Free Summer Access
Discover free admission opportunities across the Greater Chicagoland Area and Lake County this summer!
Enjoy museum visits, cultural outings, and outdoor exploration all summer long—many at no cost. Below, you’ll find a list of free admission days and ongoing access programs by location. Be sure to review individual museum policies for registration or parking details.
Looking for more free museum access options? Visit our Museum Passes page to explore tickets available through the Museum Adventure Pass and Explore More Illinois programs.
Greater Chicagoland Area
- Art Institute of Chicago
111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 443-3600- Thursday evenings, 5–8pm
- Free to all children under 14, active-duty military, and educators
- Registration Required
- Adler Planetarium
1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-7827- Wednesday evenings, 4–10pm
- Always free for Illinois teachers (Pre-K–12)
- Registration Required
- Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL 60022
(847) 835-6801- June 10, 12, 19 and July 8, 10
- Parking Fees Apply
- Always free for U.S. military, former POWs, and educators (see website for details)
- Chicago Children's Museum
700 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 527-1000- Always free for active duty military and veterans
- Chicago History Museum
1601 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 642-4600- June 19, 21, 28 and July 4, 24, and 30
- Always free for active duty military, veterans, Illinois teachers, Illinois residents under 18, and all children under 12
- DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
740 E 56th Pl, Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 947-0600- Every Wednesday
- Always free for military, first responders, and Illinois public school students (Pre-K–12)
- Field Museum
1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-9410- Wednesdays through June 25
- Always free for Illinois teachers (Pre-K–12) and active military
- Registration Required
- Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 684-1414- June 12, 19
- Always free for U.S. military, veterans, Illinois POWs, and Illinois teachers (Pre-K–12)
- Kohl Children's Museum
2100 Patriot Blvd, Glenview, IL 60026
(847) 832-6600- Wednesday afternoons, 1–5pm
- Double Good Day
- Sunday, June 8, 9am–1pm
- All-abilities event for children with special needs and their caregivers
- Registration Required
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 280-2660- Tuesday evenings, 5–9pm
- Always free for visitors under 18, those with disabilities and their caregivers, military and first responders, and Illinois teachers
- Museum of Contemporary Photography
600 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 663-5554- Always free
- Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 939-2438- June 3, 10, 17, 24 from 5–9pm
- Always free for EBT cardholders, active-duty U.S. military, and educators from IL, IN, MI, and WI
Lake County
- Bess Bower Dunn Museum
1899 W Winchester Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 968-3400- Free evenings: June 5, 19, July 3, 17 and August 7, 21 from 5–8pm
- Active duty military and families receive free admission May 17–Labor Day (Sept 1, 2025) through the Blue Star Museums program
- Elawa Farm
1401 Middlefork Dr, Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 234-1966- Open to the public (check website for free programs and tours)
- Illinois Beach State Park
Lake Front Dr, Zion, IL 60099
(847) 662-4811- Free public access
- Lake Bluff History Museum
127 E Scranton Ave, Lake Bluff, IL 60044
(847) 482-1571- Free admission
- Lake County Forest Preserves
Various locations across Lake County- Free public access
- History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff
509 E Deerpath, Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 234-5253- Free admission
- Waukegan Municipal Beach
201 Sea Horse Dr, Waukegan, IL 60085
(847) 599-2500- Free with parking fee on weekends (for vehicles without a city sticker)