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Quick Guide To Free Museum Days

Visiting Chicago's museums is an enriching experience, but it can be prohibitively expensive. Most area museums schedule free days each year, and Illinois residents can take advantage of extra discounts. Read on for a round up of free days for the rest of 2011 - now you'll know where to go the next time you have an unexpected day off.

Adler Planetarium

1300 South Lake Shore Drive

Chicago, IL 60605-2403

(312) 922-7827
Hours: Weekdays, 10 am – 4 pm; Weekends 10 am – 4:30 pm
www.adlerplanetarium.org

Free days for Illinois residents: October 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26

Art Institute of Chicago

111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 443-3600
Hours: Mon – Wed 10:30 am – 5 pm; Thurs 10:30 am – 8 pm; Fri – Sun 10:30 am – 5 pm
www.artic.edu

Free days for Illinois residents: First and second Wednesdays

Chicago Children's Museum

700 East Grand Avenue

Chicago, IL 60611-3428
(312) 527-1000
Hours: Open daily, 10 am – 5 pm
www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org

Free days: Thursdays 5-8 p.m.; first Sunday of the month

DuSable Museum of African American History

740 East 56th Place

Chicago, IL 60637

(773) 947-0600
Hours: Tue – Sat, 10 am – 5 pm; Sun, noon – 5 pm
www.dusablemuseum.org
Free day: Sunday

The Field Museum

1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-9410
Hours: Daily, 9 am – 5 pm
www.fieldmuseum.org

Free days for Illinois residents: October 2, 4, 11, 26, 31; November 1, 3, 7, 20, 28, 29; December 4, 5, 7

Museum of Contemporary Art

220 East Chicago Avenue

Chicago, IL 60611

(312) 280-2660
Hours: Mon, closed; Tue, 10 am – 8 pm; Wed – Sun, 10 am – 5 pm
www.mcachicago.org

Free day for Illinois residents: Tuesday

Museum of Science and Industry

57th Street and Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 684-1414
Hours: Daily, 9:30 am – 4 pm
www.msichicago.org

Free day: October 31
Chicago residents: Save $2 on regular admission

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

2430 N. Cannon Drive

Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 755-5100
Hours: Mon – Fri, 9 am – 5 pm; Sat – Sun, 10 am – 5 pm
www.naturemuseum.org

Free day for Illinois residents: Thursday

Shedd Aquarium

1200 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL
(312) 939-2438
Hours: Mon – Fri 9 am – 5 pm; Sat – Sun 9 am – 6 pm
www.sheddaquarium.org

Free days for Illinois residents: October 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31
Free days for visitors with a Bank of America/Merrill Lynch card: October 1, 2; November 5, 6; December 3,4
Chicago residents: Save $3 on regular admission

Want more free museums? These local spots are always free:

Museum of Contemporary Photography
Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art
National Museum of Mexican Art
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum

Amy Cavanaugh, CBS Local Chicago
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