General Meeting Information
13 - 17 May 2024 | Chicago, IL
Hosted jointly by the Field Museum (BHL Member) and Chicago Botanic Garden (BHL Affiliate)
Save the dates for the 2024 BHL Annual Meeting!
Logistics for Travel
Visa information
For international travelers, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html to determine your specific visa requirements.
If you need a letter of invitation for the meeting, please contact Martin Kalfatovic (KalfatovicM@si.edu).
Local Transportation
Recommended Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is recommended for its proximity to downtown Chicago, available public transit options, and cost of taxi/hired car to downtown locations.
Midway International Airport (MDW) is the other airport option in the region.
Getting to/from airports
The CTA Blue Line train is the most economical option to/from O'Hare.
Summary of all transportation options to/from O'Hare.
The CTA Orange Line train is the most economical option to/from Midway.
Summary of all transportation options to/from Midway.
Suggested Hotels
Note: We will not be reserving room blocks with group rates. Attendees should select and book hotel rooms on their own. We recommend attendees select accommodations near the Field Museum, as most of the events will be in or near the Field Museum. For the events on Tuesday at the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG), transportation will be provided from the Field Museum to CBG.
The following hotels are the closest (within 20 minutes walking distance) to the Field Museum.
Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown South Loop
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/chidlgi-hilton-garden-inn-chicago-downtown-south-loop/
55 E 11th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA
Grant Park Best Western
http://www.bwgrantparkhotel.com/
1100 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 60605
312-922-2900, 800-472-6875, Fax 312-922-8812
Congress Plaza Hotel and Convention Center
http://www.congressplazahotel.com/
520 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 60605
312-212-8192, Fax 312-427-2919
Le Meridien Essex Chicago
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/child-le-meridien-essex-chicago/overview/
800 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 60605
855-516-1090, Fax 312-939-1605
For additional recommended accommodations near the Field Museum, see:
Tentative Schedule of Events
| Date | Time (CDT) | Event | Attendees | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 13 May | Afternoon | Optional Excursions: TBD | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Select from a list of Recommended Excursions below. |
| Monday 13 May | Evening | Informal Get-together/Ice Breaker | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Lou Malnati’s Pizza |
| Tuesday 14 May | Morning | BHL Business Meeting | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Chicago Botanic Garden and virtually via Zoom |
| Tuesday 14 May | Afternoon | Tours/Collections | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Chicago Botanic Garden |
| Wednesday 15 May | Morning | BHL Business Meeting | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Field Museum and virtually via Zoom |
| Wednesday 15 May | Afternoon | Tours/Collections | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Field Museum |
| Wednesday 15 May | Evening | Caxton Club Lecture and Reception | BHL Members, Affiliates, Invited Guests, SLA Advisory Board Members | Union League Club of Chicago (will be recorded but no live streaming) |
| Thursday 16 May | Morning | BHL Business Meeting - Open Discussion Session | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Field Museum and virtually via Zoom |
| Thursday 16 May | Afternoon | BHL Day Public Symposium | Public, BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Montgomery Ward Lecture Hall, Field Museum and virtually via Zoom |
| Thursday 16 May | Evening | BHL Farewell Reception | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Montgomery Ward Lecture Hall, Field Museum |
| Friday 17 May | Morning | Optional Excursion: Guided tour of Adler Planetarium Library | BHL Members, Affiliates, and Invited Guests | Adler Planetarium |
Recommended Chicago Excursions
| Excursion | Cost | Address | Distance from downtown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture Center River Cruise | $54 + fees | 112 E. Wacker Dr. | Walking distance from downtown | Recommended to purchase tickets in advance for 3:00pm. Link to purchase tickets for May 13 |
| Shedd Aquarium | $19.95 general admission | 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive | Walking distance from downtown | |
| Art Institute of Chicago | $26 general admission | 111 South Michigan Avenue | Walking distance from downtown | |
| Navy Pier | Free to walk along the pier, $18 for ferris wheel | 600 E. Grand Ave | Walking distance from downtown | |
| Millennium Park | Free | 201 E. Randolph St. | Walking distance from downtown | |
| Newberry Library | Free | 60 W. Walton St. | 2.4 miles from downtown via public transit | Closed Sunday and Monday |
| Hemingway birthplace and museum | $20 | 339 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL | 9.3 miles via public transit | |
| Frank Lloyd Wright Oak Park home and studio | $20-30 | 951 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL | 9.6 miles via public transit | |
| Garfield Park Conservatory | Free | 300 N Central Park Ave | 5.4 miles via public transit | |
| Bahá’í House of Worship | Free | 100 Linden Ave, Wilmette, IL | 15 miles via public transit | |
| Lincoln Park Zoo | Free | Multiple entrances | 3.8 miles via public transit |
Local Points of Interest
iNaturalist Bioblitz
For the 2024 BHL Annual meeting, which will be held in Chicago, IL, we are providing meeting attendees with the opportunity to contribute to a BHL bioblitz. All observations made in Cook County, IL will be included in the project.
For those of you who use iNaturalist to document your observations (or if you're interested in using iNaturalist), please join the "2024 BHL Annual Meeting" iNaturalist project.
The project will document observations made during the 2024 BHL Annual Meeting (Chicago), 12-18 May 2024.
Code of Conduct
By participating in any activity associated with BHL, you agree voluntarily to abide by the BHL Code of Conduct. The goal of the BHL Code of Conduct is to foster an environment, whether virtual or in-person, of genuine and mutual respect among its community members.
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