If you're fascinated by the era in history when bands of ruffians pillaged their way across the seas, then you definitely don't want to miss the Field Museum's latest exhibit.
"Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship" will open to the public on Feb. 25 and runs through Oct. 25.
The 8,400-square-foot interactive exhibition has more than 200 artifacts from the pirate era, including everyday objects, personal items, and treasures from the first fully authenticated pirate ship ever to be discovered in U.S. waters.
The exhibit tells the true story of the Whydah -- a pirate ship that sank off the coast of Cape Cod nearly 300 years ago.
Items include treasure chests of gold coins and jewelry and weaponry such as an 18th century cannon, pistols, and swords.
The artifacts were recovered from the ocean floor over the last 25 years.
The interactive exhibit allows visitors to hoist a pirate flag, tie pirate knots, and enter the ship as the pirates did, by ducking through a large wooden door and going "below deck" of the Whydah in a life-size replica of the ship's stern.
Tickets to the exhibit are $23 for adults, $20 for seniors and students and $13 for children 3-11. Visit www.fieldmuseum.org or call 866-FIELD-03 for more information.
