Refreshing your knowledge here and there is a good way to keep the brain fresh! You can do so by visiting some of Chicago’s unique museums. From art to historical to science to aquariums and more, we have options for whatever may interest you most!
Below are the museums in the Chicagoland area and what’s the best way to get there for your convenience. Museums are fun for everyone, not just kids. You can visit with family or on a date and have a great time exploring and enjoying the exhibits.
Read through the end to learn when these museums have free days of entry!
Museum Campus
The Museum Campus is home to the neighboring museums: The Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum, and The Adler Planetarium. You can find Museum Campus at Northerly Island.
To make the day even more fun for you and the family, Shoreline Sightseeing offers a water taxi service. The taxi takes you from Navy Pier to the Museum Campus both ways! This way you can enjoy not only the museums but also Navy Pier if the kids aren’t that tired out just yet!
The Field Museum
Here at the Field Museum Chicago you will get a glimpse of the world’s past historically. Roughly 40,000 artifacts and specimens are in the Field Museum exhibits for you to learn about. The staff works hard every day to find new facts and artifacts to show the community. Each floor has exhibits to explore.
The main level is where most of the Field Museum holds their exhibits. Their easy-to-follow map sorts the exhibits into three groups: Nature, Dinosaurs, and Culture. Upstairs you will find 12 more exhibits falling into those three categories, and Sue, the T-rex!
John G. Shedd Aquarium
Take a step into the aquatic world at the John G. Shedd Aquarium, neighbor to the Field Museum! The Aquarium partners and makes commitments with people and organizations to better the earth and its wildlife. The staff works with animals in need of help and care and they join 19 other aquariums in “Shedding Single Use-Plastic.” Visiting establishments that make a difference and dedicate their time to creating positive change is inspiring.
Visit the Aquarium to see different animal exhibits and shows. These include 4D experiences featuring Penguins, B.B.C Earth’s Shark, and Octopus from Blue Planet II. For an additional fee, you can visit penguins or beluga whales for an immersive experience!
You can walk around the aquarium and see saltwater and freshwater animals without buying extras like add-ons. Keep reading to learn when the Shedd Aquarium free days are!
The Adler Planetarium
At the Adler Planetarium in Chicago you can find 13 exhibits available for seeing. The Chicago’s Night Sky exhibit, is home to the largest telescope in Chicago for the public. Each exhibit is unique and can teach something fascinating about the universe, the sky, and our solar system.
Along the 13 exhibits here at Adler, there are 8 sky shows that give you a closer look at the solar system.
At Navy Pier is the Children’s Museum, they encourage learning through playing, in other words having fun learning! The Chicago Children’s Museum has activities for babies, toddlers, kids 4-8, and kids 9 and older.
Babies and toddlers can run around the Treehouse Trails and Kids Town with parental supervision. An exhibit to get them familiar with new words and surroundings! The museum has amenities such as nursing rooms, changing tables, and private family bathrooms!
For the rest of the ages, The Cloud Buster is a physical tree house like experience. Kids can dig and sweep for dinosaur bones in the Dinosaur Expedition and say what they think they found. Your kids can even be an architect for a day and build their own skyscraper with real tools and resources. At the art studio kids can unleash their imagination through drawing, painting, coloring, and molding with clay!
The Art Institute of Chicago
A short walk south of our Michigan Avenue dock you’ll find the Art Institute of Chicago. With plenty exhibits to visit make sure to bring your walking shoes! If you’re not sure where to start or the best way to walk through, try one of their free museum tours.
Their website is user friendly and if time is against you and your visit, they tell you what to see in an hour! Use it as a guide for your advantage! See art by famous artists like Seurat, Van Gogh, Picasso, Warhol, and others at the institute. Don’t miss out!
Free Days of Entry
Chicago encourages visitors to visit these museums and do so by offering free entry every now and then. Follow this link that lists each museum and their corresponding free entry days!
