Yes, plenty is free with little kids in Chicago this week: we found 39 free outings, including Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo, Kids Free Day at Chicago Children’s Museum and Halloween Party at Lincoln Park Cultural Center, plus seven library programs. Seven free days and events are coming up, including two museum or zoo free days, each with its date. And four places never charge admission, like Harold Washington Library Center and Lincoln Park Zoo.
This week
Every free outing on this week’s Chicago list, rebuilt every Thursday. Library programs may need a quick sign-up.
Lincoln Park - Cultural Center · 2045 North Lincoln Park West Chicago, IL 60614
Halloween games and crafts with treats. Wear a costume. Free.
Seward (William) Park · 375 W. Elm St. Chicago, IL 60610
Kids get a free Halloween costume and a candy bag, and there’s face painting and popcorn with games all afternoon. Free.
Mann (James) Park · 3035 E. 130th St. Chicago, IL 60633
A trick-or-treat walk through the park’s Haunted Hall, with treats and no tricks. Free.
Sulzer Regional Branch · 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625
A costume parade with a little trick-or-treating for kids up to 5. The parade starts at 10:05. Free.
Blackstone Branch · 4904 S. Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615
A Halloween story time with songs and a costume parade. Grown-ups can dress up too. Free.
Rogers Park Branch · 6907 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60626
Dancing and singing with Ms. Elisa of WeeGroove. Costumes welcome. Register ahead. Free.
Avalon Branch · 8148 S. Stony Island Avenue, Chicago, IL 60617
A story time with lower lights and fidgets for kids 3 to 5 who need things a little calmer. Free.
Evanston Public Library, Robert Crown Branch · 1801 Main Street, Evanston, IL 60202
A free family movie night at the Robert Crown branch, with a Scooby-Doo feature the week of Halloween.
Lincoln Park Zoo · 2400 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614
The last weekend of the zoo’s fall festival. There’s a pumpkin patch and s’mores, plus pro pumpkin carvers working live on Saturday and Sunday mornings. A stilt walker is around Friday until 2pm. The giant slide, Ferris wheel and inflatables cost extra.
Galewood Park · 5729 W. Bloomingdale Ave. Chicago, IL 60639
A not-so-scary Halloween afternoon. Kids move between stations at their own pace, from story time and spooky bingo to a ghost hunt and a pumpkin toss. Free.
Sauganash Park · 5861 N. Kostner Ave. Chicago, IL 60646
Halloween games and treats. No registration needed, so just show up in costume. Free.
Haas (Joseph) Park · 2402 N. Washtenaw Ave. Chicago, IL 60647
Kids learn a few magic tricks of their own, then sit down for a Halloween magic show. Free.
Green Briar Park · 2650 W. Peterson Ave. Chicago, IL 60659
The park’s yearly Halloween party, with games and crafts plus a costume contest with prizes. Free.
Strohacker (Howard) Park · 4347 W. 54th St. Chicago, IL 60632
Carnival games for candy and prizes, and Halloween coloring pages for the little ones. Free.
Valley Forge Park · 7001 W. 59th St. Chicago, IL 60638
Games and candy with arts and crafts. Kids under 7 need a grown-up with them. Free.
Fosco (Peter) Park · 1312 S. Racine Ave Chicago, IL 60608
The park’s yearly free haunted house inside the fieldhouse, with treats. Kids can come in costume. Free.
Vittum (Harriet Elizabeth) Park · 5010 W. 50th St. Chicago, IL 60638
Altars for loved ones plus crafts, games and face painting. Free.
Rogers Park Branch · 6907 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60626
The Friday family story time goes Halloween, with songs and a costume parade. Free.
Hall Branch · 4801 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615
A costume parade and a little trick-or-treating for kids up to 5. Free.
Skokie Public Library · 5215 Oakton Street, Skokie, IL 60077
Kids come to the Kids Room in costume and parade through the library for indoor trick-or-treating. Bring a bag for treats. It's drop-in for families with kids through grade 2.
Glenview Public Library · 1930 Glenview Road, Glenview, IL 60025
Not-so-scary stories and songs, then a costume parade through the library. Drop in with a grown-up.
Elmhurst Public Library · 125 S. Prospect Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126
A not-so-scary story and dance party for ages 1 to 5 with a grown-up. Costumes encouraged. Free tickets are handed out with an EPL card starting at 9am.
Downers Grove Public Library, Kids Program Room · 1050 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515
A drop-in play dough morning in the kids program room. Kids smush, roll and sculpt monsters from the library's play dough collection.
Columbus (Christopher) Park · 500 S. Central Ave. Chicago, IL 60644
A Halloween afternoon with a pumpkin patch and face painting, plus a haunted house with scary scenes. Last entry is 2:30pm. Free.
Washington (George) Park · 5531 S. King Dr. Chicago, IL 60615
The 7th annual Upside Down Parade on Russell Drive, run with the Mayor’s office. Free.
Little Italy Branch · 1336 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607
A silly, not spooky story time with Miss Taylor. Costumes welcome. Free.
Obama Presidential Center Branch · 6021 S. Stony Island Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
A not-so-spooky Halloween story time with silly songs and a craft. Kids can wear costumes. Free.
