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Check Out Chicago Museums For Free During First Museum Week

By Emma G. Gallegos in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 9, 2015 4:12PM

The inaugural Museum Week is upon us. For the week of Oct. 1 through 7, museums around town will be offering free or discounted admission, membership and gift shop discounts and hosting special events. Sure, there are other free days and there are better discounts in the dead of winter, but it's a little easier to leave the house in early October. Sorry tourists: we love you but these free days are for Illinois residents only.

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Adler Planetarium (Photo by KevinEdge via the Chicagoist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)

Adler Planetarium

Free days: Oct. 5, 6 and 7 (for Illinois residents only)
Discounts: $10 off new memberships

Art Institute Chicago

Free day: Oct. 1, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (for Illinois residents only)
Discounts: $10 off new memberships

Chicago History Museum

Discounts: $4 off admission, 20% off café and store, 20% off membership

The DuSable Museum of African American History

Discounts: 2-for-1 admission, 10% off store, half off memberships

The Field Museum

Free day: Oct. 4 (for Illinois residents only)

Lincoln Park Zooj

Always free!
Discounts: 10% off memberships

MCA Chicago

Free day: Oct. 6 (for Illinois residents only)
Discount: bring a receipt from another museum visited during Museum Week and receive 50% off an adult admission ticket

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Museum of Science and Industry (Photo by Stephanie Barto via the Chicagoist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)

Museum of Science and Industry

Free day: Oct. 5 and 6 (for Illinois residents only)
Discount: $20 off membership

National Museum of Mexican Art

Always free!
Discount: 15% off at the museum shop

National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture

Always free!

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Free day: Oct. 1 (for Illinois residents only)
Discounts: Oct. 2-7 you can bring a receipt from your visit to another museum during Museum Week and get $5 off an adult ticket, 10% off gift shop, $15 off new 1-year membership, $25 off new 2-year membership

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Shedd Aquarium (Photo by Stuart Baxter via the Chicagoist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)

Shedd Aquarium

Free days: Oct. 5 and 6 (for Illinois residents only)