Chicago Museum Free Days 2012 – Updated January 9, 2012
All known information is listed on this page. If there are no dates for specific month, then that means that museum has not notified the public of any free days for that month.

Adler Planetarium Free Days
The Adler Planetarium is open 10am – 6pm during the summer; 10am – 4:30pm otherwise;

Free Days 2012:
January: 9-12, 17, 18, 23-26, 31
February: 1, 6-9, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29
March: 6, 7

Art Institute of Chicago Free Days
Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is free to Illinois residents every weekday, January 2–February 10, 2012.
January: 3-6, 9-13, 16-20, 23-27, 30-31
February: 1-3, 6-10

Brookfield Zoo Free Days
The Brookfield Zoo offers free admission to all U.S. Armed Forces active military and reservist personnel.

Free Days 2012:
Zoo admission is free on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28.
January: 10, 12, 14-15, 17, 19, 21-22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31
February: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28

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 2011:
Free for everyone – Every Thursday evening, 5-8pm
Free for ages 15 and under – First Sunday of every month

Chicago History Museum Free Days
Location: 1601 North Clark Street. (Clark & North Ave)

Free Days 2011
November: None
December: None

DuSable Museum of African American History
Admission is FREE to all on each Sunday of the year. They also offer free admission rates (on school days) to all Chicago Public School students.

Location: 740 East 56th Place, Chicago

Free Days 2011: Every Sunday

Field Museum Free Days
The Field Museum is Free (basic admission) on the following dates.

Free Days 2012:
January: 11-13, 19-20, 24, 26-27, 31

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 2012: 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 2012: Every Tuesday of 2012, 10am – 8pm.

Museum of Contemporary Photography
The MoCP is CLOSED when Columbia College Chicago is closed, including: Thanksgiving Weekend: Thursday- Sunday; Holiday Break and other holidays.

Location: Columbia College Chicago, 600 S. Michigan Ave

Hours:
Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm
Thursday, 10am-8pm
Sunday, 12-5pm

Free Days 2012: The Museum of Contemporary Photography is Free every non-holiday day of 2012

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 2012:
January: 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31
February: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
March: 5

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 2011: 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 2011: Free Admission 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.

Free Days 2012
January: 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31
February: 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28

Swedish American Museum
The Swedish American Museum is free on the second Tuesday of every month. 10am-4pm.

Location: 5211 N Clark St, Chicago

Free Days 2011:
November 8
December 13

The Wrigley Field Ice Rink will return for the 2011 Holiday Season. The dates will be The Ice Rink at Wrigley Field will be open November 25, 2011 through February 26, 2012.

The City of Chicago has installed a temporary Ice Rink OUTSIDE Wrigley Field, which will allow local residents to take part in Wrigley Field Ice Skating. The Ice Skating rink at Wrigley Field is sponsored by the Chicago Park District, The Chicago Blackhawks and several private donors.

Since the Hockey Game at Wrigley Field, the public has fallen in love with the idea of Ice Skating at Wrigley Field. Residents had the opportunity to ice skate at Wrigley Field last year after the hockey game, but that only lasted for a short time.

Having Ice Skating at Wrigley Field will be a great opportunity for members of the community to get out and soak in the winter fun with their friends and family. Watch for more updates about Wrigley Field Ice Skating.

Checkout all the Chicago Winter Events.

Threadless is built on the idea of CrowdSourcing. Community members submit T-Shirt designs and community members vote on designs. The best designs rise to the top and are made into T-Shirts for everyone to buy!

The 48 Hour $9.99 T-Shirt Sale ends Tuesady night at 11:59pm, so hurry over there right now.

Threadless is built on the idea of CrowdSourcing. Community members submit T-Shirt designs and community members vote on designs. The best designs rise to the top and are made into T-Shirts for everyone to buy!

The 48 Hour $9.99 T-Shirt Sale ends Tuesady night at 11:59pm, so hurry over there right now.

The Snow Days Festival has been moved to Navy Pier

Admission is totally Free.

The 2012 Chicago Snow Days Festival will take place January 27, 2012 – January 29, 2012. Featuring nearly 30 unique snow sculptures in competition, snowboarding and dog sled demonstrations, family activities and more – it s a great activity for winter in Chicago

The Snow Days Festival has been moved to Navy Pier

Snow Days Chicago is a free three-day winter festival at Navy Pier featuring a national snow sculpting competition, dog sled demonstrations, a snowboard rail jam and kids activities! Bring the whole family and watch as the city is transformed into a winter wonderland, showcasing over 27 beautiful and unique sculptures made entirely out of snow!

Checkout all the Chicago Winter Events.

The train generally operates from about 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on select weekdays (schedules for each rail line will vary), and will make stops at all stations along the respective routes.

CTA Holiday Train 2011 Schedule
Green Line – November 25, 26 & 30
Orange & Brown Lines – December 1, 2 & 3
Pink Line – December 7
Blue Line – December 8, 9 & 10
Red Line- December 14, 16, 17 & 20
Purple Line – December 15, 17 & 21
Yellow Line – December 22

The 2011 CTA Holiday Train will begin its rounds through Chicago in late November, starting off with a stint on the Green, Orange and Brown Lines.

As the 2011 CTA Holiday Train follows its route, Santa and his elves travel from car to car passing out candy canes to passengers and spreading some holiday cheer. The interior and exterior of the train is decorated with oversized garland, seasonal ornaments, and thousands of lights.

The 2011 CTA Holiday Train will travel all CTA rail lines in November and December as part of regular rail service. Normal CTA fares apply.

Along with the usual free admission to Lincoln Park Zoo,Lincoln Park Zoo Lights 2011 gives you the opportunity to experience many additional activities:

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights Santa’s Safari
Visitors can share their holiday wishes with Santa in the wildest setting in town. This is a perfect spot to take your holiday photos surrounded by life-like gorillas, flamingos, crocodiles and more.

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights Ice Carving
Watch our artists transform blocks of ice into animals, city skylines and more!

For more information about Lincoln Park Zoo Lights click here to visit the official website.

Checkout all the Chicago Winter Events.

Route information is not currently available – schedules are distributed when you get your tickets – but judging from previous years, TBOX 2011 will be a wild time. Tickets are $30 per person and that fee get you into the bars with entry limited to TBOX participants.

If you are looking for a wild time you can get your tickets for The Twelve Bars of Xmas at the official TBOX Chicago website.

TBOX 2011 is going to be One Big Amusement Park, filled with all the thrills, spills, and chills you can handle! Park Gates will Open at 8AM on December 10th, and the fun won’t stop until closing time! In Keeping with Our Theme, all the Royal Court Members this year will be Rides, and you’ll collect stickers from them saying “I Rode #1,2,3,4…” The teams you split up into will be different Lands in the TBOX 2011 Amusement Park, and if you thought last year was fun, this year’s TBOX is going to make last year’s TBOX look like a Tupperware party!

Checkout all the Chicago Winter Events.

Chicago’s Kirstkindlmarkt 2011
November 23-December 24, 2011;
A 16 year Chicago Tradition. Food, music and more at Daley Plaza.

Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting 2011
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 at 5pm
Take part in Chicago’s 98th annual Christmas Tree Lighting.

Millenium Park Ice Skating
November 11, 2010 – March 18, 2011
You can’t beat skating in the middle of Millenium Park.

CTA Holiday Train 2011
November 25, 2011 – December 22, 2011.
See page for specific routes and dates.

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights 2011
Nov. 25–27 & Dec. 2–4, 9–11
Open Nightly Dec. 16–Jan. 1 (Closed Dec. 24 & 25)
A great evening activity for kids of all ages.

Chicago Ice Rinks
November 26th, 2011 thru February 26th, 2012
Free ice skating at 9 locations across Chicago. (Skate rental fee)

Navy Pier Winter Wonderland
December 2, 2011 – January 8, 2012
Family fun and rides at Navy Pier.

TBOX Chicago 2011
December 10, 2011
For some adult drinking fun.

Wrigley Field Ice Skating
NOT YET UPDATED FOR 2011/2012
A new Chicago tradition, skating next to Wrigley Field.

Chicago Holiday Sports Fest
NOT YET UPDATED FOR 2011
Try out new sports and make new friends.

Chicago Snow Days 2012
January 27-29, 2012
Checkout the snow sculpting competition and snowboarding demonstrations.
The Snow Days Festival has been moved to Navy Pier

Free Ice Skating Lessons
NOT YET UPDATED
Free skating lessons at Millennium Park. Skate rental fee applies.

Winter Dance 2011
NOT YET UPDATED
Free Dance Lessons inside Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park

This year’s Thanksgiving Parade runs a seemingly short route, starting at Congress and State Street (500 S. State Street) and moving north along State Street to Randolph (150 N. State Street). The parade will feature floats, marching bands, and of course helium balloons. Balloons from past years have included Kermit and Grover from The Muppets, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Thanksgiving Turkey and many other pop culture favorites.

The 2011 Chicago Thanksgiving Parade will be broadcast live on local television and syndicated nationally. There’s always something about watching a parade, broadcast from another city, on Thanksgiving morning that gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Chicago’s 2011 Thanksgiving Day Parade is a tradition for many people in Chicago, drawing between 350,000 and 400,000 spectators annually, making it one of the larger Thanksgiving parades in the country. The parade goes one rain or shine, so be sure to get there early if you want to get a front seat and to get a jumpstart on the holiday shopping season.