Free days Pritzker Military Museum and Library
Where: Monroe Building, 104 S. Michigan, 2nd and 3rd floors 312-374-9333.
When: 2021 free days Memorial Day (May 31) and Veterans Day (Nov 11)
Free days are subject to change. Always call first to confirm free days before heading out.
Regular admission
General admission is $10.00. Seniors, students, and teachers with valid IDs is $8.00. Admission is free for members, children under 12, First Responders, and Active Military.
Hours
Tuesday-Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Holiday hours
2021 Free Chicago Museum Days
About the Pritzker Military Museum and Library
The PMML is a privately funded not-for-profit institution created by Colonel Jennifer Pritzker. The museum is about 40,000 square feet on two floors. They run exhibits of their artifacts and have a large military library. Anyone visiting is welcome to read books while there.
Watch the lectures on the website
They also host lectures by military experts that are shown on WTTW from time-to-time. Usually it’s an author who comes on and talks about their latest book. TV schedule. Over 400 of the lectures that air on PBS are on the website. Here.
Free days Pritzker Military Museum and Library
April 6 – Centennial of WWI
May 9 – Birthday of the Illinois National Guard
May 23 – Saturday before Memorial Day (in conjunction with Chicago’s observance of Memorial day)
May 25 – Memorial Day
June 14 – Birthday of the United States Army
July 4 — Independence Day
August 4 – Birthday of the United States Coast Guard
September 11– Anniversary of 9/11
September 18 – Birthday of the United States Air Force
October 13 – Birthday of the United States Navy
November 10 – Birthday of the United States Marine Corps
November 11 – Veteran’s Day
December 7 – Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor
December 13 – Birthday of the National Guard
About the Monroe Building
The Library is located in the Monroe Building. The Monroe Building was built in 1912 and designed by Holabird and Roche. Colonel Pritzker bought the building in 2006 and in 2012 completed restoring much of the interior.
A 1950-60’s rehabs had stripped the building of most of it’s original finishes and fixtures. Pritzker was able to restore and/or recreate some of the buildings original interior details (look at the recreated lobby light fixtures) using original drawings obtained from Holabird and Root. They also cleaned the terracotta facade three times to remove 100 years of grime. When you walk into the building look up at the glazed tile in the vaulted lobby. Simply gorgeous.
104 S. Michigan Lobby
