MUSEUM CAMPUS — Field Museum visitors: come for the boat, stay for the exhibit.
The natural history museum craned in a replica Krampmacken, a 27-foot-long Viking ship, on its south steps Thursday morning in anticipation of its "Vikings" exhibit opening Feb. 27.
Made from pine, the Krampmacken could fit as many as 11 Vikings sailing both the Baltic Sea and the shallow rivers of Eastern Europe.
Field is the first, and as of now, the only American stop for the touring exhibit curated by the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm. Running through Oct. 4, the exhibit will feature how the Norse warriors lived and worshiped, with a special focus on their ship-and-weapon craftsmanship.
"This is such a great opportunity to collect content and culture we don't usually feature," Field Exhibitions Project Manager Susan Neill said.
Thursday's event was complete with volunteers from Friends of the Viking Ship, a Chicago-based group that preserves a Viking ship used at Chicago's 1893 World's Fair. Those "Vikings" came to direct traffic near the museum off Lake Shore Drive in style.
Check out Field's website to learn more.
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