I work at the Field Museum in downtown Chicago, and I can tell you that we
do not allow eating or drinking in our exhibition halls (temporary or
permanent). I also know that the Terra Museum and the Mexican Fine Arts
Center Museum, two other downtown Chicago museums, do not allow eating or
drinking in their exhibition halls. However, we all have designated areas
where food and drink can be eaten/served - for us that is Stanley Field
Hall or the balconies of the second floor.
Keeping food out of exhibition halls is extremely important from a pest
management point of view, as well as for the safety/security of the
collections. Various insect pests and rodents can feed off crumbs and even
stains for long periods of time, and food is an attractant for pest
activity. Books, furniture, food areas and, more importantly, the
collections themselves are all potential food sources for any number of
pests, and pest activity results in to irreparable damage and possibly
destruction of objects and the collections.

Holly Lundberg
Associate Conservator
Field Museum

At 11:49 AM 6/18/02, you wrote:
>My Gala Ball committee doesn't understand why I do not want to permit eating
>and drinking in the permanent and temporary galleries of our new museum
>opening this Fall.  I have told them that this is against museum standard
>practice and that if we allowed it, may hurt our chances for accreditation,
>Smithsonian affiliateship, and traveling exhibitions.  Their response to me
>is that if The Downtown Chicago Museums can do it, why can't we?
>
>Does anybody have any other suggestions as to how I can convince them that
>this is not the route to go.
>
>Susan English
>Joliet Area Historical Museum
>
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