Chicago Museum Free Days 2010
By Chris • Updated Feb 6th, 2010 • Category: Chicago News
Chicago has many wonderful museums and most of these museums have Free Days when admission is free to the public. Since it is often hard to keep track of the Chicago Museum Free Days going on throughout the year, I have compiled a list of the most popular Museum Free Days.
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Chicago Museum Free Days – Updated February 6th, 2010
Adler Planetarium Free Days
The Adler Planetarium is open 9:30am – 6pm during the summer; 9:30am – 4:30pm otherwise;
Free Days 2010:
January 5, 11-15, 19, 26
February 2, 8-12, 16, 23
March 2, 9, 16, 23
April 20, 27
May 4, 11-12, 18, 25
June 7-11
September 7, 13-17, 21, 28
October 5, 12, 19, & 26
November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
December 7, 14, 21
Art Institute of Chicago Free Days
The Art Institute of Chicago is free to the public every Thursday evening from 5pm-8pm.
Free February 2010: The Art Institute of Chicago is Free for the entire month of February, 2010.
Free Days 2010: Every Thursday evening 5pm-8pm.
Brookfield Zoo Free Days
The Brookfield Zoo offers free admission to all U.S. Armed Forces active military and reservist personnel.
Free Days 2010: Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday – January 1, 2010 through February 28, 2010
Chicago Children’s Museum Free Days
The Chicago Children’s Museum is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Location: 700 East Grand Ave at Navy Pier
Hours:
Daily 10am-5pm
Thursday evenings 5-8pm
Free Days 2010:
Free for everyone – Every Thursday evening, 5-8pm
Free for ages 15 and under – First Sunday of every month
Chicago History Museum Free Days
The Chicago History Museum is free to the public every Monday, 9:30am-4:30pm.
Location: 1601 North Clark Street. (Clark & North Ave)
Free Days 2010: Every Monday, 9:30am-4:30pm;
DuSable Museum of African American History
The DuSable Museum is free on the first Saturday of every month. 10am to 5pm.
Location: 740 East 56th Place, Chicago
Free Days 2010:
March 6th
April 3rd
May 1st
June 5th
July 3rd
August 7th
September 4th
October 2nd
November 6th
December 4th
Field Museum Free Days
The Field Museum is Free (basic admission) on the Second Monday of every month, thanks to a donation from Target. Additional free days are also available.
Free Days 2010:
January: 11th, 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th
February: 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th
March: 2nd, 3rd, 8th
April: 12th
May: 10th
June: 2nd, 3rd, 14th
July: 12th
August: 9th, 24th
September: 13th, 15th, 16th, 21st, 22nd
October: 5th, 6th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th
November: 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 10th, 16th, 17th, 30th
December: 1st, 7th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 16th
Lincoln Park Zoo Free Days
The Lincoln Park Zoo is free and open to the public 365 days per year. Generally open 10am-5pm.
Location: Lincoln Park Zoo is located off Lake Shore Drive at the Fullerton Parkway exit.
Free Days 2010: Free to the public 365 days per year.
MCA Free Tuesdays
The Museum of Contemporary Art has Free Days every Tuesday. Special events every week. The museum is open 10am – 8pm on these free days.
Free Days 2010: Every Tuesday of 2010, 10am – 8pm.
Museum of Contemporary Photography
The MoCP is CLOSED when Columbia College Chicago is closed, including: Thanksgiving Weekend: Thursday- Sunday; Holiday Break and Installation: Monday, December 24, 2009 – Wednesday, January 27, 2010; The museum will for free on Thursday, January 28, 2010 with an opening reception for 50% Grey: Czech Photography Reconsidered.
Location: Columbia College Chicago, 600 S. Michigan Ave
Hours: (Closed till January 28, 2010)
Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm
Thursday, 10am-8pm
Sunday, 12-5pm
Free Days 2010: The Museum of Contemporary Photography is Free every day of 2010
Museum of Science and Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry is free (basic entry) to the public on various dates throughout the year. The museum is open Mon–Sat: 9:30am-4pm; Sun: 11am-4pm; Omnimax-only tickets on Free Days are $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and $7 for children. Normal prices apply for other features;
Free Days 2010:
January 4-8, 11-15, 18-22, 25-29
February 8, 14
March 18
April 19-23
May 3
June 7-11
August 30
September 7-14, 20-21, 27-28
October 4- 6
November 11
December 6
National Museum of Mexican Art
The National Museum of Mexican Art is free every day. Closed Mondays.
