![Image show a summer outdoor movie screening in a Park](https://offloadmedia.feverup.com/secretchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/13044048/movie_in_park_shutterstock-1024x683.jpeg)
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 16: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial/Jurassic Park | 6:00 p.m.
🍿July 23: Coco | 6:30 p.m.
🍿July 30: Barbie | 6:30 p.m.
🍿August 6: American Fiction | 6:30 p.m.
🍿August 13: Wonka | 6:30 p.m.
🍿August 15: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off | 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.
🍿 May 5: The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 6:00 p.m.
🍿 May 29: High School Musical 2 | 6:00 p.m.
🍿June 12: Wonka | 6:00 p.m.
🍿 June 26: Barbie | 6:00 p.m.
🍿 July 10: School of Rock | 6:00 p.m.
🍿 July 17: Angels in the Outfield | 6:00 p.m.
🍿 July 31: Soul | 6:00 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. Stay tuned once they release their list!
July
🍿 July 9 | Barbie | Normandy Park
🍿 July 9 | The Outsiders | Washington Park
🍿 July 9 | Wonka | Lake Shore Park
🍿 July 10 | Elemental | Marquette Park
🍿 July 10 | Another Wedding in Castane | Riis Park
🍿 July 10 | The Little Mermaid | Moore Park
🍿 July 11 | Transformers: Rise of the Beats | Taylor Park
🍿 July 11 | The Little Mermaid | LeClaire-Hearst Park
🍿 July 11 | Roll Bounce | Oakdale Park
🍿 July 12 | Roll Bounce | Amundsen Park
🍿 July 12 | Migration | Dvorak Park
🍿 July 12 | Madame Webb | Fernwood Park
🍿 July 13 | Barbie | Churchill Field Park
🍿 July 13 | Barbie | Churchill Field Park
🍿 July 13 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Hoyne Park
🍿 July 13 | The Boys in the Boat | Lake Shore Park
🍿 July 16 | Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Kedvale Park
🍿 July 16 | My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 | Ward Park
🍿 July 16 | Death Becomes Her | Osterman Beach
🍿 July 17 | Haut et Fort (Casablanca Beats) | Belmont Harbor
🍿 July 17 | Amores Incompletos (Incomplete Lovers) | Loyola Park
🍿 July 17 | Crazy Rich Asians | Bartelme Park
🍿 July 18 | A Million Miles Away | Margate Park
🍿 July 18 | Wonka | Wicker Park
🍿 July 18 | Fast X | West Pullman Park
🍿 July 19 | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Rowan Park
🍿 July 19 | Wonka | Holstein Park
🍿 July 19 | Top Gun Maverick | Athletic Field Park
🍿 July 19 | Barbie | Commercial Club Playground of Chicago
🍿 July 20 | Migration | Humboldt Park
🍿 July 20 | Ferris Bueller’s Day Off | Jonquil Park
🍿 July 20 | The Greatest Showman | Eckhart Park
🍿 July 23 | Aladdin (1992) | Calumet Park
🍿 July 23 | The Pride of the Yankees | Beverly Park
🍿 July 23 | Trolls Band Together | Eugene Field Park
🍿 July 24 | Barbie | Bosley Park
🍿 July 24 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Palmer Park
🍿 July 24 | Croma Kid | Piotrowski Park
🍿 July 25 | Barbie | Bartelme Park
🍿 July 25 | The Little Mermaid | Grand Crossing Park
🍿 July 25 | Back to the Future | Juneway Beach Park
🍿 July 25 | A League of Their Own | The Green at 320
🍿 July 26 | Paw Patrol: The Might Movie | Tom Memorial Park
🍿 July 26 | The Marvels | Douglass Park
🍿 July 26 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Simons Park
🍿 July 26 | Kung Fu Panda 4 | La Follette Park
🍿 July 27 | A Dog’s Journey | Lake Shore Park
🍿 July 27 | Trolls Band Together | Ken-Well Park
🍿 July 30 | The Color Purple (2023) | Rosenblum Park
🍿 July 30 | The Wiz | Trumball Park
🍿 July 30 | The Notebook | Belmont Harbor
🍿 July 31 | Trolls Band Together | Wilson Park
🍿 July 31 | La Sagrada Familia (The Sacred Family) | Kilbourn Park
🍿 July 31 | The Wiz | South Shore Cultural Center