The best free things to do in Chicago this month

Want to get a free, behind-the-scenes look at the Chicago Board of Trade Building, Walt Disney's birthplace home, Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center and more iconic buildings throughout the Chicago area? You’ll have a chance to do so when the Chicago Architecture Center’s annual festival Open House Chicago returns to the city, opening up more than 170 architectural wonders across the city for free tours.

Need some help building your itinerary? Start with these five iconic landmarks you’ll be able to access for free during Open House Chicago 2025.

Described as “landscape art under glass” when it opened in 1908, the conservatory, while being one of the largest in the world, also boasts revolutionary architecture. About 120,000 plants representing some 600 species occupy the conservatory’s two acres and indoor spaces. Twice a year, flower shows premiere to celebrate the beginning of winter and spring. Admission is free, but timed reservations are required. 

This weekly “live magazine” is a cavalcade of culture, politics and wit featuring journalists, actors, comedians and musicians offering idiosyncratic reports on the news of the day. Head to Uptown’s iconic Green Mill for drinks, hot takes and laughs; the longstanding Saturday afternoon edition tends to run about two and a half hours.

What’s better than a show at the Empty Bottle? A free show at the Empty Bottle. Every Monday, Chicago’s premier indie rock club hosts a free concert. Check the venue's website for a schedule of upcoming performances and to RSVP.

The Whistler’s premier lit series pops up on the second Wednesday of every month, bringing an evening of readings, workshopping and discussion to the Logan Square cocktail bar. Each show is followed by an installment of the Relax Attack Jazz Series, another free event with a constantly rotating bill.

You don't have to look any further than Pilsen to find one of the largest Latino cultural organizations in the U.S. Visit the National Museum of Mexican Art and explore a 6,000-piece permanent collection, rotating exhibits, performing-arts showcases and educational programming that represents an illustrious Mexican culture.

This annual arts-centric Halloween parade returns to State Street to cap off the City of Chicago's “Halloweek” festivities with an evening of colorful, family-friendly flair. Watch as participants from major cultural organizations, inspiring youth programs and aspiring artists in every field march down the downtown thoroughfare and prepare for a spectacle. 

Experience the wealth of public art decorating the city through the eyes of an expert. Each walking tour—spanning anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour—is led by a docent and covers a half-mile, beginning outside the Chicago Cultural Center and ending in Millennium Park. Throughout the tour, the docent offers context about each piece and its artist. The tour is free, but keep in mind that advance registration is required.

Celebrating Chicago culture through couture, Chicago Fashion Week brings runway shows, markets, educational programs and more—many of which are free to attend—throughout the city. Some standout events include an indigo dyeing and shibori workshop; The Chicago Streetwear Expo; a runway show emphasizing sustainability; and Fleurotica, a fashion show featuring garments made entirely from plants, flowers and natural materials. Check out the full programming lineup on CFW's website. 

See some 1,100 animals—from apes to zebras to flamingos—at one of the last free zoos in the country. The 35-acre attraction connects visitors with animals from all over the world, and a variety of seasonal events and special programming keep locals coming back again and again. Admission to Lincoln Park Zoo has been free since it opened in 1868.

As summer winds down and fall weather draws us indoors, Chicago museums are welcoming visitors with a new round of free admission days. Many institutions are offering no-cost entry for Illinois residents (don’t forget to bring that proof of residency!), and a few are even opening their doors for free to everyone. 

Illinois residents can enjoy free museum days throughout October 2025 at the following institutions:

The Field Museum: Free on Wednesdays

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry: Free on October 1, 6, 7, 8, 14 and 15

Chicago History Museum: Free on October 8, 13 and 25

Adler Planetarium: Free every Wednesday after 4pm

Shedd Aquarium: Free on October 7, 14, 21 and 28 after 5pm

When this institution opened in 1961, African-American history was suffering serious neglect at the hands of the city’s—and for that matter the nation’s—cultural institutions. The Hyde Park cultural hub is now one of the oldest African-American–focused museums in the country. Admission is free for all every Wednesday.

Wanna see some of the best Halloween costumes in the city? Head to Northalsted, where a group of dedicated cosplayers shows off their creations at this annual procession. You'll find drag queens, kids, parents and pets marching in the Halsted Halloween Night Parade, which typically features impressive group costumes and dancers performing all the moves to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." The parade steps off at Halsted and Belmont at 7:30pm and heads north before ending at Halsted and Cornelia at 8pm; stick around afterwards—the awards show commences at Halsted and Brompton at 8:30pm.

Every two years, Chicago becomes a global hub of architecture and design during the Chicago Architecture Biennial. This edition’s theme is SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, bringing together over 100 projects by architects, artists and designers from 30 countries—each piece engaging with the cultural, social and environmental fluxes transforming our world. Not sure where to start? Check out our first-timer's guide to the exhibition.

Explore music from around the globe during this annual festival, now in its 24th year, which brings a wide array of performers to venues across the city for free musical performances. Experience sounds and subgenres from regions like Brazil, South Korea, Senegal and more. For a full list of performances, visit the festival's website. 

Every October, more than 45,000 runners hit the streets of Chicago and take a 26.2 mile tour of the city by foot. While it's too late to enter the race (and complete weeks of grueling training), you can join tens of thousands of spectators on the city's streets to cheer on participants as they make their way through the course. The start and finish line in Grant Park isn't open to the public, but you can head to neighborhoods like Pilsen, Chinatown, Boystown and Lincoln Park to join crowds of onlookers toting handmade signs, blaring music and encouraging all of the runners as they whiz by, or meet your runner at the reunite area of Grant Park starting at 9:30am. 

Originally established in the late 1800s, the Maxwell Street Market brought vendors, musicians and cooks to an open-air flea market where shoppers could find just about anything they wanted. The market introduced the Maxwell Street Polish sausage, provided a venue for rising Chicago blues musicians and was immortalized in a scene in The Blues Brothers. These days, the market sets up on Maxwell Street, between South Halsted Street and South Union Avenue on Sundays, where visitors will find vendors hawking their wares, an abundance of delicious Mexican food and occasional performances by local bands and dance troupes. 

Displaying a 25-story-tall video installation on the side of THE MART, ART on THE MART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, with programming that changes seasonally. ART on THE MART's array of 34 digital projectors show the creations after dusk every evening. Running Thursdays through Saturdays beginning at 7:30pm, it’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.