Your (Free) Mid-Winter Museum Guide

It’s totally dreary outside — perfect museum weather. Luckily, Chicago museums are offering free admission opportunities to Illinoisans. Check out the dates, peruse the exhibits on display, and plan your perfect winter museum visit.

Art Institute of Chicago in the Loop

• Upcoming free days: Every weekday through Feb. 27.
• Current exhibits: Architect Bruce Goff was known for his flamboyant homes, and that legacy is on full display at the Art Institute. There’s a Goff retrospective, “Material Worlds"; drawings that respond to his famous works; a collection showcasing Japanese prints owned by Goff; and a photo series documenting one Goff house in Los Angeles. There are also three non-Goff temporary exhibitions happening.
• Upcoming exhibits: “Lucas Samaras: Sitting, Standing, Walking, Looking,” a photography exhibit, and “Carroll Dunham: Drawings,” both open Jan. 31.

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Jackson Park

• Upcoming free days: Jan. 25–28; Feb. 2–5; Feb. 8–12; Feb. 17–19; and Feb. 23–26.
• Current exhibits: "Marvel's Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing" runs till Feb. 8 in addition to many non-limited exhibits.
• Upcoming exhibits: “Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition” kicks off Jan. 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This annual exhibit is the longest-running exhibition of African American art, having launched in 1970. "Crafting Character: The Costumes of Paul Tazewell" opens the same day.

Shedd Aquarium in Museum Campus

• Upcoming free days: Jan. 15–20; Jan. 27–29; Feb. 3–5, Feb. 10–12, Feb. 17–19; and Feb. 24–26.
• Current exhibits: “Wonder of Water” showcases the biodiversity of both freshwater and saltwater, while “Amazon Rising” dives into the Amazon River Basin and features emerald tree boas and green anacondas. There are several other exhibits on display, too.
  

Field Museum in Museum Campus

• Upcoming free days: Every Wednesday!
• Current exhibits: Although admission is free on Wednesdays, special exhibits like “After the Age of Dinosaurs” and “Reptiles Alive!” cost extra. However, “The Changing Face of Science,” "Connecting Threads—Africa Fashion in Chicago," and others are free.
• Upcoming exhibits: "Pokémon Fossil Museum" opens May 22.

DuSable Black History Museum in Washington Park

• Upcoming free days: Every Wednesday!
• Current exhibits: Several exhibits are on display at DuSable. The latest, “Paris in Black” highlights Black artists, writers, performers, and thinkers in Paris throughout the 20th Century. This includes American-born celebrities like Josephine Baker and James Baldwin.

Chicago History Museum in Lincoln Park

• Upcoming free days: Jan. 19–23; Jan. 27–30; and Feb. 16.
• Current exhibits: “Aquí en Chicago” explores Chicagoland’s Latino communities. Curator-led tours run through Jan. 27.
• Upcoming event: A free Commemorative Day in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Jan. 19.