Location: 1852 W. 19th Street, Chicago
Free Days 2010: Every Tuesday-Sunday.
Nature Museum Free Days
The Chicago Nature Museum has “Suggested Donation Days” every Thursday.
Location: 2430 N. Cannon Drive in Lincoln Park, just north of the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Free Days 2010: Every Thursday, 9am-4:30pm;
Shedd Aquarium Free Days
During Shedd Aquarium Free Days, general admission is free. Wild Reef admission is sold at a reduced rate. The aquarium is open Weekdays 9am–5pm and Weekends 9am–6pm. Click Here to get a 2 for 1 pass to the Shedd (good through Jan 3, 2010).
Free Days 2010:
January 4-5, 11-12, 16-21, 25-26
February 1-2, 8-9, 15-19, 22-23
June 14-18
September 13-14, 20-21, 27-28
October 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26
November 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30
Swedish American Museum
The Swedish American Museum is free on the second Tuesday of every month.
Location: 5211 N Clark St, Chicago
Free Days 2010:
April 13
May 11
June 8
July 13
August 10
September 14
October 12
November 9
December 14
That’s what I really wanted..
Thanks…
Thanks Chris I’m getting back into the swing of things, RIGHT HERE AT HOME, and i love museum
free days>>>LOL…
Chris, A big thankyou for making this huge task put all together onto one page !!! Hugs from me. :}
Hey thanks a lot!!
I live in Indiana and I love to take the train and see somethings in the city. Now that the economy is bad, free is always a good thing,
Thanks Chicago Hot Blog & Chris !
I could find out the info about the free days on my own but it’s really nice, not to mention convenient to have the info in one place. Our city has amazing things to do & places to see and a lot of them are completyly free
Thanks again.
There are free tickets to Brookfield Zoo. They are available in the Chgo Public Library and some suburban libraries. The coupons are for general admission only for 4 people. Libraries have a limited number available…call ahead. They have to be returned to the library after use. You will need a library card.
Hi! I have visitors this week, August 12th-17th,’09. Can you please tell me any cool, free things that you think two adult women would like?! Interested in the Field Museum and flower gardens, can’t think of the very large one, not in Chicago, but near by. Thank you!
To take my kids and I to the Shedd Aquarium it’s $100 just to walk in the door! What a disgrace!
9/3/09
I have relatives coming in from Ireland 9/5 for a week.
Can you please tell me if any of the museums or anything will be free during this time frame.
Thank you!
Sincerely
Carol Schmall
Chris,
Thanks for doing the foot work for us deal web surfers!
Rey
Thanks a bunch for the free day info. Now me and my girlfriend could enjoy a free date. Lol.
I think it’s funny that you did all this work to post these free days and yet people ask you to do more work and research more things for them instead of doing it themselves or even being appreciative…..Well I would personally like to say thanks for taking the time to do this and the format that you wrote it in is very understandable
Thanks to you this stay-at-home mom has one less thing to research! I’m sure my son will appreciate this also! Again, thanks!
Thank you Chris, my friend home schools her sons and was looking to add to their curriculum, thank you again
Thanks for doing the footwork! For all that are unaware – if you have a Chicago library card, their is a program called Museum Passport. Each library branch has for checkout a passport which is good for four admissions to about every imaginable attraction in Chicago. These must be returned and are costly if lost. The downside is the one you may want may be checked out and these can not be held or reserved. It is on a first come first serve basis. this is a great way to save money though!
when will u post the 2010 schedule?
I want to know of you know free days for the museum,aquarium and planetarium for January 2010. Thanks for your information
From one West Looper to another – thanks for the list. Looking forward to the 2010 list when it’s available.
The Chicago History Museum has free days on Mondays, if you’d like to add that to your list of museums.
thanks for the info….the nature museum is free every thursday
Thanks so very much for the info. My interest in coming to Chicago is foremost to visit museums, so this is very helpful to a country girl from Tennessee.
HEY, WHAT A GREAT IDEA………….THNXS
hey debra, sometimes if you give them your alderman’s name they will give the Chicago discount.
thanks sir! this info will assist in providing extracurricular activities of quality for those of us who are “ballin on a budget” and would like to positively influence our kids as affordably as possible. be safe homie!
I found the free date maps very helpful and informative. They were easy to review so that I could plan
a ree family outing and hit more than one cite in a day . B”)
Thanks for the posting! I know it’s work for you, but it is greatly appreciated!!
This is great! iIplan activities for foster children & this is really helpful. One addition you might consider is the National Mexican Art Museum in Pilsen – it’s free every day. http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/
Thank you!!