{"id":63168,"date":"2020-02-10T16:25:27","date_gmt":"2020-02-10T21:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/?p=63168"},"modified":"2020-03-17T14:32:53","modified_gmt":"2020-03-17T19:32:53","slug":"best-free-things-to-do-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/best-free-things-to-do-in-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Best Free Things to Do in Chicago Today"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When exploring the great city of Chicago, you don\u2019t always have to break the bank. There are so many free things to do in Chicago today with friends, so we\u2019ve put together a list of 10 year-round things to do that won\u2019t cost you any money.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_33478\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-33478\" style=\"width: 960px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-33478 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/15109520_10154136554611395_1844163724859208853_n.jpg\" alt=\"Chicago Cultural Center\" width=\"960\" height=\"653\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/15109520_10154136554611395_1844163724859208853_n.jpg 960w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/15109520_10154136554611395_1844163724859208853_n-600x408.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/15109520_10154136554611395_1844163724859208853_n-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/15109520_10154136554611395_1844163724859208853_n-128x86.jpg 128w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-33478\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Chicago Cultural Center Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Chicago Cultural Center<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>If you&#8217;re searching for free things to do in Chicago today, we recommend visiting The Cultural Center, a free municipal cultural venue. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its constant support of music and the arts is a great way for you to immerse yourself in the history and culture of the city.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_33296\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-33296\" style=\"width: 960px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-33296 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/33782015_10156534021971289_4150967423501074432_n.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Park\" width=\"960\" height=\"641\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/33782015_10156534021971289_4150967423501074432_n.jpg 960w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/33782015_10156534021971289_4150967423501074432_n-600x401.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/33782015_10156534021971289_4150967423501074432_n-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/33782015_10156534021971289_4150967423501074432_n-128x86.jpg 128w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-33296\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Millennium Park Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Millennium Park\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Millennium Park has something for everyone, including a concert venue, an art museum, and a beautiful garden space. During the winter, there&#8217;s ice skating, and during the summer, you can watch free movies, enjoy the summer dance series, and encounter plenty of free festivals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_60556\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60556\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-60556 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Garfield-Park-1024x694.jpg\" alt=\"local chicago\" width=\"1024\" height=\"694\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Garfield-Park-1024x694.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Garfield-Park-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Garfield-Park-370x251.jpg 370w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Garfield-Park-842x570.jpg 842w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Garfield-Park-406x275.jpg 406w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Garfield-Park-600x407.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Garfield-Park.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-60556\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Open House Chicago<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Garfield Park Conservatory<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This conservatory is one of the largest in the world and is full of life (literally). The tropical Palm House or the Desert House is a great place to escape the harsh Chicago winters, even just for a day. If you&#8217;re researching free things to do in Chicago today, this plant-filled oasis with over two acres of gardens is available to the public 365 days a year.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2307\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2307\" style=\"width: 950px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2307 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Lincoln-Park-Zoo.jpg\" alt=\"Lincoln Park Zoo\" width=\"950\" height=\"633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Lincoln-Park-Zoo.jpg 950w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Lincoln-Park-Zoo-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Lincoln-Park-Zoo-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Lincoln-Park-Zoo-700x466.jpg 700w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Lincoln-Park-Zoo-536x357.jpg 536w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Lincoln-Park-Zoo-725x483.jpg 725w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 950px) 100vw, 950px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2307\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Lincoln Park Zoo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Lincoln Park Zoo<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking for a place to take an animal lover? Let them go wild at Lincoln Park Zoo, where they can see animals from every climate. This is one of the last free zoos in the country and is dedicated to conservation and science.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_59575\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-59575\" style=\"width: 960px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-59575 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/navy-pier.jpg\" alt=\"best free things to do\" width=\"960\" height=\"617\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/navy-pier.jpg 960w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/navy-pier-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/navy-pier-370x238.jpg 370w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/navy-pier-842x541.jpg 842w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/navy-pier-406x261.jpg 406w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/navy-pier-600x386.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-59575\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Navy Pier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Navy Pier<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As one of Chicago\u2019s most popular attractions, you\u2019ll be sure to have a great time at Navy Pier. The Pier extends half a mile into Lake Michigan, providing visitors with stunning views and a bit of exercise! Though some of the attractions at Navy Pier cost a little money, it also provides plenty of free things to do in Chicago this weekend<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u2014 including the Miller Lite Beer Garden.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30088\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30088\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30088 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rosa1-2_2a1bec6546bfe385eec550e7dc12d85c-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"Rosa\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rosa1-2_2a1bec6546bfe385eec550e7dc12d85c-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rosa1-2_2a1bec6546bfe385eec550e7dc12d85c-600x397.