Top 10 Free Attractions in Chicago

When your team is on the go in the Windy City and you’ve come across a block of free time in your itinerary, you can fill it with fun for practically nothing! Don’t waste your time in Chicago thumbing through pamphlets and consulting the locals, we’ve got the lowdown right here!

  • 365 days a year 35 acres of 1,200 animals make up one of the oldest and best zoos in the country, Lincoln Park Zoo! The Lincoln Park Zoo offers not only free parking but free admission! A gem at the top of our list!
  • Millennium Park is more than a town square, it’s a rhythmic beat of exhibitions, artwork, concerts, tours, and gatherings, all for free! Don’t pass up a warped city photo with “The Bean” sculpture for a Chicago-only experience!
  • For the arts-oriented group on a budget, a visit to the Chicago Cultural Center provides free art shows, film screenings, concerts, tours, discussions, and the world’s largest Tiffany stained-glass dome! Even the ceiling here is awe-inspiring!
  • Surging from the center of Grant Park is the glorious and enormous Buckingham Fountain! April through October mesmerizing water shows during the day are available but the evening offers colored light displays!
  • Inside the Garfield Park Conservatory, your group can discover a prehistoric Illinois shrouded in ferns, 84 kinds of palm trees, a Midwest cacti collection, and scores of potted plants to add a burst of color! This conservatory is a supremely beautiful indoor oasis.
  • By now you may have noticed a trend in Chicago’s grandeur and love of the large, and their National Museum of Mexican Art is no exception! The largest Mexican cultural center in North America showcases the artistic bounds from the ancient Mayans all the way to art today beyond our borders.
  • Inside the city rests an unrestricted retreat into the wilderness, the 46 acres North Park Village Nature Center. Trails will lead you all through a savanna, prairie, wetland, and woodland all in the company of the resident creatures that frequent them.
  • If the outside looks like just another architectural landmark, step inside and prepare to be blown away by the sheer unrivaled beauty of the Elks Veterans Memorial. Grandiose sculptures, astounding stained glass windows, glimmering chandeliers, marble floors, and neoclassical paintings are hidden within.
  • The University of Chicago’s campus in Hyde Park houses three museums ranging from the Eastern orient, the Renaissance, and masterpieces from India. This multi-faceted collection explores the world through ancient artifacts and modern arts.
  • Last on our list of the top 10 free places to visit in Chicago is the Museum of Contemporary Photography near Millenium Park. A stimulating collection of photographs lends itself to anyone searching to expand their appreciation of present-day topics like natural disasters and hard-working peoples amidst destitution.