The Following qualify for FREE entry into the Museum:

• Library Pass Adult and Child

• Univ. of Chicago Student

• Reciprocal Member (2 Guest per pass)

• Park District Employee

• MIP Employee

• United Airlines Employee

• Military -All Active Duty

• ERC- Adult and Youth

• Museum 4 All Adult and Youth SNAP

• Blue Star- Family (2 Adults 2 Children)

• Gold Star- Family (2 Adults 2 Children)

• First Responders (EMT, Police, Firefighter, Coast Guard)

• Bank of America ( Employees and Card holders - 1 entry per person every 1st weekend of each month

• Illinois Public School Students (K-12 Grade)

*Please select the correlation option during your purchase process to access your FREE Ticket
**You will need to show your ID upon museum entry to verify your FREE ticket purchase

The Adler Planetarium is free for Illinois residents (with proof of residency) on select days throughout the year. Stop by and enjoy as part of our Illinois Resident Discount Days program.

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Upcoming 2026 Illinois Resident Discount Days

• September: 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16

• October: 1, 26, 27, 28

• November: 9, 10, 16, 17, 18

Proof of residency will be required upon checkout; please use your zipcode as the promo code. To show proof of residency at the museum, you can use a valid Illinois driver’s license or photo ID, an Illinois student ID with a photo, or a photo ID plus a document (utility bill, lease, etc.) that shows your name and Illinois address. If checking out on mobile, please expand your cart (to the left of checkout) to apply your zipcode.

Free Hours for Illinois Residents:

Upcoming free hours for Illinois residents include:

• Third Thursdays, 5:00–8:00, beginning April 16, 2026

• Free Summer Thursdays, 5:00–8:00, June 11–September 17, 2026

You can reserve your free tickets online in advance; your resident status will be verified using the zip code associated with the billing address provided.

If you’re unable to reserve tickets in advance, please stop by the admissions desks on the day of your visit for assistance.

We look forward to welcoming you to Brookfield Zoo Chicago! Enjoy our 235-acre zoological park, featuring 3,481 animals belonging to 511 species. Read on to learn how to maximize your Zoo visit! 

FREE DAYS in 2026:

Brookfield Zoo Chicago offers 2026 Free Days for all guests on every day January 5 - February 28 with exceptions on January 19 and February 16.

Please note, parking fees and attraction fees still apply on Free Days.

Preregistration for nonmembers is required and will extend until the Garden is at capacity; parking fees apply.

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Visitors can preregister up to two months in advance for free admission days.  See chart below for the 2026 Free Admission Days. 

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• January 5 – 11, 19

• February 1 – 6, 16

• March 16 – 19

• April 6 – 10

• May 5, 7

• June 9, 11, 19

• July 7, 9

• August 4, 6

• September 15, 17, 29

• October 1, 12

• November 2 – 6, 9, 11

• December 7 – 13

Join us on Sunday, November 1, from 10AM - 5PM to explore the museum, our new exhibit, and programming in the Art Studio, Tinkering Lab and Pritzker Playspace. On Kids Free Days, all kids (17 years or younger) receive FREE admission!

Free Wednesdays are the perfect opportunity for you to explore our general admission exhibitions with your family or a group of science-loving friends. Adventure through the wilderness on a desert safari, explore ancient civilizations, and come face-to-face with prehistoric creatures— all in one place. The Field Museum has so much to explore, you’ll need more than just a day to see it all. But don’t worry—Wednesdays are free for Illinois Residents.

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Tickets for Free Days are only available to Illinois residents. For your convenience, free day tickets are available for advanced reservation online. Please present your proof of Illinois residency alongside your mobile tickets for express admission into the Museum. Tickets will also be available onsite subject to availability. Reservations are strongly recommended.

