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Free museum days at the best Chicago museums
Free museum days at Chicago's best museums can help you on save family outings and are great for holiday weekends
Chicago museums are some of the most popular attractions in the city (and among the finest institutions in the world), but the price of admission can add up fast—especially if you're visiting multiple places in a single day. Luckily, it's possible to stroll through the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago or get lost in the Museum of Science and Industry's mirror maze without having to reach into your wallet. Popular institutions throughout the city offer free museum days, allowing Illinois residents to spend a gratis afternoon or evening enjoying the exhibitions (another great perk of living in Chicago). Whether you're looking for things to do in the Loop or want to explore a collection of vintage buttons in Logan Square, we've assembled a long list of free museum days Chicago residents and visitors can take advantage of.
Free museum days in Chicago
1. Adler Planetarium
Illinois Resident Discount Days offer free general admission for Illinois residents with ID. Illinois residents may also upgrade to a Museum Entry +2 pass at a discounted price to gain access to additional shows and exhibitions.
Upcoming free days for Illinois residents include:
January 7-9, 20-22
February 4-6, 11-13, 17-20
March 9-12
April 20-23
May 10-16
June 2, 9, 16
August 22, 23, 31
September 1-4
October 12-15
November 11, 17-19
2. Art Institute of Chicago
Free to Illinois residents 5–8pm Thursdays. Also free to children under 14 and Chicago teens under 18 at all times.
3. Bronzeville Children's Museum
Free admission for children ages 3–9 on the first and third Saturday of each month. Free admission is always offered to members, as well as active and retired military personnel.
4. Busy Beaver Button Museum
Busy Beaver's Logan Square headquarters host the Button Museum, a collection of more than 9,000 historical pin-back buttons. Admission is always free Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm, but donations are welcome.
5. The Field Museum
Active military personnel and Illinois teachers receive complimentary admission.
Upcoming free days for Illinois residents include:
January 15, 20, 22, 29
February 1–29
$3 admission to families who show an EBT or WIC card (maximum of six people)
6. Shedd Aquarium
Illinois Resident Discount Days offer free general admission for Illinois residents with ID.
Upcoming free days for Illinois residents include:
January 16-20
February 3-7, 10-14, 17-21, 24-28
June 15, 16, 22, 23
Free museum day tickets can be reserved online, but are subject to a $3-per-order transaction fee.
7. Brookfield Zoo
Free admission is always available for active, reserve and retired military personnel with proper ID.
8. Chicago Botanic Garden
Chicago Botanic Garden offers free admission daily, though keep parking fees in mind ($25 per car, $10 for senior citizens on Tuesdays, $30 per van, $65 per limousine, minibus, bus and RV). The Metra Union Pacific North line stops just outside the gates, which means you can avoid parking fees if you ride the train.
9. Chicago Children's Museum
The first Sunday of every month is free for children 15 and younger. Active and retired military personnel receive free admission every day.
Teachers, firefighters and police officers receive $12.95 admission every day.
EBT cardholders receive admission for up to six people for $3. Groups must have at least one child 15 years old or younger.
10. Chicago History Museum
Free every Tuesday to Illinois residents between 12:30–9pm. Admission is also free on holidays: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day and July 4.
Free for non–Illinois resident children 12 and younger and Illinois residents under 18 daily. City of Chicago residents receive a $2 discount with valid ID.
Free to members of DuSable Museum, National Museum of Mexican Art and Institute for Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.
Free to all active duty military, all veterans, Chicago Police and Fire Departments and Illinois teachers with valid ID.
$3 admission with proof of EBT or WIC card.
11. Clarke House Museum
Admission is always free. Groups for guided tours must consist of 10 or more people.
12. DePaul Art Museum
Free admission daily.
13. DuSable Museum of African American History
Free every Tuesday, year-round. Free admission for all active or non-active Military Duty Personnel and children under 5.
14. Glessner House Museum
Free admission every Wednesday and for children 5 years old and younger. Tours are always free to members of the museum and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
15. International Museum of Surgical Science
Free admission for Illinois residents with valid ID or proof of residency every Tuesday.
Free for children three and under.
16. Leather Archives and Museum
While this museum devoted to leather, BDSM, kink and fetish probably isn't appropriate for children, adults can enjoy free admission to the collection every Thursday.
17. Lincoln Park Zoo
Free admission daily.
18. Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
Free admission every Friday, year round. Active military personnel and children under 7 receive free admission daily. Parking is also free.
19. Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA)
Free admission every Tuesday. Also free everyday for active military personnel and their families, children 18 and under, Loyola University Chicago faculty and staff, Loyola students, members of the clergy and employees from other museums (all with valid ID).
20. Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art
Free admission daily. Free parking on weekends and after 4pm on weekdays.
21. McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum
Free on Sundays, free admission daily for Friends of the Chicago River members and children five and younger.
22. Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Free admission first Friday of each month, free for tribal members, free for military members from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
23. Museum of Contemporary Art
Free every Tuesday for Illinois residents with ID year-round. Free for military personnel and veterans, members of police and fire departments and children 12 and under.
24. Museum of Science and Industry
Illinois Resident Discount Days offer free general admission for Illinois residents with ID.
Upcoming free days for Illinois residents include:
January 6-9, 13-16, 20-23, 27-30
February 3-6, 10-13, 18-20, 24-27
25. National Museum of Mexican Art
Free admission daily.
26. National Veterans Art Museum
Free admission daily.
27. The Oriental Institute Museum
Free admission daily with a suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for children.
28. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Thursdays are suggested donation days for Illinois residents with ID. Free for children 3 and younger and members.
Free admission for Illinois teachers with valid school ID.
29. Smart Museum of Art
Free admission daily.
30. Swedish American Museum
Free admission on the second Tuesday of each month.