The Field Museum at night stock photo

Neighborhood News: Celebrating the New year with Free Museum Days in January

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Happy New Year!! 

The Field Museum at night stock photo

We at Dean’s TeamChicago wish all of you the happiest, healthiest 2026 ever!!

Thanks to the upcoming January Free Days at many Chicago area museums, you and your family can welcome in the New Year by learning about Chicago and world culture, art, and so much more:

Located on the Museum Campus, the Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Illinois residents can enjoy free admission (with proof of residency) on the following days:

  • Wednesday, January 7
  • Monday, January 12
  • Wednesday, January 14
  • Wednesday January 21
  • Monday, January 26
  • Wednesday, January 28

NOTE: Admission is always free for Illinois teachers.  Make sure to book online and in advance by clicking here.

In the Loop, The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Avenue offers Free Winter Weekdays, from Monday, January 5 – Saturday, February 28, 11am through closing each weekday (5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and 8pm on Thursdays. )

To receive free admission tickets, Illinois residents must reserve online in advance. It’s the perfect time to take in special collections like Raqib Shaw: Paradise Lost through January 19.

NOTE: The museum is always free for Chicago teens under age 18, all children under age 14, Link and WIC cardholders, active-duty military, and Illinois educators. To reserve tickets, click here. 

Lincoln Park’s Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark Street, helps you explore both Chicago and American history at their upcoming Illinois resident Free Days fromMonday, January 19 – Friday January 23 and Tuesday, January 27 – Friday, January 30.

Note: Throughout the year, admission is always free for active-duty military and active-duty Chicago police and firefighters, Illinois teachers, Illinois residents under age 18, and all children under 12. For tickets, click here. 

Washington Park’sDuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 E. 56th Place,  offers free entry on select dates and for certain groups.

There’s free admission for all every Wednesday.

Note: Admission is always free for military and first responders, University of Chicago students, Chicago Park District employees, Illinois public school students, and other groups. For tickets and information, click here.

The iconic Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive.  Starting on Wednesday, January 7, every Wednesday throughout 2026 is free. 

Free tickets are available for advanced reservation online and on site. The free tickets include all general admission exhibitions. Just present a current Illinois driver’s license, state ID, or Chicago CityKey card at the ticket desk to establish proof of residency. For tickets and information, click here.

Note: Illinois teachers and active military personnel receive free general admission year-round.

In Hyde Park, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, offers several free admission days for Illinois residents. In January, free days are available on:

  • Monday, January 12
  • Tuesday, January 13
  • Wednesday, January 14
  • Sunday, January 25
  • Monday, January 26
  • Tuesday January 27
  • Wednesday, January 28

Note: The museum is always free for United States military active-duty personnel and veterans, Illinois POWs, Chicago firefighters & Chicago police officers, Illinois teachers (Pre-K through 12th grade), United States military active-duty personnel and veterans also receive $4 off U-505 On-Board Tour tickets for themselves. Forinformationand reservations, click here.

Streeterville’s Museum of Contemporary Art,  220 E. Chicago Avenue, reserves every Tuesday from 5pm – 9pm for Illinois residents to receive free admission.

Note: The museum is always free for visitors under age 18, visitors with disabilities and their caregivers, active members of the military, police, and fire departments, veterans and their families, and Illinois elementary and high school teachers. 

And …If it’s not Tuesday evening, MCA has a pay-what-you-can policy — no one will be turned away.

Another Museum Campus favorite is the venerable Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive.  Illinois residents free access to all permanent exhibits on select dates throughout the year. In January, you can enjoy free admission days from Tuesday, January 6 – Thursday, January 8; Tuesday, January 13– Tuesday, January 20; and Tuesday, January 27– Thursday, January 29. 

And…Admission is always free for Chicago police officers and firefighters, active-duty U.S. military personnel, and educators from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

NOTE: There is a $5 convenience fee per order for Free Hours reservations made online. 

HOWEVER, you can reserve tickets by phone with no convenience fee by calling 312-939-2438. 

Andersonville’s Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark Street, has free admission every second Tuesday of the month throughout the year, and children aged 1 year or younger are admitted free every day they are open. Their current exhibit, We Are America, explores Swedish immigration to Chicago. There are environmental displays such as the deck of a steamship, a 19th century Swedish stuga (cottage), an early 20th century Swedish-American woodshop, and a mid-century Swedish-American kitchen. 

If you plan on visiting with a group of 10 or more, it is highly recommended that you contact the museum so that they can accommodate you for a guided or self-guided tour.  For more information, click here. 

And a reminder…though not a museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2400 N. Cannon Drive, offers free admission 365 days a year. Discover fascinating wildlife, make unforgettable memories, and embrace the thrill of the wild. And through January 4, for $7 per person,  you can experience the magic of ZooLights!

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago