Due to street closures on South Columbus Drive between Roosevelt Road and Congress Parkway, the Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, has decided to close early today out of concern for its employees and low afternoon attendance.

The Field Museum, which usually stays open until 5 p.m., will close at 3 p.m. today to allow its employees to safely make it out of the area where the Obama rally will begin later tonight, said Nancy O’Shea, director of media for the museum.

Also closing this afternoon at 4 p.m. is the Chicago Water Taxi Service, under orders by the U.S. Coast Guard due to parts of the Chicago River closing off. The taxi service usually runs until 7 p.m., but today it will be making its last run at 3:45 p.m., said Gregg Pupecki, spokesperson for Wendella Boats, the company that operates the service.