Need a change in environment? Want to learn something new? Try visiting one of our great state’s many museums. Chicago museums offer free days throughout the year. You can check the schedule on this website: http://museumfreedays.com/
Click on Chicago on the left and scroll down to the bottom to click on “Calendar” for an easy-to-read overview. Many free days are offered in the fall as visitation decreases at this time of year. The Chicago Public Libraries offer museum passes for free; however, the most popular museums are often hard to get. You can call various libraries to ask what they have “in stock” but they will not reserve them so you have to pick it up right away if you find one.
Besides the well-known museums in and around Chicago, there are many smaller museums around the greater Chicago area. These tend to have fewer lines to wait in, fewer crowds to navigate, less walking time and even free parking (closer to the museum entrance)! Suburban libraries including Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, Glenview, and Winnetka-Northfield offer free passes to many smaller museums and include the Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Gardens (free parking; admission is free). Passes are good for a week and expire so that, as an added bonus, you don’t have to return them. Check out the entire list at www.museumadventure.org Happy Learning!
Katharine Elsbree M.S., CCC
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