Chicago is home to some of the best museums and exhibits in the world, offering an eclectic mix of exciting exhibitions throughout the year as well as an array of remarkable permanent artworks and artifacts.
Chicago is home to some of the best museums and exhibits in the world, offering an eclectic mix of exciting exhibitions throughout the year. Fortunately for locals, many museums and attractions in Chicago offer free admission days for Illinois residents throughout the year.
It’s important to note that free museum days typically apply only to Illinois residents. However, many museums also provide free or discounted admission for active U.S. military personnel, veterans, Illinois POWs, Chicago firefighters, Chicago police officers, students, and Illinois teachers. If you fall into one of these categories, be sure to ask at the ticket booth and present a valid occupational ID.
Children and their families can also access free admission to several museums through a Kid Museum Passport from their local Chicago Public Library. In most cases, museums and attractions accept a variety of IDs to verify Illinois residency, including an Illinois identification card, lease, library card, student ID with photo, utility bill, work ID, or check stub.
Art Institute of Chicago
One of the world’s oldest and largest art museums, the Art Institute of Chicago is undoubtedly one of the city’s most renowned museums. Since its founding in 1879, it has flourished into one of the world’s most recognized art museums—and you need to take advantage of these free museum days in Chicago.
The museum is permanently home to over 300,000 works of art, including such pieces as American Gothic by Grant Wood, Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat, The Bedroom, 1889 by Vincent van Gogh and The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso. Illinois residents can enjoy them free on certain days of the week!
🗓️ When: Illinois residents are able to visit free of charge during Free Winter Weekdays (Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays), January 6–March 14, 2025.
📍Address: 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603
Field Museum
One of our favorite places to visit for free museum days in Chicago is the Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. It’s the largest museum of its kind on the planet. Having opened in 1894, its collection grew from many items on display at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to the reported mammoth collection of nearly 40 million artifacts and specimens that it houses today.
🗓️ When: Every Wednesday in 2025 for Illinois residents
📍Address: 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
The Museum of Science and Industry
Yet another superlative free museum day in Chicago, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry (aka MSI), is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere and one of the largest science museums in the world.
Focusing on the future of science and science education, the museum has enthralled and entertained nearly 200 million people since opening in 1933. It is home to over 2,000 exhibits displayed across 75 major halls, including uniquely interactive experiences for those who enjoy a more physically engaging museum outing.
Some of the incredible permanent residents of the MSI are a full-size replica coal mine, a German submarine U-505 captured during World War II, the first diesel-powered streamlined passenger train, and the command module of Apollo 8.
🗓️ When: For Illinois residents, there is free admission on Wednesdays
📍Address: 5700 S DuSable Lk Shr Dr, Chicago, IL 60637
Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium is a public museum dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics, and it was the first planetarium in the United States. Part of Chicago’s Museum Campus, it is located on the northeastern tip of Northerly Island, a stone’s throw from both the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium.
🗓️ When: Free for Illinois residents (with proof of residency) every Wednesday evening from 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
📍Address: 1300 S DuSable Lk Shr Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
Shedd Aquarium
The 5-million-gallon aquarium remains a leader among global aquariums, housing approximately 32,000 animals, including one of the world’s most diverse ranges of aquatic species. Each year, Shedd Aquarium attracts over 2 million visitors, offering unforgettable face-to-face encounters with marine life such as belugas, bluegills, stingrays, and surgeons.
🗓️ When: January 7–9, 14–21, 28–30
📍Address:1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
The Chicago History Museum
Founded in 1856, the Chicago Historical Society saw its first building and much of its collection destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Afterward, the society relocated several times while acquiring significant artifacts, including the bed on which Abraham Lincoln died and George Washington’s compass. The building still stands today on North Clark Street, located on the ancestral lands of the Potawatomi people, who tended to the land before being displaced by non-Native settlers.
As a major museum and research center focused on Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum aims to be a destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement.
