the Field, running September 26 through November 1, 2026, transforms two beloved museum experiences into Halloween adventures the whole family can enjoy, all included with general admission.
The underground world gets deliciously eerie in Underground MISadventure: Zombie Fungus. The classic Underground Adventure becomes an immersive story where visitors meet a creepy, crawly cast of characters, including an ant infected with a real zombie fungus. Along the way, guests encounter mushrooms that are deadly poisonous and even carnivorous, mixing fun storytelling with surprising fungi science.
Over in Plants of the World, the Halloween Harvest Maze decks out the exhibition as a spooky scavenger adventure. Families can follow the hunt for the plants behind Halloween traditions like chocolate, jack-o’-lanterns and rubber masks, then search the whole museum for seven creepy-cool specimens, from Witch’s Hat Fungus to the Vampire Bat, to complete Chompy’s Secret Lair challenge and win a special prize.
The museum stays open late until 9pm on Halloween, giving night owls a perfect finale. The Field Museum, at 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, is open daily from 9am to 5pm, and Happy City News recommends arriving early on weekends, when the maze and the zombie fungus draw their biggest crowds.
Photo: Field Museum
