Chicago’s Hottest Attractions Announce 2018 Free Admission Days

For families on a budget, discounts are good, but free is best, and that is exactly what some of Chicago's biggest tourist attractions will be offering on certain days throughout 2018.

If you don't mind dealing with crowds in exchange for a day of free family fun, here's some dates you will want to mark on your new 2018 calendar STAT according to chicagoparent.com.

Here's just a few of the 2018 free days for Chicago museums:

• Shedd Aquarium:January: 15, 18, 19, 22-26February: 2, 14

  June: 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19

  September: 4-30

  October: 3, 10

• Adler Planetarium:January: 3, 4, 7-12, 15-19February: 2, 5-9, 19-22

  June: 21

  August: 27-31

  September: 9-16

  October: 8, 21, 24, 25

  November: 11, 12, 14, 15

  December: 1, 3-7, 10

• The Field Museum:January: 3, 4, 15, 27, 28February: 1-28

  June: 20-22

• Museum of Science and Industry:January: 8–11, 15–18, 22–25, 29–31February: 1, 5–8, 12–15, 20–22, 26–27

  March: 14

  June: 4–7, 11–12

  September: 4–6, 10–13, 17–20, 24–27

  November: 12

• The Art Institute of Chicago: Free for Illinois residents 5-8 p.m. on Thursdays. Kids 13 and under are always free.
• Chicago Children's Museum: Free 5-8 p.m. on Thursdays and the first Sunday of every month for kids 15 and under. Always free to kids under 1.

If you're planning on taking advantage of these free Illinois resident days there's a couple things you need to keep in mind. First off, these offers are for free museum admission. You will still need to pay for parking, special exhibits, souvenirs, etc. Secondly, these free admission days may change at the last minute, so it's always wise to call before going just to double check.

To see more Chicago attractions offering free admission days, check out the complete list, here.

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