🗓️ When: Illinois resident-free days include January 20–24, 28–31; February 4–7, 11–14, 17, 18–21, 25–28
📍Address: 1601 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, previously known as the DuSable Museum of African-American History, is the oldest independent African-American museum in the United States, having been in operation for over 60 years.
This museum studies and preserves African-American history, culture, and art. It houses an extensive collection of more than 15,000 items, including paintings, sculptures, prints, and historical memorabilia.
The museum regularly hosts special exhibitions, workshops, and lectures that focus on specific artists, important historical events, or collections on loan from individuals or institutions. For Illinois residents, the museum offers free admission every Wednesday.
🗓️ When: free to visit on Wednesdays
📍Address: 740 E 56th Pl, Chicago, IL 60637
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
First opened in 1967, The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is today one of the world’s largest museums dedicated to contemporary art.
With more than 2,000 works, it seeks to engage audiences of today and tomorrow with work and ideas of living artists that explore the historical, social, and cultural context of the art of our time.
🗓️ When: Illinois residents can visit for free on Tuesdays
📍Address: 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center
The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center serves to honor the survivors and victims of the Holocaust. Its founding principle is: “Remember the Past, Transform the Future.”
The Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice, and indifference.
It facilitates a range of permanent and temporary exhibitions but also organizes educational programs and initiatives that promote human rights and the elimination of genocide.
🗓️ When: Last Friday of the month
📍Address: 9603 Woods Dr, Skokie, IL 60077
The National Museum of Mexican Art
The National Museum of Mexican Art is another first-class museum. Home to 3,000 years’ worth of creativity from Mexican and Mexican-American artists, it is the largest museum of its kind in the United States.
Located in Pilsen, the heart of Chicago’s Mexican community, NMMA is a rich, immersive art experience with several incredible exhibitions and collections of Mexican culture.
The museum also hosts several special events throughout the year, such as the “Día de Los Muertos: Love Never Dies Ball,” “Sor Juana Festival,” “Mercado Navideño- Christmas Market,” and more!
🗓️ When: Everyday
📍Address: 1852 W 19th St, Chicago, IL 60608
The Museum of Contemporary Photography
As the only museum in the Midwest devoted to photography, Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Photography offers unparalleled work from national and international photographers. It’s one of our favorite free things to do in Chicago.
After beginning its collection in the early 1980s, it has grown to include over 16,000 objects by over 1,500 artists. The free museum days Chicago has for Illinois residents are daily, as are exhibitions and docent-led museum tours.
🗓️ When: Everyday
📍Address: 600 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
Chicago Cultural Center
This magnificent downtown building once served as the city’s first public library. The building alone is reason enough to visit. Home to the world’s largest stained glass Tiffany Dome, the CCC’s expertly crafted walls contain a ton of history.
The building was completed in 1897 as a public library and a civil war memorial. It was built with incredible materials such as rare imported marble, polished brass, mother-of-pearl, and colored stone. The 38-foot-diameter Tiffany dome has over 30,000 pieces of glass and was restored in 2008.
Today, it is open to the public seven days a week, while frequent exhibitions and public events are also usually entirely free.
🗓️ When: Everyday
📍Address: 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602
Smart Museum Of Art
Located within the University of Chicago, the Smart Museum of Art is a visual art collection examining complex issues with a permanent collection of over 15,000 objects.
The museum offers a free space to explore, learn, discover, and create art that makes a statement in the modern world.
With many rotating exhibitions, newly remodeled facilities, and a team of knowledgeable, friendly staff, we can’t believe this place is totally free to visit.
You’ll also find iconic works from some of the most revered artists like Picasso, Rivera, Matisse, Goya, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
🗓️ When: Everyday
📍Address: 5550 S. Greenwood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art is a modern art museum serving the Chicago area with an ongoing program of cultural exhibitions, literary events, film screenings, and music recitals. It is home to one of the world’s largest collections of Ukrainian-American abstract and minimalist works from the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
🗓️ When: Everyday
📍Address: 2320 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622