FREE Chicago Museum Days 2017
** Click HERE for FREE Chicago Museum Days 2018 **
Chicago boasts some of the best museums in the country, providing amazing learning opportunities and fun family adventure days, but ticket prices can quickly add up for budget conscious visitors.
Thankfully many Chicago area museums offer FREE days and deals throughout the year.
If you are an Illinois resident, Chicago resident, educator, military personnel, firefighter, police, or student, you may be eligible to visit these 47 Chicago area museums (compiled with information directly from museum websites) on the best possible days and on the best possible deals of 2017 – when they’re FREE.
Most Popular & Museum Campus
Adler Planetarium
1300 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605 | 312-922-7827
FREE general admission for ILLINOIS residents
January 6-13, 16, 17-20
February 6-10, 20, 21-24
June 5-9
Other FREE Deals
Free general admission for ILLINOIS teachers (pre-k – 12) and active MILITARY PERSONNEL with proper ID. See website for more information.
Chicago Children’s Museum
Navy Pier | 700 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 | 312-527-1000
FREE Deals
-Free admission for ALL visitors every Thursday 5PM-8PM.
-Free admission for visitors 15 AND UNDER on the first Sunday of each month.
-Free admission for VETERANS and ACTIVE MILITARY every day with ID.
-One free admission (from 1PM through close) for EDUCATORS, MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS, and STUDENT visitors unaccompanied by a child visitor.
Field Museum of Natural History
1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605 | 312-922-9410
FREE basic admission for ILLINOIS residents
January 16, 28, 29, 30
February 1-28
Other FREE Deals
Active MILITARY PERSONNEL and ILLINOIS teachers (pre-k through 12) receive complimentary Basic admission to the museum.
Museum of Science and Industry
5700 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637 | 773-684-1414
FREE museum entry for ILLINOIS residents
January 10-12, 16-19, 24-26, 31
February 1-2, 7-9, 14-16, 21-23, 28
June 5-9, 12
September 5-8, 11-15, 18-22, 25-29
October 2-5
Shedd Aquarium
1200 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
FREE general admission for ILLINOIS residents
January 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
February 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 27, 28
June 5, 6, 12, 13
August 28, 29
September 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31
November 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21
Bank of America/Merrill Lynch ATM, credit or debit card holders
Eligible for ONE free general admission on the first full weekend of every month.
January 7-8
February 4-5
March 4-5
April 1-2
May 6-7
June 3-4
July 1-2
August 5-6
September 2-3
October 7-8
November 4-5
December 2-3
Other FREE Deals (see website for more details)
-Great Kids Museum Passports | Some Chicago Public Library branches offer Great Kids Museum Passports that may be checked out for two free adult and two free child general admissions.
-Chicago POLICE and FIREFIGHTERS | Receive a free Shedd Pass with proper ID.
-Active-Duty US MILITARY PERSONNEL | Receive a free Shedd Pass with proper ID.
-EDUCATORS | Educators from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin can receive a complimentary Shedd Pass by registering online.
Nature Museums, Farms & Zoos
Check websites for special programs and scheduling (some additional fees may apply).
Brookfield Zoo
8400 West 31st Street, Brookfield, IL 60513 | 708-688-8000
FREE Deals
-General Zoo Admission is free on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from January 3, 2017-February 28, 2017.
-Free admission to all active, reservist, and retired MILITARY PERSONNEL with valid ID.
-Free admission for ALL to Hamill Family Play Zoo January 1-February 28.
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022 | 847-835-5440
Free daily admission for ALL, parking fees apply.
Emily Oaks Nature Center
4650 Brummel Street, Skokie, IL 60076 | 847-677-7001
Free daily admission for ALL.
Fischer Farm
16W680 Old Grand Ave., Bensenville, IL 60106 | 630-766-7015
Free for ALL
Wednesdays & Fridays 9AM-3PM
Thursdays 1-5 PM
Saturdays 9AM-1PM
Gardens at Cantigny
1S151 South Winfield Road, Wheaton, IL 60189 | 630-668-5161
Free daily admission for ALL, parking fees apply.
Cantingly Gardens and Grounds are closed all of January and Monday-Thursday in February. Check website for holiday hours.
Garfield Park Conservatory
300 North Central Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60624 | 312-746-5100
Free daily admission for ALL, street parking available.
Lincoln Park Zoo
2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614 | 312-742-2000
Free daily admission for ALL, parking fees apply.
Lurie Garden at Millennium Park
201 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60602 | Southeastern end of Millennium Park
Free daily admission for ALL.
Maggie Daley Park
337 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Free daily admission for ALL. Some program fees apply.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 North Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614 | 773-755-5100
Thursdays are suggested donation days for ILLINOIS residents.
The Grove
1421 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview, IL | 847-299-6096
Free daily admission for ALL.
Wagner Farm
1510 Wagner Road, Glenview, IL 60026 | 847-657-1506
Free daily admission for ALL.
History Museums
Cantigny Park Museums
Robert McCormick Museum & First Division Museum
1S151 South Winfield Road, Wheaton, IL 60189 | 630-668-5161
Free daily admission for ALL, parking fees apply.
