Free Museums again this month

If the free days last month didn’t quite fit with your schedule you get a do-over this month. Lots of opportunity to enjoy free days at Chicago museums:

The Adler Planetarium:February: 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28Free-Chicago-Museums-Feb-2013

The Art Institute of Chicago

  • February: Winter Weekdays Promotion: Every Weekday to February 13.
  • NEW –  Free Thursday Evenings – Beginning February 14, 2013, admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is free to Illinois residents every Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Chicago History Museum Monday, February 4–Thursday, February 28

Clarke House Museum – CHICAGO’S OLDEST HOUSE – Wednesdays

DuSable Museum of African American History – Sundays

Field Museum – February 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28

Glessner House Museum: – Wednesdays

Museum of Contemporary Art – Tuesdays

Museum of Science and Industry – February 6, 13, 20, 27

Museum of Surgical Science – Tuesdays

The National Museum of Mexican Art – Free Tuesdays to Sundays

Notebaert Nature Museum – February 7, 14, 21, 28

Shedd Aquarium –  February: 4, 5, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26

Smart Museum of Art at University of Chicago – Free every day

Swedish American Museum – Second Tuesday is Free – February 12

Free museum days this week!

More free field trips! Info from Free things in Chicago . . .

Looking for things to do in Chicago with the kids? Here are some of the museums in Chicago that have free days this week.  Found another? — leave a comment for the community!

The Chicago History Museum is free to the public every Monday, 9:30am-4:30pm.

The Museum of Science and Industry has free general admission (basic entry) to the public on Monday May 3

The Adler Planetarium is free on May 4th with hours being 9:30am – 6pm during the summer; 10:00am – 4:00pm otherwise; Charter One Discount Days at the Adler are made possible by the generous support of the Charter One Foundation.

The National Museum of Mexican Art is free every day but closed on Mondays.

Museum of Contemporary Photography. Free every day and open Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm (Thurs. until 8pm), Sun. 12-5pm. 600 S. Michigan Ave. at Columbia College, Chicago.

The Notebaert Chicago Nature Museum has “Free Days” every Thursday.

The Oriental Institute. Free every day (suggested donation of $7 adults, $4 children). Open Tues.-Sat. 10am-6pm (Wed. until 8:30pm), Sun. 12-6pm, closed Mondays. 1155 East 58th Street at University of Chicago.

The Art Institute of Chicago is free to the public every Thursday evening (May 6) from 5pm-8pm.

The Chicago Children’s Museum is free for everyone – every Thursday evening (may 6 this week) from 5-8pm

The Lincoln Park Zoo is free and open to the public 365 days per year. Generally open 10am-5pm.

Free admission to the Museum of Science and Industry!

U-505 Submarine

I came across some amazing information at the blog of a Sonlight Rep turned bloggy friend of mine.

This information is taken straight from the Museum of Science and Industry’s website:

Home School Group Reservations

Individuals:
Individual families with fewer than 20 students receive free general admission on Monday through Friday except during holiday periods. Parents receive free general admission as well. No advance reservations are required; you will be asked to fill out a Free Admission slip at the ticket counter. No documentation is needed. Omnimax movies, Learning Labs and special exhibits like Smart Home: Green + Wired have additional fees and are not offered at a discounted rate for individuals. Check out our free day schedule.

Groups:
Illinois home school groups of 20 or more students receive free general admission and regular school group discounts for Omnimax movies and special exhibits. Click here for school group pricing. Advance reservations and payment are required. One chaperone is needed for every 10 students. Reserve your visit online or by calling (773) 684-1414.

Learning Labs

Individual:
Individual home school students can sign up for special Learning Labs. Advance payment of $10 per student is required. Call (773) 684-1414 to reserve a spot. Labs are limited to 20 students on a first-come, first-served basis. The next sessions are:

May 10, 2010 at 2 pm
Museum Crime Lab (ages 8 – 12)
ER/OR Lab (ages 12 – 16)

Group:
Home school groups may register for one of our regular Learning Labs offered during the school year from September to June. Labs have a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 30 students, and each lab is $100 for the entire group (or $120 for special labs). Reserve a group lab by making a field trip reservation online or by calling (773) 684-1414.

Lab Etiquette:
Meet at the Information Desk on Main Level 2 15 minutes before the start of the lab. Parents and siblings are encouraged to walk around the Museum during the program.

Arrival and Parking

Plan to arrive at the Museum at least 30 minutes before any scheduled program such as Learning Labs, Omnimax movies or ticketed exhibits. An individual or group who is registered for a Learning Lab must meet at the Information Desk on Main Level 2 15 minutes before the start of the lab. Convienient indoor parking is available in the Museum’s underground parking garage.

Home School Policies

Download a PDF of our Home School Policies.

Tips for Your Visit

Make a pre-visit: If possible, visit the Museum before bringing your group to familiarize yourself with the building and the exhibits.

Take part in our live science experiences: From dissecting an eyeball to taking part in a discussion about climate change, our daily live science experiences make students part of the action. These programs are offered at no additional cost.

Make lunch plans: Pre-registered home school groups (of 20 or more) may reserve a lunch time in the student cafeteria. Other groups are invited to eat in the Brain Food Court.

Set expectations: The Museum offers 14 acres of exhibit space to explore. Set realistic expectations for how much your group can accomplish and what you want your group to learn. Our exhibits are designed to spark interest and engage the visitor. Rushing to see the entire Museum in one trip can be a frustrating experience. Use our map or visit planning tool to decide what to see and do, and check out our field trip worksheets and exhibit guides to focus your visit.

Contact Us

For field trips, call (773) 684-1414.  For other education inquiries, email edinfo(at)msichicago.org.