Edgebrook Branch · 5331 W. Devon Avenue, Chicago, IL 60646
A Halloween party for the littlest kids, with a mini costume parade, a crawl-through box maze and toilet paper mummy races. Free.
Hall Branch · 4801 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615
Gentle Halloween stories with songs and movement from Ms. Walker. Free.
Evanston Public Library, Main Library · 1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
DJ D.I.M.E. spins for a drop-in Halloween dance party in the main library. Costumes are welcome and there's no sign-up.
Evanston Public Library, Main Library · 1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
A drop-in Halloween storytime for all ages on Saturday morning, a good warm-up before the afternoon dance party.
Downers Grove Public Library, Kids Program Room · 1050 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515
The 1998 classic on the library's big screen, with closed captions. Bring a blanket and pillow.
Downers Grove Museum · 831 Maple Ave., Downers Grove, IL 60515
Trick-or-treat through the Victorian Blodgett House, decorated for Halloween, with a scavenger hunt, a craft and Halloween games. Free for all ages.
Wagner Family Pavilion, 95th Street Library · 3015 Cedar Glade Dr, Naperville, IL 60564
Come in costume for Halloween stories, songs and a puppet show outdoors at the pavilion by the 95th Street Library. If the weather turns, it moves inside to Meeting Room A/B.
Evanston Public Library, Main Library · 1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
Stop by the main library in costume for a trinket from the jack-o'-lantern bucket, and grab the children's Halloween booklist on the way out.
Sand Ridge Nature Center · 15891 Paxton Ave, South Holland, IL 60473
Kids follow a scavenger hunt to find hidden pumpkins in the forest preserve and take one home, while supplies last. Costumes are encouraged.
Chicago Children’s Museum · 700 E. Grand Ave. (Navy Pier), Chicago, IL 60611
Kids 17 and under get in free all day at the museum on Navy Pier. No advance tickets are needed, so expect it to be busy right at opening.
Steelworkers Park · 87th at S. Lake Shore Dr. Chicago, IL 60617
Families can bring photos or flowers for the community altar tables, then walk the ofrendas. Free.
Evanston Public Library, Main Library · 1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
An interactive storytime with stories, music and movement that follows the monarch butterfly's migration and its place in Día de los Muertos.
Nothing free on this day yet. Try an always-free place.
Mark the calendar
Museum and zoo free days, free festivals and other one-off free events, soonest first. Some free days are only for residents or cardholders, so each one says who gets in free. For regular free days, Museums on Us and EBT discounts all year, see free museum days in Chicago.
Chicago Children’s Museum · Navy Pier
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum · Lincoln Park
Naper Settlement · 523 S Webster St, Naperville, IL 60540
5-7pm, ceremony at 5:15pm. Santa stops by, and there are hot drinks and cookies on the museum grounds after the lighting.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago · 31st St. and Golfview Ave., Brookfield, IL 60513
Times vary by night (for example 4–8:30pm Nov 21–22)
Meineke Park · 220 E. Weathersfield Way, Schaumburg, IL
12–5pm. Photos with Santa, food vendors and crafts.
Chicago Public Library, Vodak-East Side Branch · 3710 E 106th St, Chicago, IL 60617
11 a.m.–noon. A Southeast Side option with games and crafts for an hour, then a balloon drop right at noon. It's billed for kids and families, with preschoolers on the audience list, and no registration is mentioned.
Evanston Public Library – Main Library · 1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
11:30am–12:15pm. A storytime countdown to noon for ages 2 and up.
Any day
Parks, gardens, nature centers and museums that don’t charge admission.
Every week
Free baby and toddler story times at branches from Rogers Park to the South Side.
Weekday mornings
Every weekly storytime by day and branch: library storytimes in Chicago.
Keep planning
November: things to do in ChicagoEvery dated listing for the month, by weekDecember: things to do in ChicagoEvery dated listing for the month, by week
Free museum days in ChicagoFree days, Museums on Us and EBT discounts, with who gets in
Indoor play in ChicagoIndoor playgrounds, toddler times, museums and classes, with pricesLibrary 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 1This week in ChicagoDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every Thursday
Good questions
This week we found 39 free outings for ages 0–6, including Fall Fest at Lincoln Park Zoo, Kids Free Day at Chicago Children’s Museum, Halloween Party at Lincoln Park Cultural Center and Haunted Fieldhouse at Seward Park. See free this week; the list is rebuilt every Thursday.
Chicago Children’s Museum Kids Free Day: Sun Nov 1. Nature Museum Illinois resident free days: Mon Nov 2, Tue Nov 3 and Wed Nov 4. Dates come from each venue’s own page; see free days and free events.
Naper Settlement Tree Lighting Ceremony, Santa at Holiday Magic, Schaumburg Holiday Market, Noon Year's Eve Party at Vodak-East Side Library and Noon Year’s Eve Storytime at Evanston Public Library are free this season. Dates and times are on each card under free days and free events.
Harold Washington Library Center, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago Public Library and Chicago Park District don’t charge admission. Some charge for parking or special exhibits; the cards say so where the place does.
Yes. Chicago Public Library runs free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Times change by branch, so check the calendar linked below.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. 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 29, 2026, and we recheck them every Thursday for dated events and once a month for free places. How we choose and check.
One short email every Thursday evening with the best things to do with little ones in Chicago that weekend, free ones flagged.
