Chicago, like many big cities, can be an expensive place to visit. After paying for airline tickets, parking, hotels and food, you might not have a lot of spare cash to play with. Luckily, downtown Chicago has a number of free parks and museums that allow you to experience the city without going over budget.
Built in 1914, Navy Pier has rides, exhibitions, restaurants and an IMAX theater. Admission to the pier is free, so you can enjoy a pleasant walk around Chicago’s lakefront playground and enjoy the views of Lake Michigan. Navy Pier attracts millions of visitors each year, making it an excellent place to people watch. Benches at the end of the pier allow you to sit and enjoy the view for free.
Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
312-595-7437
navypier.com
Founded in 1879 as a museum and school, the Art Institute of Chicago has occupied its present site on Michigan Avenue since 1893. The museum has artwork from around the world dating as far back as 5,000 years. Themes include African, Asian, European, modern, contemporary, photography and sculpture. Although there is a fee for admission, you can enjoy the museum for free on Thursdays between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. The museum has daily exhibitions and events.
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603
312-443-3600
artic.edu
Millennium Park is a 24.5-acre open space just behind the Art Institute in downtown Chicago. Admission to the park is free. The park has a pavilion offering free concerts and events year-round. Millennium Park has unusual architecture and pieces of art, such as Cloud Gate, an elliptical sculpture made of stainless steel with a shape similar to a bean. Walk under the 12-foot arch of Cloud Gate and you’ll see yourself reflected back from a variety of perspectives. During the winter months, Millennium Park also has a 16,000-square-foot ice skating rink.
Millennium Park
201 E. Randolph St.
Chicago, IL 60601
312-742-1168
millenniumpark.org
The free Museum of Contemporary Photography, located at Columbia College Chicago, has work by various local, national and international artists and photographers. The museum has a permanent collection of over 9,000 photographs and photography-related objects. Past exhibitions include landscape collections and photographs of friends and family.
Museum of Contemporary Photography
600 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
312-663-5554
mocp.org
