Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum: 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-922-7827. Free days: Oct. 6-9; Oct 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 & 28; Nov. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 & 25
Art Institute of Chicago: 111 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-443-3600. All exhibits free after 5 p.m. Thursdays
Block Museum: 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; 847-491-4000. Free
Lincoln Park Conservatory:2391 N. Stockton Drive. Free
Chicago History Museum: 1601 N. Clark St.; 312-642-4600. Mondays free
Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier: 700 E. Grand Ave.; Thursdays 5-8 p.m.: free; first Monday of every month: free for ages 15 and under
DuSable Museum of African American History:740 E. 56th Pl.; 773-947-0600. Sundays free
Field Museum: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-922-9410. Second Monday of every month free; free general admission week: Oct. 26-31
Garfield Park Conservatory: 300 N. Central Park Ave.; 773-638-1766. Sugar from the Sun (permanent exhibit); Free
Instituto Italiano di Cultura: 500 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 1450; 312-822-9545, ext. 198. Free
Loyola University Museum of Art: 820 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-915-7600. Free
McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum: 445 N. Michigan Ave.; free admission through Nov. 9 in honor of the election season; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thu.-Mon., Wed.
Museum of Contemporary Art: 220 E. Chicago Ave.; 312-280-2660. Tuesdays free
National Museum of Mexican Art: 1852 W. 19th St.; 312-738-1503. Free
Museum of Science and Industry:5700 S. Lake Shore Drive; 773-684-1414. Free general admission Oct. 31 (Halloween), Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving), Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) and Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve).
Newberry Library:60 W. Walton St.; 312-255-3700. Free
Shedd Aquarium: 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-939-2438. October, Mondays and Tuesdays: free general admission; November, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays: free general admission
Smart Museum of Art: 5550 S. Greenwood Ave.; 773-702-0200. Free
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum:2430 N. Cannon Drive; 773-755-5100. Thursdays free
Posted in 
Tags: 
The Art Institute really punked out. It used to be free all day every Thursday.
I think it´s really great that museums are free. Can you imagine if they weren´t? I just don´t think children would go…. at least the fact that they are free means that school groups can go! I love going to the animal museums and seeing all the skeletons, especially the dinosaurs. I remember going to my local museum when I was in school…. I saw a PENNY FARTHING for the first time.. it looked so big!
Karlin
That’s a great list/resource to have for when I head out to Chicago next month. I got lucky when I went to NY a few months ago and got to experience the MoMA and Art Museum for free! I love the free days at the Museums, especially when I can go from one to the other.
Oh, how I wish free museum days will be up until spring next year. It will be a great day tour activity with my friends when we visit Chicago in Spring.
I love the Chicago museum. It is a great trip for the entire family and it is good to see they offer all these free days to visit.
Speaking of Museums–the University of Wyoming is closing it’s Geological Museum, one of the first dinosaur museums in the US. Information is available here (http://lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/closuing-the-university-of-wyoming-geological-museum-a-travesty-of-funding-misallocation/).
The University has decided that supporting lack-luster athletic programs is more important than supporting this stellar academic program; additionally, many UW trustees, State Senators and Congressmen are fundamentalist christians and want to close the museum on religious grounds. Closure of any museum is a danger to all museums. Please write to voice your outrage. Email addresses and information are located here (http://lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/wyoming-favors-athletics-over-academics-univeristy-of-wyoming-geological-museum-to-close-so-that-wyoming-can-field-more-losing-athletic-teams/).