September 18–19, 2025

Behind the Scenes: In Chicago

Friends of ASOR is pleased to announce its first tour of some of Chicago’s greatest museums on September 18 and 19 for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience with curators and scholars.

We will be kicking off our two-day jaunt on September 18 with the grand opening of a special exhibit on Megiddo at the iconic Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC), led by the exhibition’s curator, Kiersten Neumann, Curator for the ISAC Museum and Research Associate at ISAC. The ISAC Museum’s special exhibition commemorates the 100-year anniversary of the Megiddo Expedition, which was the first of the institute’s many multiyear archaeological projects. The new exhibit will present the lesser-known histories, narratives, and individuals connected with the discoveries from 14 field seasons (1925-1939) at Tell el-Mutesellim (ancient Megiddo), taken from the ISAC Museum’s artifact and archival collections.

The ISAC visit will be followed by a walking tour of monuments and landscapes passing through Grant Park, the Museum Campus, and the Gold Star Families Memorial, spearheaded by Morag Kersel, Associate Professor at DePaul University, followed by dinner at the Italian Village.

On Friday, September 19, we will have exclusive access to the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian galleries at the impressive Art Institute of Chicago to explore significant new developments and to learn about material little seen by the public, thanks to Ashley F. Arico, Associate Curator of Egyptian Art, and Lisa Ayla Çakmak, Mary and Michael Jaharis Chair and Curator of Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium. After lunch, we’ll continue our tour with a special behind-the-scenes visit led by William Parkinson, Curator and Associate Director of Anthropology, at the renowned Field Museum of Natural History, home to SUE, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton of its kind among its remarkable collections and exhibitions.