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on-a-budget

Chicago styleOn a budget

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Some of the best things in life (and Chicago) are free. The city is packed with budget-friendly events and activities, like free museum days, free festivals, inexpensive attractions, and more.

Here’s our round-up of the coolest free and cheap things to see and do in Chicago.

Friends watch a show in the grass at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park at sunset

See the sights

Do Chicago on the cheap with cool museums, music festivals, and neighborhood tours — all for free.

Group bike tour

Explore nature

Don’t let the skyscrapers fool you. Chicago is home to beaches, parks, and miles of lakefront to explore for free.

Chicago Blues Fest

Jam at festivals

From cool jazz and sultry blues to classical and world music, free music festivals define summer in Chicago.

Adler Planetarium

Explore the arts

Public art by Picasso, free cultural attractions, and discounted museum days. Here's how to see Chicago's artistic side on the cheap.

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