Raising kids isn’t cheap. And raising them in a bustling metropolitan center of the arts, culture and food scene? Even less so. But even in Chicago fun family activities don’t have to cost a bundle. These 50 free things to do in Chicago include outdoor adventures, crafts, STEM, gaming and and spots where your kids can just run themselves ragged—and your wallet won’t take a hit.
ANYTIME
1. Monkey around at Lincoln Park Zoo. It’s always free to visit this world-class zoo, and you’ll see bears, monkeys, big cats and penguins (to name a few!). Plan your visits for Wednesdays and Fridays for free sing alongs with Mr. Singer.
2. Illinois resident free museum days occur year round, which means you just have to mark your calendar to get a peek at Sue the T. Rex at the Field Museum, the mirror maze at MSI or the underwater critters at Shedd, without paying a dime.
3. Visit the National Museum of Mexican Art, an always-free Chicago museum, on the weekends for Family Open Studios. Stroll the galleries and use any inspiration you got to make your own art.
Garfield Park Conservatory
4. Go green at Garfield Park Conservatory. Not only is it a lush (indoor!) paradise, but you’ll also find three different drop-in programs to get your littles in touch with nature in fun, hands-on ways.
5. The first Sunday of the month brings an exciting opportunity for older kids (10+) to nerd out on science at the Fermilab’s Ask-a-Scientist tours. For once you won’t have to fudge your way through an explanation of the Big Bang or what happened to the dinosaurs.
6. Gamers have multiple opportunities to play at Cat & Mouse Games in Bucktown. Tuesday board game nights, Friday morning story times, Crafty Sundays and beginners Pokemon lessons on Saturdays are some of the awesome offerings you’ll find here.
7. Feeling up for a drive? Just a 90 minutes from Chicago you can go on a free tour of the Jelly Belly warehouse in Pleasant Prairie. You end with free samples, of course.
8. Stay up past your bedtimes to spot constellations through the 18.5-inch telescope at Northwestern University’s Dearborn Observatory in Evanston. Every Friday night from 8 to 10pm (first hour requires reservations!) students lead a tour, answer questions and you can see the stars if you’re lucky.
9. On the first and third Fridays at the Chicago Cultural Center and first and third Saturdays at Garfield Park Conservatory, kids can get their groove on to a hugely diverse lineup of musicians, singers and dancers as part of the Juicebox series.
10. Walk the five-acre grounds with two ponds and a butterfly garden, then explore the animal exhibits and Nature Nook indoors at the free Wildwood Nature Center in Park Ridge. On Wednesdays and Saturdays you might catch an animal feeding time, and on Saturdays you can make a new animal friend at Critter Connection.
Abel Arciniega/Choose Chicago
11. Maggie Daley Park is so amazing, you might not believe it’s free. There’s a skating ribbon (free if you bring your own skates) and a play garden complete with a suspension bridge, thrilling slides, a splash pad and an enchanted forest. It’s the one playground you absolutely have to visit if you’re in Chi-town.
12. Get your kids to try new veggies by joining Club Sprouts at any Green City Market farmers market. Little ones are encouraged to try new and seasonal foods to get a stamp on their membership card. There are usually crafting, recipes and scavenger hunts, too.
13. Families are transported back to the 19th-century at Kline Creek Farm. Kids can explore the restored farmhouse and gardens, meet the farm’s costumed operators and learn about farm activities of yore such as baking, canning and harvesting.
14. At this special story time, your littles are introduced to poetry and rhymes through interactive readings and crafts at the Poetry Foundation Library, Wednesdays at 10am.
15. If you’re craving culture, the Smart Museum of Art is always free to explore, but the monthly, drop-in Family Day is especially fun. Come for hands-on art making and fun tours of the collection, each with a different theme.
16. The 606 gives us Chicagoans a totally new view of our notoriously flat city. Connecting Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Bucktown and Wicker Park, you can bring your strollers, bikes, scooters or running shoes to explore this above-ground path to up your heart rate on a beautiful day.
17. Don’t sleep on the library. Chicago Public Library is an awesome resource for parents pinching pennies—and there’s more than just story times. Crafting, games, STEM activities, language learning, yoga and building are just some of the activities offered across the city’s branches.
18. You don’t need a big event to visit the Harold Washington Library Center. Of course, there’s something special offered almost every day, but the newly remodeled children’s library has computers, an interactive puppet stage, a baby garden, digital cameras and more for kids to play with.
19. Brave the tourists and explore Navy Pier. Sure, several attractions here cost big bucks, but you’re limiting yourself if you don’t explore the free spaces and programming like public art installations, the indoor Crystal Gardens, the splash-worthy fountain at Polk Bros. Park and seasonal events (Holi, Flower & Garden show, fitness classes) that are always being offered.
20. Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier is free every Thursday night from 5 to 8pm. The nights can get crowded, but everything’s more fun when it’s free, right?
Adam Alexander Photography/Choose Chicago
21. Play tourist at Millennium Park by looking at your reflection in Cloud Gate (something babies literally never get tired of), laying under the pavilion and visiting the flowers at Lurie Garden. It’s a great reminder of how pretty our city is!
22. Take the tourist thing to a whole new level by meeting up with a free Chicago Greeter, who will take you on an expert tour of the city and definitely teach you a thing or two you didn’t know about your hometown.
23. Second Sundays (which are, yes, the second Sunday of the month) at Hyde Park Art Center, are a free family art making adventure with guest artists helping kids create works inspired by the art on display. The art center is open seven days a week, though, and has six galleries full of contemporary art for you to explore.
24. Playgroups, music sessions, therapy dog reading days and traveling exhibits can all be found at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library.
