On The Go Chicago

Following are a list of free days at Chicago Area Museums & Attractions this June.  Great for a rainy day!

• Field Museum –  June 14 (every second Monday is free) and June 2 & 3
• Adler Planetarium – June 7-11
• Chicago Children’s Museum –Thursdays from 5-8pm the museum is free to all.  Every first Sunday, 15 and under are free.  Plus, if you are a member of the DuPage Children’s Museum, you can always get in free.
• Museum of Science and Industry – June 7-11
• Art Institute – Every Thursday from 5-8pm
• Museum of Contemporary Art – Every Tuesday
• Chicago History Museum – Every Monday
• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum – Thursdays are suggested donation days
• Shedd Aquarium – June 14-18.
• Lincoln Park Zoo – ALWAYS free

One thing to note is that free days generally only include general admission.  If you want to see a special attraction or exhibit you normally have to pay a small fee. Also, free days tend to be crowded.  A lot of neighborhood schools do field trips on free days.

Parking

As a mom always looking to save a few bucks, I tend to scope out the cheapest parking options.  Here are a few insider tips on saving money on Chicago parking.

• Shedd, Adler and Field Museum Campus – If you get there early (before 10:30), you can almost always find a metered spot.  Drive past the normal parking and head towards the Adler.  Turn right down Solidarity Drive. Metered parking spots line both sides of Solidarity Drive.
• Art Institute – There is metered parking on South Columbus Drive directly behind the modern wing.  You can only stay a few hours without feeding the meter again, but, honestly, my kids only have a two-hour attention span anyways.
• Museum of Science and Industry – Don’t be fooled by the parking signs telling you to take the 57^th St. exit from Lakeshore Dr.  Instead, exit onto Science Dr. from Lakeshore.   There is a HUGE free lot.  I was told last week that they plan to eventually install meters, but even meters will be cheaper than the $16 underground lot.