Pirates are Taking over Chicago

For Immediate Release
Contact: Field Museum PR Department
(312) 665-7100, media@fieldmuseum.org

CHICAGO, February 25, 2009 - The Field Museum’s new exhibition Real Pirates is creating not only a buzz with Museum visitors, but also with local hotels and restaurants. Chicago has gone pirate!

In the first three weeks Real Pirates: The Untold Story of The Whydah From Slave Ship to Pirate Ship has been open to the public (opened February 25), nearly 42,000 people have seen the exhibition – and Spring Break season has just started! Because of the public interest, hotels and restaurants are also getting on-board, offering pirate-themed meal specials and hotel accommodations. Laura Sadler, Field Museum senior vice president says, “We have not seen this much excitement about a Museum exhibition from area businesses since King Tut in 2006.”

Nearly a dozen hotels are featuring festive deals for Spring Break 2009, and more pirate-themed activities will begin this summer (including a special boat cruise). Right now, participating hotels are handing out “loot” at check-in, including eye patches and sacks of “gold coins.” Other hotels are offering a treasure trove worth of amenities including a traveling dessert cart with an ice-cream slinging pirate serving up Swashbuckler Sundaes. A bedtime butler is also available at one hotel. He comes to your suite and reads a buccaneer bedtime story. “These are a wonderful complement to our Real Pirates exhibition,” Sadler added.

Please note: Visitors to The Field Museum are encouraged to purchase tickets early for Spring Break because demand has been high. Visitors can purchase tickets on-line for Real Pirates: The Untold Story of The Whydah From Slave Ship to Pirate Ship (through October 25), The Aztec World (FINAL DAYS only through April 19), and Underground Adventure (a permanent exhibition). The public is encouraged to visit the website fieldmuseum.org for more information.