CHICAGO — Chicagoans can spend the new year exploring the city’s museums and cultural institutions without spending a dime.
From the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, we’ve rounded up 16 spots to explore for free through Chicago’s chilly winter days.
Here’s your guide to Chicago museums and their free admission offerings:
The Adler Planetarium at Museum Campus on Nov. 19, 2021.
Adler Planetarium
1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Chicagoans can explore the cosmos for free Jan. 6-8, 13-20 and 27-29 and Feb. 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26.
Residents can also enjoy free evenings 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays March-June.
Advance reservations for free days and free evenings are recommended due to high demand. Online registration includes a $5 convenience fee per order and can be secured here.
The planetarium features interactive exhibits and opportunities to learn about astronomy and space exploration. Illinois teachers from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade also receive free admission year-round with a valid school ID.
People look at George Seurat’s “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” in the Art Institute of Chicago in July 2015. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Ave.
The Art Institute is offering free winter weekday admission to explore its Impressionist, contemporary and global art collections. Chicagoans can get in for free 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays through February.
Tickets can be reserved in advance online here.
Free admission is also available to Illinois educators, including teachers for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, teaching artists and homeschool parents. They can register for a voucher here.
The Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Hall and Rotunda at the Chicago Cultural Center on April 5, 2024. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St.
The Chicago Cultural Center and its exhibits, tours and performances are free to everyone year-round. Visitors can check out exhibits like the Chicago Architecture Biennial through February and a group art show by artist mothers through March, plus architectural features like the Tiffany Dome.
Learn more here.
The popular “Zoom Room” exhibit is back at the Chicago Children’s Museum on Navy Pier. Credit: Provided/Chicago Children’s Museum
Chicago Children’s Museum
Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand Ave.
The Chicago Children’s Museum is a family favorite with multi-sensory exhibits.
It will have free admission to families with disabilities and Chicago Children’s Museum members on Feb. 8 and April 12 for a “Play For All” community day. The first 250 families to register here will get free admission.
The museum provides free admission daily to veterans and active military members with valid ID.
Illinois residents can buy discounted tickets for $21.
Visitors at the Chicago History Museum’s “Aqui en Chicago” exhibit, exploring the history and cultural impact of Chicago’s Latino communities. Credit: Provided/Chicago History Museum
Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St.
The Chicago History Museum is waiving admission fees on various days this winter. Illinois residents will get free entry Jan. 19-23 and Jan. 27-30. Admission fees will be waived on Feb. 16 and on all Tuesdays-Fridays in February.
Non-Illinois residents ages 12 and younger get in free. Non-Illinois residents ages 13-18 get in with discounted student pricing. Museum members, university students and employees, service members and social services recipients may also get free or discounted admission with valid identification.
Learn more here.
The Chinese American Museum of Chicago. Credit: Provided
Chinese American Museum of Chicago
238 W. 23rd St.
Admission to the Chinese American Museum of Chicago is always free, with a suggested donation of $8 for adults and $5 for students and older people.
Current exhibits dive into Chinese-American veterans’ history, work by two Chinese artists living in Chicago who explore abstraction to re-envision language visually, immigration stories from Chinatown residents and more.
Learn more here.
DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center on Aug. 15, 2023. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
740 E. 56th Place
The DuSable Black History Museum offers free admission for all visitors on Wednesdays. It’s also free for first responders and all active and non-active military personnel. Admission is also discounted for Illinois residents throughout the year.
As the oldest independent African-American history museum in the United States, the DuSable highlights the contributions of Black residents in Chicago and beyond.
Learn more here.
The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Credit: Heidi Peters/Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
The Museum of Science and Industry offers free admission for Illinois residents with valid proof on select dates January-June, including Jan. 12-14 and Jan. 25-28. Find updated information on free days and other admission information here.
Admission is always free for active-duty military and veterans, Illinois POWs, Chicago firefighters and police officers and Illinois teachers for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
An exhibit opening Jan. 19 takes visitors into the world of costume designer Paul Tazewell, who worked on sensations “Wicked,” “Hamilton” and Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”
Learn more here.
The Spinosaurus replica at the Field Museum. The dinosaur’s crocodile-like jaws enabled it to snatch its prey.
Field Museum
1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Illinois residents can visit the Field Museum for free every Wednesday through March 25. Learn more and stay updated on free days here. The museum also offers discounts for older people, students, children younger than 3, families with valid EBT or WIC cards, military personnel, veterans and Illinois teachers for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Exhibits like “Reptiles Alive!” and “Connecting Threads: Africa Fashion in Chicago” and 3D movies require additional purchase.
Learn more here.
Yoko Ono’s “Helmets (Pieces of Sky)” is an installation from 2001 which invites viewers to take a puzzle piece from helmets hanging from the ceiling, “referencing the violent fragmenting of hope through war.” Credit: Provided
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Ave.
The Museum of Contemporary Art offers free admission for Illinois residents 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays throughout the year. It’s also free for visitors 18 and younger year-round, and it hosts free Family Days on the second Saturday of each month through May.
The Streeterville museum has various contemporary art exhibitions, including a comprehensive overview of Yoko Ono’s work.
Learn more here.
The Puerto Rican Museum’s exterior at 3015 W. Division St. is seen May 24, 2024. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture
3015 W. Division St.
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Humboldt Park offers free admission year-round as part of its mission to be accessible to everyone.
The museum has exhibits on Latine baseball players and their impact on American baseball, Destyni “Desi” Swoope’s work exploring the creative and personal influence from the artist’s great-grandmother and more.
Learn more here.
The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen on Nov. 15, 2023. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 W. 19th St.
The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen offers free admission year-round.
Visitors can explore its collection of Mexican and Mexican-American textiles, paintings, sculptures and multimedia art, including a new exhibit on Mexican railroad workers and how they helped put Chicago on the map.
A kid encounters a snake at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Credit: Provided/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 N. Cannon Drive
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park offers free admission for Illinois residents every Thursday, with a $10 suggested donation. There is also discounted admission for Illinois residents throughout the year and free admission for infants under 12 months, Illinois teachers, active-duty service members and their families, veterans and retired service members, and families with assisted food program cards.
Guests can explore nature-filled exhibits like the Butterfly Haven and learn about Chicago’s natural ecosystems.
Learn more here.
Douglas, a new rockhopper penguin at the Shedd Aquarium, loves standing on things nearby, including caretakers’ boots. Credit: Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez
Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Known for its expansive marine life exhibits, the Shedd offers various free days for Illinois residents in January and February, plus several free nights each month March-June. Admission includes access to all exhibits and the seasonal Stingray Touch. Find the calendar here.
Reservations are required. While a $5 online booking fee applies, you can avoid it by calling 312-939-2438.
Visitors at the South Asia Institute, 1925 S. Michigan Ave. Credit: Facebook/South Asia Institute
South Asia Institute
1925 S. Michigan Ave.
The South Asia Institute offers donation-based admission throughout the year.
The nonprofit cultural center amplifies South Asian and South Asian-American artists through art exhibits, cultural performances and various pop-up events.
Learn more here.
Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark St. Credit: Eric Allix Rogers
Swedish American Museum
5211 N. Clark St.
Andersonville’s Swedish American Museum offers free admission on the second Tuesday of each month throughout the year. Members and children younger than 12 months also get in free year-round.
The museum celebrates Swedish culture and heritage with exhibits on Swedish immigration and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages.
Learn more here.
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