The Holidays are over, the kids are back in school and the tourists have left town. Other than the freezing temperatures and the howling winds it is great time to be in Chicago. It is enough of a treat just to not to have to spend an hour or more in line to get into the Shedd Aquarium or any other of Chicago’s world class museums. To up the ante most of the museums have designated special free days for Illinois residents.
By free they mean general admission which for all of the museums allows you to see the main exhibits, but not the special exhibits. Chicago museums are quite pricey so in most cases it is a significant savings. While the free days are for the most part randomly spread out, the beginning of next week, Monday January 7 and Tuesday January 8, are free at most of the museums.
Select museum Illinois resident free days in Chicago:
The Art Institute of Chicago is free January 7- February 8. It is a savings of $18 for adults and $12 for kids and seniors.
The Field Museum is free January 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 28, 30. That saves $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for kids.
The Shedd Aquarium has the longest list of free days: January: 7, 8, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 28, 29 February: 4, 5, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26 March: 4, 5,11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 June: 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 September: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 October: 7, 14, 21, 28 November: 4, 11, 18, 25 December: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30. It will save you $8 and $6 but a lot of what makes the Shedd so great like the dolphins and whales will cost extra.
The Museum of Science & Industry’s discount days are: Jan 7-11, 14-18, 21-25, 28-31. Feb.6, 13, 20, 27 Mar 4. Normal admission is $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and $10 for kids.
The Adler Planetarium is free on January 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 28, 29, 30, 31. It saves you $12, $10 & $6 respectively.
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