Free Chicago museum days 2015
Check out the always-updated list of free museum days!
2016’s free Chicago museum days post is live! Don’t miss free days at Chicago’s world-class museums — a great way to show off the city to out-of-town friends, or just get out of the cold (or heat).
Free museum days for Illinois museums:
Chicago Children’s Museum – Target Free First Sundays and Kraft Free Family Night
Free admission for kids 15 and under. First Sunday of every month, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and every Thursday evening from 5-8 p.m.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Free every Tuesday for IL residents.
Art Institute of Chicago
Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is free to IL residents every Thursday, 5-8pm.
Discounts for city residents.
(For more details, check out MonicaW’s Art Institute blog.)
The Museum of Science and Industry
Various free days throughout each month.
The Field Museum
Chicago residents receive discounts ($2 – $4.50) on admission packages.
National Museum of Mexican Art – Free Admission every day
Free admission every day during museum hours, 10 a.m – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday
Millennium Park
Look for free events, such as a free festival of music, skating rink, performances and family activities for all ages.
Smart Museum of Art
Admission is free. Part of the University of Chicago, this museum is located on the Hyde Park campus at 5550 S. Greenwood Avenue.
Museum of Contemporary Photography
Part of the Columbia College Chicago, this museum is exclusively devoted to photography and is—of course—free! If you are in the Loop, it is at 600 S. Michigan.
Money Museum
Part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. This is where we admit that, being Thriftistas, we are interested in money! (Okay, we are mainly interested in saving our money!) This free museum is only open during business hours, but you can also reserve a spot on their weekday 1 p.m. public tour of the museum. This museum is at 230 S. LaSalle St.