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rosa1-2_2a1bec6546bfe385eec550e7dc12d85c-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rosa1-2_2a1bec6546bfe385eec550e7dc12d85c-1300x861.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rosa1-2_2a1bec6546bfe385eec550e7dc12d85c-128x86.jpg 128w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rosa1-2_2a1bec6546bfe385eec550e7dc12d85c.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30088\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Revolution Brewing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Revolution Brewery<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wednesday through Friday, visitors can take a free brewery tour at Revolution Brewery for a behind-the-scenes look at the brewery and distribution center. Learn about this local beer brand and where they fill their kegs and cans, and take home a souvenir koozie!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_38002\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38002\" style=\"width: 960px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-38002 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/National-Museum-of-Mexican-Art.jpg\" alt=\"Museum of Mexican Art\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/National-Museum-of-Mexican-Art.jpg 960w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/National-Museum-of-Mexican-Art-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/National-Museum-of-Mexican-Art-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/National-Museum-of-Mexican-Art-800x600.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-38002\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">National Museum of Mexican Art Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>National Museum of Mexican Art<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Located in Pilsen, the National Museum of Mexican Art is the only museum in Chicago that is dedicated to Latino culture and is part of the American Alliance of Museums. With over 9,000 examples of Mexican art from the past and present, you can tour the museum for free, though a donation is suggested.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_63169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-63169\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-63169 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/48374932_10156910288592790_4330521039571255296_o-1024x793.jpg\" alt=\"best free things to do\" width=\"1024\" height=\"793\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/48374932_10156910288592790_4330521039571255296_o-1024x793.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/48374932_10156910288592790_4330521039571255296_o-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/48374932_10156910288592790_4330521039571255296_o-370x286.jpg 370w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/48374932_10156910288592790_4330521039571255296_o-842x652.jpg 842w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/48374932_10156910288592790_4330521039571255296_o-406x314.jpg 406w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/48374932_10156910288592790_4330521039571255296_o-600x464.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/48374932_10156910288592790_4330521039571255296_o.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-63169\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Newberry Library<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Newberry Library<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This world-renowned independent research library offers free tours that are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 am. Browse this collection of rare books, maps, and other printed material from the last six centuries!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40520\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40520\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-40520 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/47583157_1180878508728737_3482867419501166916_n-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Maggie Daley Park\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/47583157_1180878508728737_3482867419501166916_n.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/47583157_1180878508728737_3482867419501166916_n-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/47583157_1180878508728737_3482867419501166916_n-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/47583157_1180878508728737_3482867419501166916_n-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/47583157_1180878508728737_3482867419501166916_n-550x550.jpg 550w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-40520\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maggie Daley Park Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Maggie Daley Park<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Located on the northeast corner of Grant Park lies a giant playground called Maggie Daley Park. This recreation center sits on the lakefront and is open year-round. In the summer, you can test out the climbing wall, and in the winter, you can enjoy the skating ribbon. This is a perfect place for families to spend time together!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_63170\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-63170\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-63170 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o-1024x681.jpg\" alt=\"best free things to do\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o-391x260.jpg 391w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o-370x246.jpg 370w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o-842x560.jpg 842w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o-406x270.jpg 406w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/45143750_10157434932139749_7662884635805745152_o.jpg 1166w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-63170\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Hyde Park Art Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Hyde Park Art Center<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Operating in Chicago since 1939, this art center offers a community for creativity. The center offers studio space, artist talks, exhibitions, and more \u2013 all of which are free and open to the public!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><a class=\"vc_general vc_btn3 vc_btn3-size-md vc_btn3-shape-square vc_btn3-style-flat vc_btn3-block vc_btn3-color-warning\" title=\"\" href=\"\/chicago\/read-more\/\">READ MORE LIKE THIS<\/a><\/center><center><a class=\"vc_general vc_btn3 vc_btn3-size-md vc_btn3-shape-square vc_btn3-style-flat vc_btn3-block vc_btn3-color-primary\" title=\"\" href=\"\/app\/\">DOWNLOAD THE URBANMATTER APP<\/a><\/center><center><a class=\"vc_general vc_btn3 vc_btn3-size-md vc_btn3-shape-square vc_btn3-style-flat vc_btn3-block vc_btn3-color-success\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iparkit.com\/chicago?utm_source=urbanmatter&amp;utm_medium=adfill&amp;utm_campaign=backlinks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">FIND PARKING<\/a><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When exploring the great city of Chicago, you don\u2019t always have to break the bank. There are so many free things to do in Chicago today with friends,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2082,"featured_media":33296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28444,755],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-category-best-of-chicago","category-category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.4 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>10 Best Free Things to Do in Chicago Today | UrbanMatter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are so many free things to do in Chicago today with friends, so we\u2019ve put together a list of 10 year-round things to do that won\u2019t cost you any money.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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