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.
🍿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.
🍿August 14: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | 6:00 p.m.
🍿August 28: Star Wars: A New Hope | 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!
August
🍿 August 9 | Heroes of the Golden Mask | Lincoln Park
🍿 August 9 | Paw Patrol: The Might Movie | Calumet Park
🍿 August 9 | Migration | Sauganash Park
🍿 August 10 | Trolls Band Together | Churchill Field Park
🍿 August 10 | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Dawes Park
🍿 August 10 | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Lowe Park
🍿 August 13 | The Wiz | Burnham Park/Promontory Point
🍿 August 13 | Wonka | Ward Park
🍿 August 14 | Apollo 13 | Bartelme Park
🍿 August 14 | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Berger Park
🍿 August 14 | Migration | Chippewa Park
🍿 August 14 | Soul | Murrary Park
🍿 August 15 | The Princess Bride | Wicker Park
🍿 August 15 | The Marvels | Hasan Park
🍿 August 15 | Wonka | Edgebrook Park
🍿 August 16 | The Color Purple (2023) | Austin Town Hall Park
🍿 August 16 | Barbie | Athletic Field Park
🍿 August 16 | The Marvels | Bessemer Park
🍿 August 17 | Trouble With The Curve | Oz Park
🍿August 17 | Wish | Holstein Park
🍿August 17 | Wish | Kosciuzsko Park
🍿 August 20 | Barbie | River Park
🍿 August 20 | Mamma Mia! | Osterman Beach
🍿 August 20 | Matilda | Eckhart Park
🍿 August 21 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Wildwood Park
🍿 August 21 | The Marvels | Euclid Park
🍿 August 21 | Dark Waters | Piotrowski Park
🍿 August 22 | Black Adam | Tilton Park
🍿 August 22 | Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Rogers Park
🍿 August 22 | Twilight | The Green at 320
🍿 August 23 | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Franklin Park
🍿 August 23 | Wish | Gately Park
🍿 August 23 | Wish | Pottawattomie Park
🍿 August 23 | Frozen | Jonquil Park
🍿 August 24 | The Wizard of Oz | Oz Park
🍿 August 24 | Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning | Lake Shore Park