Free Admission Days at Chicago Museums
Travel on a Budget by Visiting Chicago's Major Museums for Free
Sep 20, 2009
Chicago is home to many world-class museums. Museums are a fun and educational way to spend a day, and most are also family-friendly with many exhibits aimed at a younger audience. However, visiting museums can be expensive, especially for families.
Chicago's major museums all have days where the public can visit free of charge. These days can vary, so it is best to check the website for each individual museum to see which days they currently offer free admission. Here is a guide to some of Chicago's finest museums and their free admission days.
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago houses one of the United States' best collections of fine art. The works on display include Grant Wood's American Gothic and Gerorges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. The museum and accompanying art school were founded in 1879, and moved to their current location in 1893. The grand building that houses the museum was built on the rubble of Chicago's great fire of 1871.
The Art Institute of Chicago is free to the general public on Thursdays and Fridays from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM, thanks to a donation from Target.
The Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History was founded in 1893, originally called the Colombian Museum of Chicago. It was renamed in 1905 after the museum's first major benefactor, Marshall Field, and moved to its current location on Chicago's Museum Campus in 1921. Among the museum's many exhibits is the world's most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, named Sue, who is prominently displayed in the museum's lobby.
Retailer Target sponsors a free admission day at The Filed Museum of Natural History on the second Monday of each month. The Field Museum also has many other free admission days throughout the year. A complete listing of this year's free admission days can be found at The Field Museum of Natural History website.
The Museum of Science and Industry
Opened in 1933, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. Its 14-acre span houses over 35,000 artifacts. Amongst the museum's permanent exhibits is the only German U-boat in the United States, the U-505 Submarine.
The Museum of Science and Industry offers free admission on select days throughout the year. For a complete listing of this year's free admission days, visit The Museum of Science and Industry website.
Shedd Aquarium
Chicago's Shedd Aquarium opened in 1930. It was the world's first inland aquarium to house a permanent saltwater fish collection. It took nearly a year to fill the aquarium's galleries, shipping over a million gallons of seawater by rail from Florida. Today, the aquarium has doubled its original size with the addition of the Wild Reef and Oceanarium exhibits.
On Shedd Aquariums community discount days, general admission is free, and discounted prices are offered on all special exhibits. The community discount days revolve around civic and school holidays, making it easier to plan a family trip to the aquarium. For a listing of this year's community discount days, visit the Shedd Aquarium website.
Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium is every astronomy enthusiast's dream come true. The revolving exhibits cover topics from constellations to searching for the edge of the universe and include lectures and documentary film screenings.
The Charter One Foundation sponsors community discount days throughout the year, on which admission to the planetarium is free. To view a list of this year's community discount days, visit the Adler Planetarium website.
Other Museums in Chicago
Chicago is home to many other museums as well, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chicago Children's Museum, and the Oriental Institute. All of the museums that charge admission offer some free days, while others are free of charge at all times. For information on each museum and their free admission days, check the museum's website or call them directly.
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