With the weather hitting above 80 degrees, we’ve got the official signal that the start of summer is rapidly approaching. While there are numerous activities to choose from (some, like spas, are more pricey), little compares to the free movies in the park Chicago has. From a lakefront screening to a projector in the middle of a baseball field, you’ll find an open-air screening at almost any Chicago park. So, pack a picnic of your favorite snacks and drinks, keep a cozy blanket on hand, and round up your friends to indulge in the perfect movie night.
1. Millennium Park Summer Film Series
Millenium Park is a summer oasis for locals and tourists alike, and on the edge of the park, you can cross off most of your architectural bucket-list spots like The Bean and Crown Fountain. And when you walk in the middle, you’ll find the vast Jay Pritzker Pavilion, where you can grab a seat inside or lounge on the Great Lawn to have a cinematic Chicago experience.
🍿July 11: Fast Five | 6:30 p.m.
🍿July 18: Turning Red | 6:30 p.m.
🍿July 25: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | 6:30 p.m.
🍿August 1: Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised | 6:30 p.m.
🍿August 8: Clueless | 6:30 p.m.
🍿August 15: Top Gun: Maverick | 6:30 p.m.
🍿August 19: Everything Everywhere All At Once | 6:30 p.m.
🍿August 22: Barbershop | 6:30 p.m.
2. Movies at Gallagher Way
Situated next to Wrigley Field, Gallager Way has an extensive open area that leaves pretty of room to find your seat before the showings start at 7:30. While you’re not exactly watching movies in the Chicago park, you’re next to Chicago’s historic, charming, and adorned attraction—and that can’t be beaten. Also, luckily for you, Jeni’s is right next door, so grab a scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor and be prepared to laugh or cry with friends and family.
🍿July 5: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | 7:30 p.m.
🍿July 12: Clueless | 7:30 p.m.
🍿July 26: Top Gun: Maverick | 7:30 p.m.
🍿August 23: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 7:30 p.m.
🍿August 30: The Dark Knight | 7:30 p.m.
🍿September 13: Back to the Future | 7:30 p.m.
🍿September 27: The Blues Brothers | 7:30 p.m.
3. Chicago Park District Movies in the Park
The Chicago Park District is bringing more than 100 outdoor screenings of family-friendly films to neighborhood parks this summer. Whether you want a stunning movie experience right next to the lake watching Julie Andrews sing or view The Wiz in Oz Park, a place that reverberates the Wizard of Oz theme, all you’ll need is your hand-woven picnic basket with your savory treats to enjoy a cinematic experience. With all of the free movies in the park Chicago has, Humboldt Park, Wicker Park, Osterman Beach, Washington Park, and beyond, there are endless opportunities to catch a movie on a warm summer day.
June Movies
🍿 June 13: Some Like It Hot | 8:30 p.m. (Belmont Harbor)
🍿 June 14: Lightyear | 8:30 p.m. (Kedvale Park)
🍿 June 15: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off | 8:30 p.m. (Sacramento Playlot Park)
🍿 June 15: DC League of Super-Pets | 8:30 p.m. (Scottsdale Playground Park)
🍿 June 16: Lightyear | 8:30 p.m. (Bell Park)
🍿 June 16: Sleepless in Seattle | 8:30 p.m. (Jonquil Park)
🍿 June 17: Rookie of the Year | 8:30 p.m. (Wrightwood Park)
🍿 June 17: The NeverEnding Story | 8:30 p.m. (Winnemac Park)
🍿 June 20: The Young Girls of Rochefort | 8:30 p.m. (Osterman Beach)
🍿 June 20: Turning Red | 8:30 p.m. (Mozart Park)
🍿 June 20: My Best Friend’s Wedding | 8:30 p.m. (Bartelme Mary Park)
🍿 June 21: Lyle, Lyle Crocodile | 8:30 p.m. (Brooks Park)
