Free Chicago Public Library Museum Passes

Free Chicago Public Library Museum Passes

Who is eligible

If you’re a Chicago Public Library (CPL) cardholder and an adult resident of Chicago, you may check out a Kids Museum Passport at any CPL location.

If you can’t get a pass, here are all the 2022 Free Museum Days.

Where are the passes located

Each CPL location has a limited number of Kids Museum Passports for each museum. Check pass availability here. Passes are first come, first serve and cannot be put on hold.

How they work

Kids Museum Passport gets you free general admission to the museum.  Check to see what is included (and excluded) at the big five: The Art Institute of Chicago,  The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry

Unless otherwise noted:

• The Kids Museum Passport allows a family of four general admission during regular hours.
• A group must include at least one child under 18 for the pass to be valid.
• A maximum of two adults are admitted with each pass.

Passes are available for 19 museums. Click the links for more info.

Passes are available for 19 museums. Click the museum name to see if a pass is available to check out:

• Adler Planetarium
• American Writers Museum
• Art Institute of Chicago
• Bronzeville Children’s Museum
• Brookfield Zoo
• Chicago Botanic Garden: Free parking for one vehicle (car level only); admission is always free

• Chicago Children’s Museum
• Chicago History Museum
• DuSable Museum of African American History
• The Field Museum
• Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
• Lincoln Park Zoo: 10 percent discount on food and retail purchases for a family of four; admission is always free

• McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Museum of Science and Industry
• National Museum of Mexican Art: 20 percent discount at the museum store for a family of four; admission is always free
• National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture: 10 percent discount at the museum store for a family of four; admission is always free
• The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

• Shedd Aquarium

Other Terms and Conditions

• Kids Museum Passports are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Passes cannot be placed on hold.
• You can check out one Kids Museum Passport per loan period. The loan period for passes is one week.
• Only one Kids Museum Passport per household may be checked out at a time.
• There is a 24-hour waiting period after returning a Kids Museum Passport before another pass for the same museum may be checked out by any member of the same family.

• Museum passes may not be renewed because of high demand.
• A Kids Museum Passport must be returned to the circulation desk of the CPL location where it was checked out.
• The overdue fine for Kids Museum Passports is $2 a day, with a maximum overdue fine of $20.
• The charge for a lost Kids Museum Passport is $60, plus any overdue fines.

Related: Free and cheap things to do in Chicago this week