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Tickets for Free Wednesdays are only available to Illinois residents. No special coupon, ticket, or pass is required to enter the Museum during Free Admission Days. Just present a current Illinois driver's license, state ID, or Chicago CityKey card at the ticket desk to establish proof of residency. If you do not have an Illinois identification card, you may establish residency by showing a valid photo ID along with one of the following:

• Illinois lease

• Illinois library card

• Illinois student ID with photo

• Illinois utility bill

• Illinois work ID and check stub

This amazing zoo in the heart of Chicago, sitting in one of the coolest neighborhoods in the city, is this sprawling zoo with beautiful gardens. 

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FREE ADMISSION EVERYDAY!

MCA is free to Illinois residents.

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• FREE EVERY TUESDAY, year-round

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• Free for those under 18, or who are members of the military (active or veterans), police, or fire department, visitors with disabilities and their caregivers, and Illinois elementary through high school teachers.

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• To encourage more people to visit and visit often, the MCA has a pay-what-you-can policy — no one will be turned away! How cool is that?!

Illinois residents can enjoy free admission on the following days:

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September 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 18

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*Limited to six children (under 18) admitted per one accompanying adult. 

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The Museum of Science and Industry is always free for United States military active-duty personnel and veterans, Illinois POWs, Chicago firefighters, Chicago police officers and Illinois teachers (Pre-K through 12th grade).

The Shedd Aquarium is offering Illinois residents free access to all permanent exhibits, including special exhibits Underwater Beauty and seasonal Stingray Touch.

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2026 Free Nights (5PM - 9 PM)

September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

October 6, 13, 20, 27

November 3, 10, 17, 24

December 1, 8, 15

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For those who prefer to plan ahead, online ticket reservations are available with a $5 convenience fee per order. Alternatively, you can reserve tickets by phone with no convenience fee by calling 312-939-2438 between 9AM and 4PM Central Time (CT). We also provide free walk-up reservations; however, these are subject to availability and typically sell out quickly.

Children under 12 years old and Illinois residents under 18 years old are always free.

Free admission is also always available to all active-duty military and all veterans, active duty Chicago Police Department members, active duty Chicago Fire Department members, City Colleges of Chicago students, faculty, and staff, and Illinois teachers.

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 2026 Illinois resident FREE days include: October 8, 12; November 11, 19.

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​Admission is always free for active duty military and veterans, active duty Chicago police and firefighters, Illinois teachers, Illinois residents under age 18, and all children under 12.

The National Museum of Mexican Art is offering free admission...

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FREE EVERY DAY!

Admission is free year-round at the Chicago Cultural Center

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FREE EVERY DAY

We are pleased to offer Free Days throughout the year for Illinois residents. Illinois residents can enjoy free basic admission during these Illinois Resident Days, or support us with a $10 suggested household donation at the time of admission. Illinois residents can reserve their free tickets online or in person. Please note, this free basic admission does not include the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven exhibit, but access can be purchased as an add-on ticket for $5 per person.

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Please note, Illinois Resident Free Day tickets apply to individual tickets only, and are not available for group visit registrations. Limited space is available for group visits on Illinois Resident Free Days, and groups must be registered in advance and pay a discounted group admission rate. Please click here for more information about group visits.

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Our current list of Free Days for 2026 can be found below. Please note, dates are subject to change. Please check our ticketing site or with our Front Desk team to confirm. Click here for more information on Illinois Resident Free Days.

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2026 Free Days for Illinois Residents:

• January 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

• March 9-11

• June 1-3

• June 22-24

• July 20-22

• August 24-26

• September 8-11

• September 14-18

• September 21-25

• September 28-October 2

• October 5-9

• November 2-4

• November 30-December 2

• December 7-8

Admission is free for all on the second Tuesday of the month.  Members and children under the age of one are always free.

These Chicago museums offer free admission to everyone all year long:

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• National Museum of Mexican Art

• National Museum Of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture

• National Veterans Art Museum

• Chicago Cultural Center

• Mindworks: The Science of Thinking

• Museum of Contemporary Photography

• Smart Museum of Art

• Ed Paschke Art Center

• Clarke-Ford House Museum

• City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower

• Hyde Park Art Center

• Jane Addams Hull-House Museum

• Loyola University Museum of Art

• Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago