Field Museum to redesign galleries for spring 2028 featuring 4,300-year-old tomb chapel

The Field Museum is reimagining its Africa and ancient Egypt galleries in a 20,000-square-foot project scheduled to open in spring 2028. According to an announcement by the museum, the redesigned halls will connect the continent’s ancient civilizations with the origins of humanity and highlight Africa’s role as a center of innovation and knowledge.

The current Africa and ancient Egypt halls opened more than 30 years ago, the press release confirmed. The renovation will replace those galleries with a more immersive experience developed by international design firm Haley Sharpe. Museum officials said the project will bring new research and broader perspectives to the main floor.

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Africa’s civilizations take center stage

The new galleries will span the African continent while focusing closely on selected kingdoms and civilizations. One featured area will examine Great Zimbabwe, also known as Dzimbabwe, drawing on archaeological research led by Dr. Foreman Bandama, the museum’s assistant curator of African anthropology.

“We are celebrating the great African achievements and innovations that restore the continent's place in global discourse, as a producer and not just a consumer of knowledge,” Bandama said, per the announcement.

Bandama is the project’s lead curator. Dr. Emily Teeter, emerita of the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, is serving as consulting curator for the sections on ancient Egypt and Nubia, also known as Kush.

The museum is developing the galleries with scholars and community members through its Africa Halls Community Consultation Council. Chicago-based Joy Media is advising on community engagement. A related 2026 program, Living Cultures: Global Sounds, Shared Stories, will explore links among music, art and storytelling in partnership with KNDRD Agency.

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Ancient Egyptian artifact returns to view

A centerpiece of the Egypt section will be the 4,300-year-old tomb chapel of Netcher User. The monument has been hidden from public view for four decades and is scheduled to move to the museum’s main floor early next year, according to the Field Museum.

The former Africa Hall and the “Memphis Market” section of Inside Ancient Egypt are already closed. The remaining portion of Inside Ancient Egypt is expected to close in early 2027 as construction advances.

“This new gallery will make the Field Museum’s Egyptian collection shine—featuring a new selection of objects and new perspectives,” Teeter said, according to the Field Museum. The completed galleries are expected to open in spring 2028.