🍿 June 21: Casablanca | 8:30 p.m. (Indian Boundary Park)
🍿 June 21: Turning Red | 8:30 p.m. (Jesse White Community Center)
🍿 June 22: Lightyear | 8:30 p.m. (Tuley Park)
🍿 June 22: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 8:30 p.m. (Hamilton Park)
🍿 June 22: Pretty in Pink | 8:30 p.m. (Bartelme Mary Park)
🍿 June 23: Herbie: Fully Loaded | 8:30 p.m. (Lincoln Park )
🍿 June 23: Lightyear | 8:30 p.m. (Hamlin Park)
🍿 June 23: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 8:30 p.m. (Hiawatha Park)
🍿 June 24: Lightyear | 8:30 p.m. (Lake Shore Park)
🍿 June 24: Moneyball | 8:30 p.m. (Oz Park)
🍿 June 27: Mrs. Doubtfire | 8:30 p.m. (Oakwood Beach)
🍿 June 27: Ticket to Paradise | 8:30 p.m. (A. Montgomery Ward Park)
🍿 June 27: Space Jam | 8:30 p.m. (Museum of Science & Industry)
🍿 June 28: The Artist | 8:30 p.m. (Belmont Harbor)
🍿 June 28: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 8:30 p.m. (Kosciuszko Park)
🍿 June 28: Rear Window | 8:30 p.m. (Bartelme Mary Park)
🍿 June 29: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | 8:30 p.m. (Wentworth Park)
🍿 June 29: Minions: The Rise of Gru | 8:30 p.m. (West Pullman Park)
🍿 June 29: The Princess Bride | 8:30 p.m. (Field Playlot Park)
July Movies
🍿 July 5: Inside Out | 8:30 p.m. (Eckhart Park)
🍿 July 5: The French Park | 8:30 p.m. (Walsh Playground Park)
🍿 July 6: Jurassic World: Dominion | 8:30 p.m. (Margate Park)
🍿 July 6: Thor: Love and Thunder | 8:30 p.m. (Union Park)
🍿 July 6: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 8:30 p.m. (Wolfe Playground Park)
🍿 July 7: Black Adam | 8:30 p.m. (Moran Playground Park)
🍿 July 7: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 8:30 p.m. (Dvorak Park)
🍿 July 8: Minions: The Rise of Guru | 8:30 p.m. (Humboldt Park)
🍿 July 15: The Incredibles | 8:30 p.m. (Lake Meadows Park)
🍿 July 15: Raiders of the Lost Ark | 8:30 p.m. (Field Playlot Park)
🍿 July 15: Top Fun: Maverick | 8:30 p.m. (Lake Shore Park)
🍿 July 20: Save the Last Dance | 8:15 p.m. (Bartelme Mary Park)
🍿 July 21: Strange World | 8:15 p.m. (Maggie Daley Park)
🍿 July 25: Top Gun: Maverick | 8:15 p.m. (A. Montgomery Ward Park)
🍿 July 29: Jungle Cruise | 8:15 p.m. (Lake Shore Park)
🍿 July 29: Harry Potter and Sorcerers Stone | 8:15 p.m. (Jonquil Park)
August
🍿 August 1: Victor/Victoria | 8:15 p.m. (Belmont Harbor)
🍿 August 1: Encanto | 8:15 p.m. (West Lawn Park)
🍿 August 3: Top Gun: Maverick | 8:15 p.m. (Sheridan Park)
🍿 August 5: West Side Story | 8:15 p.m. (Oz Park)
🍿 August 8: Hairspray | 8:15 p.m. (Oakwood Beach)
🍿 August 8: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | 8:15 p.m. (Museum of Science & Industry)
🍿 August 11: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 8:15 p.m. (Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens)
🍿 August 15: Chicago | 8:15 p.m. (Chicago History Museum)
🍿 August 15: Minions Rise of Gru | 8:15 p.m. (A. Montgomery Ward Park)
🍿 August 15: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | 8:15 p.m. (Lake Shore Park)
🍿 August 16: Black Adam | 8:00 p.m. (Stanton Park)
🍿 August 16: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 8:00 p.m. (Hamlin Park)
🍿 August 19: Crazy Rich Asians | 8:00 p.m. (Jonquil Park)
🍿 August 24: Weird Science | 8:00 p.m. (Bartelme Mary Park)
🍿 August 26: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | 8:00 p.m. (Field Playlot Park)
🍿 August 26: The Wiz | 8:00 p.m. (Oz Park)
🍿 August 29: Top Gun: Maverick | 8:15 p.m. (Bartelme Mary Park)
September Movies
🍿 September 7: Million Dollar Arm | 7:30 p.m. (Bartelme Mary Park)
🍿 September 8: Grease | 7:30 p.m. (Lake Shore Park)
🍿 September 9: Lightyear | 7:30 p.m. (Jonquil Park)