Field Museum
Field Museum
Chicago's museums are world-class, but all those bones, weather simulators and rides in Chicago's first El train car don't come cheap. Throw in parking, special exhibits and the gift shop, and it adds up fast. But in the philanthropic spirit of our fine city, most museums offer free admission for Illinois residents on certain days. Here's a complete calendar for the next few months. You're on your own in the gift shop.
*Free days can change at the last minute, so ALWAYS call first to confirm before heading out to the museums.
City
Adler Planetarium
October: 7-9, 14-16
November: 8, 11
December: 2-3, 7, 12-13
The Art Institute of Chicago
Free for Illinois residents 5-8 p.m. Thursdays. Kids 13 and under and Chicago teens under 18 are always free.
Chicago History Museum
Free 12:30-9 p.m. on Tuesdays.* Illinois resident children under 18 are always free. Non-Illinois residents 12 and under are always free.
*Excludes Jan. 2 & 9, Dec. 18 & 25.
Chicago Children's Museum
Free the first Sunday of every month for kids 15 and under. Always free to kids under 1.
Shedd Aquarium
DuSable Museum of African American History
Free on Tuesdays. Kids 5 and under are always free.
The Field Museum
October: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
November: 6, 13
Lincoln Park Zoo
Free admission daily.
Loyola University Museum of Art
Free on Tuesdays.
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
Free on Sundays.
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Free 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays for Illinois residents; kids 18 and under are always free
Free the second Saturday of the month (October-May) for families with kids 12 and under.
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
October: 29
November: 18
National Museum of Mexican Art
Free admission daily.
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Photo Credit: Joshua Longbrake, © MCA Chicago.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Free Thursdays for Illinois residents. Kids under 3 are always free.
Shedd Aquarium
October: 1, 2
December: 4
Smart Museum of Art
Always free.
Suburbs
Elmhurst History Museum
Always free.
Fischer Farm
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays.
Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center
October: 10
November: 10
December: 10
Midway Village Museum
October: 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
November: 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26
December: 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19
Midwest Museum of Natural History
Free the first Wednesday and Thursday of every month.
Wilmette Historical Museum
Always free.
Other
Bank of America Free Days
Have a Bank of America card? Then on the first full weekend of each month present your card and get free admission to various Chicago area museums (see website for details). One per cardholder, so it won't be free for the entire family (unless each of your children has a credit card), but a free adult admission is nothing to sneeze at.
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This post is updated regularly.