25. You should pay for a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago when you can (admission is always free for kids!), but it’s always free to get creative in the Ryan Learning Center. Kids’ activities are themed along with artwork in the museum’s collection and special exhibitions.
26. Free and open Monday to Friday, Chicago Fed’s Money Museum is a fun and off-beat indoor destination. See monetary artifacts, play games that help you understand the Federal Reserve, pretend to be a secret service agent detecting counterfeits and more.
Chicago Architecture Foundation by Anne Evans
27. The Chicago Architecture Foundation (which is getting a new space this summer!) is home to a micro-model of Chicago (a shrunken down version of 1,000 buildings and 400 city blocks!), free monthly drop-in story and craft sessions and family festivals. They also put on the free Open House Chicago, which lets you peek inside typically-private Chicago buildings for 48 hours.
28. All instruments, voices and experience levels are welcome to the kid-friendly Saturday Jams at Old Town School of Folk Music. You don’t even have to be enrolled in a class to join the fun and experiment with sound.
29. Mark your calendar for the monthly mini-model build at The Lego Store in Water Tower Place. Kids can get their hands on some bricks and take home a new treasure—for free! Sign up as early as you can to guarantee a spot.
30. This one might be a hard to keep free, but a stroll through the famously bizarre American Science & Surplus is certainly an entertaining trip for curious kids.
31. For service-hero loving littles, a free tour of the firehouse is a must-do. Engine 18 (where they shoot Chicago Fire) is a popular one to visit, and they’ve shared that 9:30 to 11am and 1 to 4pm on non-shooting days are best to visit. You can always stop by your local station to see if they’re busy.
32. Story times aren’t limited to the library. Visit Miss Rachel at Little Threads on Mondays at 11am, Pottery Barn Kids on Tuesdays at 11am, or the Book Cellar on the first Friday of the month for musical story time.
SPRING & SUMMER
33. Chicago goes big for St. Patrick’s Day, and lucky for you the epic river dyeing and parade are totally free to experience! Just don’t forget to wear your green, or risk a pinch.
34. Chicago Botanic Garden is always free, though parking is not unless you’re a member. So if you’re hoping to see some beautiful blooms, this is your premiere option! A visit to the Nature Play Garden, with its rolling hills, climbable boulders and water features, is a must visit for any family.
35. Get your bikes in gear for a loop around the city’s 18-mile Lakefront Trail. This eco-friendly adventure gives you great views of the city, built-in exercise and you can always stop at a park, beach, garden or playground for extra fun.
36. There’s really only one season you don’t want to spend at the playground in Chicago (looking at you, winter), but spring is when you’re really getting antsy for some outdoor play. Head to these quirky playgrounds, or your neighborhood spot for hours of free play. Pack a picnic, maybe a swim suit and towel in the summer (for splash pad hopping), and enjoy.
Oak Street Beach by Adam Alexander Photography/Choose Chicago
37. Sunbathe on the beach. Beginning Memorial Day through Labor Day you can pay a visit to one (or all) 26 of the city’s free beaches for some sun, sand, water and fun.
38. Walk along the wonderfully renewed Riverwalk. While it’s always open, summer is when the area is at its most exciting, with fountains to splash in and restaurants and bars opening up again.
39. Chicago Park District, Millennium Park and lots of other outdoor destinations offer free movie screenings on summer evenings. Search around the web (and check back at Mommy Nearest!) for the 2018 listings.
40. Chicago SummerDance turns the Spirit of the Music Garden in Grant Park to an urban dance floor. Get your groove on to the 48 bands and DJs, with the help of live dance lessons beforehand.
41. Head to a street fest. We’ve got some favorites, but there are countless others in Chicagoland. Many ask for donations, since they benefit great local causes. But technically this is still free and totally counts.
Jazz Fest by Adam Alexander Photography/Choose Chicago
42. If you’re looking to bop to a beat, maybe a kid-friendly music festival is more your speed. Biggies like the Blues Festival, Jazz Festival and Square Roots are free! Just don’t forget those tiny, ear-protecting headphones.
43. The Chicago Air & Water Show is the largest free event of its kind in the whole country! In late summer, visitors head to the beach to watch amazing pilots perform aerial tricks in their jets.
FALL & WINTER
44. Chicago Botanic Garden, Maple Grove Forest Preserve and Swallow Cliff are some of our favorite leafy destinations to go for a little hike and to see the fall colors emerge.
45. If you’re a sports-loving family who doesn’t want to pay the high dollar pro-sports costs, pay a visit to Wildcat Alley during Northwestern’s football season.Three hours before the game, you can visit for all sorts of family-centric fun like face painting, inflatables, music and dancing and more.
Lincoln Park Zoo
46. Free autumn events at Lincoln Park Zoo include the Fall Fest, with pumpkins and a hay mountain, and Spooky Zoo, with trick-or-treating, live entertainment and crafting.
47. Explore the 40 blocks of stores, restaurants and interesting architecture in the Chicago Pedway. These are temperature controlled passages, which means the snow and ice can’t harsh your vibes.
48. Start your holiday season off with a bang at the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in November! There are tons of family activities, and the grande finale is a parade with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Millennium Park Ice Skating by Ranvestel Photographic/Choose Chicago
49. Bring your own skates and ice skate at the ribbon in Maggie Daley Park or the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at Millennium Park for free. Pack a thermos of hot chocolate and you’ve got a dreamy winter night.
50. Polar Adventure Days, which usually happen once a month in January and February, are a winter rite of passage. Trek to Northerly Island to snow shoe, play with huskies and sip hot cocoa. The island has amazing views of the city!
