Museums and their free days:

• Museum of Science & Industry (5700 S Lake Shore Dr) - Free days for the year are listed here.



• Adler Planetarium (1300 S Lake Shore Drive) - Free on certain days every month, listed here.



• Art Institute (111 S Michigan) - Free Thursday evenings, 5-8pm.



• Field Museum (1400 S Lake Shore Drive) - Free every second Monday of the month.



• Museum of Contemporary Art (220 E Chicago) - Free Tuesdays.



• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N Cannon Drive) - "Suggested Donation" days on Thursdays.



• Shedd Aquarium (1200 S Lake Shore Drive) - See schedule of free days here.

The following are ALWAYS free:

• Chicago Botanic Garden (1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe) (If you drive, there is a parking fee)


• Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N Central Park Ave)


• Lincoln Park Conservatory (2391 N Stockton Dr)


• Lincoln Park Zoo (2200 N Cannon Drive)


• Museum of Contemporary Photography (600 S Michigan)


• National Museum of Mexican Art (1852 W 19th St)

Some resources for free/cheap events, updated weekly:

• Flavorpill - Free Events Listings


• Free Shit (Chicago Reader) - Events, promotions, giveaways, classes.. stuff you might not otherwise hear about.


• Brokehipster.com - Free and cheap stuff - not just for hipsters. Or broke people. Updated daily through user submissions.

For all you poor, unemployed, recession victims and/or cheap bastards, here will be your resource for all that is cheap or free in the Chicago area.

Posts for general categories (food/restaurants, retail, entertainment, etc.) will be continually updated under their respective posts. So even if it was posted 3 months ago, the information should be current if it's anything permanent.
Special events/promotions will have their own posts.

Of course, any tips you have that I may not have here are not only encouraged, but necessary to make this list complete! Please feel free to leave it in a comment.