Nov1Sun
Chicago Children’s Museum Kids Free Day
Chicago Children’s Museum · Navy Pier
Sun, Nov 1
EveryoneFree for kids 17 and under; no advance tickets needed
Free museum days 2027Chicago · The Windy City
Free museum and zoo days in Chicago, 2027.
Free and nearly free ways into Chicago museums and zoos in 2027, each one checked on the venue’s or program’s own page: three regular free days, five Bank of America Museums on Us partners and two Museums for All or EBT discounts. Every row says who gets in, so you know before you go.
The quick answersChecked
What’s the next free day?Chicago Children’s Museum Kids Free Day, Sun, Nov 1: Free for kids 17 and under; no advance tickets needed.Nov 1Free with a Bank of America card?5 places, the first full weekend of each month.5 placesSNAP or EBT discounts?Chicago Children’s Museum and 1 more. Each card has the venue’s own price.2 places
Mark the calendar
Free days coming up
Dated free and pay-what-you-wish days still ahead this year. The color shows who gets in.
Who gets in:EveryonePay what you wishCardholdersResidentsEBT / SNAPLow cost
Next up
Chicago Children’s Museum Kids Free Day
Sun, Nov 1
Free for kids 17 and under; no advance tickets needed.
See the detailsNovember 2026
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December 2026
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Nov2+2 more
Nature Museum Illinois resident free days
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum · Lincoln Park
Mon, Nov 2Tue, Nov 3Wed, Nov 4
ResidentsFree for Illinois residents; the Butterfly Haven isn’t included
Every week or month
Regular free and cheap days
Days a museum or zoo is free or nearly free, straight from its own admissions page. The tag shows who gets in.
Lincoln Park Zoo
Free every day of the year.
Field Museum
Free for Illinois residents every Wednesday, 9am–5pm. Reserve online and bring Illinois ID.
Adler Planetarium
Illinois resident discount days Nov. 9, 10, 16, 17 and 18 and Dec. 7, 8 and 9. Use your ZIP code as the promo code and bring proof of residency.
Bank of America cardholders
Museums on Us in Chicago
One free admission per card, first full weekend of each month
For active Bank of America, Merrill and Private Bank credit or debit cardholders. Bring the card and a photo ID. It covers the cardholder only, so check each place’s free ages for kids.
PlaceDaysKids freeLink
Bank of America posts each weekend on its partner page. We don’t list 2027 weekends until it does. Bank of America’s partner list ↗
SNAP and EBT
Museums for All and EBT discounts in Chicago
Free or reduced admission for families receiving SNAP or similar benefits. Each venue sets its own price and group size, quoted from its page below. About Museums for All ↗
Chicago Children’s Museum
$5 admission through Museums for All.
Kohl Children’s Museum
$5 admission through Museums for All.
Before you go
What to bring and book
BringThe card and a photo IDCardholder and EBT days check both at the door, so pack them with the diaper bag.TicketsReserve the free ticketsSome free days still need a timed ticket, and they can go fast. Each listing quotes the venue’s ticket note.
KidsLittle ones are often free anywayMany museums let babies and toddlers in free every day. Check the venue’s admission page for the age.Keep planning
More for little kids in Chicago
November: things to do in ChicagoEvery dated listing for the month, by weekDecember: things to do in ChicagoEvery dated listing for the month, by weekFree things to do in ChicagoFree days, free events and places that never charge
Indoor play in ChicagoIndoor playgrounds, toddler times, museums and classes, with prices
Library storytimes in ChicagoBaby, toddler and preschool storytimes by day and branch
Ice skating in ChicagoHoliday and indoor rinks, skate aids and prices
Thanksgiving weekend in ChicagoParades, turkey trots and what’s open on Thursday
Noon Year’s Eve in ChicagoKid-friendly countdowns, home by nap
Christmas parades in ChicagoParades and tree lightings with dates and start timesChristmas trains in ChicagoPolar Express, Santa and lights trains with datesThe Nutcracker in ChicagoBallet and touring shows, sensory-friendly flagged
Christmas markets in ChicagoChristkindlmarkts and winter wonderlands with hours
Christmas break in ChicagoWhat’s open on Dec 24, Dec 25 and Jan 1
This week in ChicagoDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every ThursdayGood questions
Free museum days in Chicago: the FAQ
Lincoln Park Zoo: Free every day of the year. Field Museum: Free for Illinois residents every Wednesday, 9am–5pm. Reserve online and bring Illinois ID. Adler Planetarium: Illinois resident discount days Nov. 9, 10, 16, 17 and 18 and Dec. 7, 8 and 9. Use your ZIP code as the promo code and bring proof of residency. Each one is from the venue’s own page.
Adler Planetarium, Art Institute of Chicago, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Morton Arboretum are Bank of America Museums on Us partners. Active Bank of America, Merrill and Private Bank credit or debit cardholders get one free general admission on the first full weekend of each month; bring the card and a photo ID. Bank of America posts each weekend on its partner page.
Yes. Chicago Children’s Museum, Kohl Children’s Museum offer free or reduced admission to families with SNAP (EBT) benefits, most through Museums for All. Bring your EBT card and a photo ID; each listing below has the venue’s own price and limits.
Each free day and discount comes from the museum’s, zoo’s or program’s own page and links to it. If a page doesn’t say who gets in, we leave it out. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 26, 2026, and we recheck them every month. How we choose and check.
Free days in your Thursday email.
One short email every Thursday evening with the best things to do with little ones in Chicago that weekend, free days included.
