Bored, but on a budget? Here’s a list of Chicago’s free museum days for summer

Now that the dog days of summer are abundant, so are free Chicago museum days.

Whether you’re looking for a cheap activity for the kids or craving a new experience, the city’s museum scene has got something for everyone.

Some Chicago museums and cultural institutions are always free for police, teachers, active-duty personnel and veterans of the U.S. military or children under the age of 12. Be sure to check online for which museums require a reservation, too.

Here is a list of free museum days in Chicago for summer 2026.

• Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Free for Illinois residents on July 8 and 15, Aug. 26 and Sept. 8-10 and 14-15; adlerplanetarium.org.
• Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. Free for Illinois residents on Thursdays (July 9, 16, 23, 30 and Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27) from 5 to 8 p.m.; artic.edu. 
• Chicago History Musuem, 1601 N. Clark St. Free for Illinois residents on July 15, Aug. 13 and 27 and Sept. 7 and 24; chicagohistory.org.
• DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 E. 56th Pl. Free for Illinois residents every Wednesday (July 8, 15, 22, 29 and Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26); dusablemuseum.org. 

• Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. Free for Illinois residents every Wednesday (July 8, 15, 22, 29 and Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26); fieldmuseum.org.
• Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Free for Illinois residents on Aug 24-27 and 31 and Sept. 1-2, 8-10, 15-16, 20-23, and 27-30; griffinmsi.org. 
• Heritage Museum of Asian Art, 3500 S. Morgan St. Free admission on the third Friday of each month (July 10, 17, 24, 31 and Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28); heritageasianart.org.
• Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. Free for Illinois residents on Tuesdays (July 7, 14, 21, 28 and Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25) from 5 to 9 p.m.; mcachicago.org. Every Tuesday through Aug. 25, the MCA puts on a free contemporary jazz concert.
• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Dr. Free for Illinois residents on July 20-22, Aug. 24-26, and Sept. 8-11, 14-18, 21-25 and 28-30; naturemuseum.org.
• Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Free for Illinois residents from 5 to 9 p.m. on July 7, 14 and 28 and Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 26; sheddaquarium.org.
• Swedish American Museum, 5211 N Clark St. Free admission every second Tuesday of the month (July 14 and Aug. 11); swedishamericanmuseum.org.

Museums that are free year-round:

• Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.; chicago.gov.
• Chicago Fed Money Museum, 230 S LaSalle St.; chicagofed.org.
• Climate Action Museum, 300 S. Riverside Plaza; climateactionmuseum.org.
• Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave.; hydeparkart.org.
• Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S Halsted St.; hullhousemuseum.org.
• Mindworks: The Science of Thinking, at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, 224 S. Michigan Ave.; chicagobooth.edu/mindworks.
• Museum of Contemporary Photography, 600 S. Michigan Ave.; mocp.org.

• National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St.; nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org.
• National Public Housing Museum, 919 S. Ada St.; nphm.org.
• National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, 3015 W. Division St.; nmprac.org.
• National Veterans Art Museum, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave.; nvam.org.
• Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave.; smartmuseum.uchicago.edu.