What day is the free day for Chicago museums?

Chicago museums offer a variety of free days throughout the year. Illinois residents can enjoy free admission to the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, and more on select dates all year long.

What museums are free to Chicago residents?

Many Chicago museums offer free admission to Illinois residents on select dates throughout the year, including the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Adler Planetarium. While admission is free, you can usually reserve tickets in advance online. Chicago also has an array of museums that offer free admission to everyone all year long.

Free Museum Days in Chicago | Free Admission to Chicago Museums

Experience Chicago’s award-winning museums, without spending a dime. Check out our ever-growing list of Chicago free museum days in 2023, plus some of our museums that are free all year long.

Looking for other ways to save? Check out the Chicago CityPASS or Go Chicago Card, which offers admission to several Chicago museums and attractions for one discounted price.

Here’s a list of upcoming free Chicago museum days. Keep in mind that some museums may be operating with different hours and new ticketing procedures; contact the museum to learn more.

Adler Planetarium

Adler Planetarium exterior

The Adler Planetarium offers a variety of discounted tickets throughout the year.

Upcoming free museum days for Illinois residents at the Adler Planetarium:

Every Wednesday evening from 4 – 10 p.m.

All tickets must be purchased online and in advance. Admission is always free for Illinois teachers (pre-K through 12).

Field Museum

The Field Museum offers free basic admission, plus discounted passes to explore a ticketed exhibition or enjoy a 3D movie, for Illinois residents on select dates throughout the year.

Upcoming free museum days at the Field Museum in 2023:

Jan. 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31
Feb. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 20
March 7, 14
April 18, 22, and 25
May 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30
June 6, 13, and 19
July 1 and 2
Aug. 29
Sept. 5, 9, 12, 19, and 26
Oct. 3, 9, 10, 17, 24, and 31
Nov. 7, 10, 14, and 28
Dec. 5 and 12

Tickets for free days are only available onsite and cannot be reserved in advance. The free tickets include all general admission exhibitions, such as Evolving Planet, The Ancient Americas, and Inside Ancient Egypt.

Illinois teachers (pre-K through 12th grade) and active military personnel receive free basic admission year-round.

Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago offers select free admission days for Illinois residents throughout the year.

Upcoming free museum days for Illinois residents at the Art Institute of Chicago:

Thursday evenings (5 – 8 p.m.), May 18 – Aug. 31, 2023
Weekdays (Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays), Nov. 27 – Dec. 22, 2023

To receive free admission tickets, Illinois residents must reserve them online in advance.

The museum is always free for Chicago teens under the age of 18, all children under age 14, Link and WIC cardholders, active-duty military, and Illinois educators.

The public can enjoy the following public museum areas free of charge:

The Ryan Learning Center in the Modern Wing
The North and South Gardens (accessible from Michigan Avenue)
The Nichols Bridgeway connecting the museum to Millennium Park
The Bluhm Family Terrace on the 3rd floor of the west pavilion of the Modern Wing

Museum of Science and Industry

MSI Storm exhibit — J.B. Spector/Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

Admission to the Museum of Science and Industry is free for Illinois residents on select dates throughout the year.

Upcoming free museum days at the Museum of Science and Industry in 2023:

Jan. 30 – 31
Feb. 1 – 2, 6 – 9, 13 – 14, 16, 21
March 1, 6, 14
April 18, 22
May 4, 9, 17 – 18
June 1, 6 – 7, 19
Aug. 28 – 29
Sept. 5 – 6, 11 – 12, 15, 18 – 20, 26
Oct. 4 – 5, 9
Nov. 1, 8

The Museum of Science and Industry is always free for United States military active-duty personnel and veterans, Illinois POWs, Chicago firefighters, Chicago police officers and Illinois teachers (Pre-K through 12th grade).

Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium offers Illinois residents free access to all permanent exhibits, including special exhibits Underwater Beauty and seasonal Stingray Touch, on select dates throughout the year.

Upcoming free museum days for Illinois residents at the Shedd Aquarium in 2023:

Jan. 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16
Feb. 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, and 28
March 1 and 2
June 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 (5 – 9 p.m.)

Advance reservations are required; no tickets will be available onsite. A $3-per-order transaction fee applies to Illinois Free Day tickets reserved online. All adults must provide proof of residency in-person when redeeming tickets at the discounted rate.

Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum offers free admission on select holidays and dates throughout the year.

Illinois residents can receive free admission on the following days in 2023:

Jan. 16 – 20, 24 – 27, 31
Feb. 1 – 3, 7 – 10, 14 – 17, 20 – 24, 28
March 12, 29, 30
April 4, 26
May 4, 29, 31
June 19, 28
July 4, 26
Aug. 15 – 17
Sept. 4, 13, 27
Oct. 9, 11
Nov. 1, 29
Dec. 13

Admission is always free for active duty military and veterans, active duty Chicago police and firefighters, Illinois teachers, Illinois residents under age 18, and all children under 12.

DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center

The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center offers free admission for all every Wednesday.

Online booking in advance is currently required for all visitors. Admission is always free for military and first responders.

Museum of Contemporary Art

The Museum of Contemporary Art is always free for visitors under age 18, visitors with disabilities and their caregivers receive free admission, members of the military and police and fire departments and veterans, and Illinois elementary and high school teachers.

Illinois residents receive free admission every Tuesday

To encourage more people to visit and visit often, the MCA has a pay-what-you-can policy — no one will be turned away. They also offer suggested admission of $3 each for up to six individuals when visitors present their LINK (EBT) Card as part of the Museums for All program.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is offering suggested donation admission on the following days in 2023:

Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26
March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30
April 6, 13, 20, and 27

The museum also offers weekly Donation Days every Thursday the museum is open for Illinois residents. Illinois residents can enjoy free admission during these Donation Days or support the museum with a $10 suggested household donation at the time of admission.

Admission is always free for active-duty service members with ID and their families, Illinois teachers, and children under three.

Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center

Resistance Gallery at the Illinois Holocaust Museum — Photo by Kathleen Hinkel

The Illinois Holocaust Museum offers a variety of free admission days and discounted tickets throughout the year.

Museum admission is free to all the last Friday of the month throughout 2023

Reserve your free tickets in advance.

Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier

Navy Pier Entrance in the Fall

The Chicago Children’s Museum offers veterans and active military free admission every day with the presentation of valid military status identification. In partnership with Navy Pier, Free Family Days in 2023 are the last Thursday of the month January through May as well as September and October. No pre-registration is required.