First Division Museum is currently closed for renovations but will reopen Summer 2017.
Robert R. McCormick Museum is closed on Mondays, all of January, and Monday-Thursday in February. Check website for holiday hours.
Charnley Persky House
1365 N. Astor Street, Chicago, IL 60610 | 312-573-1365
FREE Deals
-Free 45 minute tour for ALL on Wednesdays 12PM.
-ILLINOIS teachers admitted free with ID for the Saturday tour.
Chicago History Museum
1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
FREE admission for ILLINOIS residents
Every Tuesday beginning January 10, 2017 from 12:30-7:30PM
and on Commemorative Days:
January 16
February 20
March 4
July 4
Other FREE Deals
-Free admission for CHILDREN 12 and under.
-Free to members of the Chicago History Museum, DuSable Museum, and National Museum of Mexican Art.
Clark House Museum
1827 South Indiana Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616
Free for ALL
Viewing for groups of 5 or more by appointment only.
Guided tours offered Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 1PM & 3PM.
DuPage County Historical Museum
102 E. Wesley Street, Wheaton, IL 60187 | 630-510-4941
Free for ALL during general hours. Program and event fees vary.
Elmhurst Historical Museum
120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60302 | 630-833-1457
Free for ALL during general hours. Some nominal fees for additional programs.
Glessner House Museum
1800 South Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616 | 312-326-1480
Free for ALL on Wednesdays.
Illinois Holocaust Museum
9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077 | 847-967-4800
Bank of America/Merrill Lynch ATM, credit or debit card holders
Eligible for ONE free general admission on the first full weekend of every month.
January 7-8
February 4-5
March 4-5
April 1-2
May 6-7
June 3-4
July 1-2
August 5-6
September 2-3
October 7-8
November 4-5
December 2-3
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
The University of Illinois at Chicago
800 S. Halsted, Chicago, IL 60607
Free admission for ALL (suggested donation).
Art Museums
Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603 | 312-443-3600
FREE admission for ILLINOIS residents
Every Thursday 5-8PM.
Other FREE Deals
-STUDENTS | ANY child under 14 is always free. Chicago teens under 18 are free.
-Kids Museum Passport | Residents with a Chicago Public Library card can check out a pass for up to four free general admissions to the Art Institute. Some restrictions apply. See website for more details.
– MILITARY PERSONNEL | Active-duty military and their families are free from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
– ILLINOIS EDUCATORS | Free admission available to current Illinois educators, including pre-K-12 teachers, teaching artists working in schools, and homeschool parents. Educators must register online to receive a voucher.
– Museums for ALL | LINK and WIC cardholders receive free general admission for themselves and their family.
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602
Free daily admission for ALL.
City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower
806 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
Free daily admission for ALL.
Ed Paschke Art Center
5415 W. Higgins Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630 | 312-533-4911
Free daily admission for ALL.
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art
220 South Cottage Hill Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126 | 630-833-1616
FREE Deals
Free admission for ALL every Friday.
Free to active members of the Armed forces any day the museum is open to the public.
Loyola University Museum of Art
820 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 | 312-915-7600
Free admission for ALL every Tuesday.
Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art
Northwestern University
40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 | 847-491-4000
Free admission for ALL.
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 | 312-280-2660
FREE Deals
Free admission for ILLINOIS residents every Tuesday.
Free for members of the MILITARY and POLICE and FIRE departments, VETERANS, and CHILDREN 12 and under.
National Veterans Art Museum
4041 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641 | 312-326-0270
Free daily admission for ALL.
The Renaissance Society – University of Chicago
5811 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
Free daily admission for ALL.
Smart Museum of Art – University of Chicago
5550 S. Greenwood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 | 773-702-0200
Free daily admission for ALL.
Ethnic Art & History Museums
DuSable Museum of African American History
740 East 56th Place, Chicago, IL 60637 | 773-947-0600
FREE Deals
-Free admission for ALL every Tuesday.
-Free for CHICAGO RESIDENTS under age 5.
-All MILITARY PERSONNEL, all branches receive free admission.
-All active or non-active duty personnel/POW’s (Illinois Residents) receives free admission.
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
3001 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201 | 847-475-1030
Free admission for ALL every first Friday.
National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 West 19th Street, Chicago, IL 60608 | 312-738-1503
Free daily admission for ALL.
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
3015 West Division Street, Chicago IL 60622 | 773-486-8345
Free admission Tuesday-Saturday for ALL.
Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago
1155 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 | 773-702-9514
Free daily admission for ALL (suggested donation).
Swedish American Museum
5211 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60601 | 773-728-8111
Free admission for ALL every second Tuesday of the month.
Other Museums
International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60610 | 312-642-6502
Free for ALL on Tuesdays.
Money Museum [Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago]
230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL | 312-322-2400
Free daily admission for ALL (Mondays-Fridays except on Bank holidays)
Northwestern’s Dearborn Observatory
2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 | 847-491-3685
Free public observation 8-10PM every Friday evening. Reservations required.
Pritzker Military Museum & Library
104 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603 | 312-374-9333
Free to visitors with active MILITARY ID.
Know of another FREE Chicago area museum day?
Leave a comment below or contact me directly to be included in this family-friendly list!