Free Things To Do In Chicago

Between all the shopping, shows, dining and sightseeing to do, Chicago can be quite a pricey city to visit and live in. If you want to keep a little extra cash in your wallet, get familiar with the multiple free opportunities offered throughout the Windy City. From parks and zoos to magnificent art museums, there's free rewarding experiences for all ages.

Grant Park: This 319-acre park is full of cultural and historic landmarks. Visitors will marvel at the iconic Buckingham Fountain, a stunning fountain display that represents the beauty of Lake Michigan. Don't forget to walk through the sculptures at Agora, a display of 106 headless and armless iron sculptures designed by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz. Grant Park is a dog-friendly area, contains plenty of jogging, walking and bicycling paths, and is a great place to play some tennis, baseball, or practice your skateboarding techniques. There's always something going on in Grant Park, whether it's a Bird Walk, Stargaze, or even a concert. Grant Park is located at 337 E. Randolph Street in downtown Chicago.

Lincoln Park Zoo: You can plan an entire Chicago vacation based on the happenings of the Lincoln Park Zoo. Just minutes away from downtown Chicago, the zoo offers a natural, free oasis to nature and animal lovers alike. Lions, gorillas, penguins and more, all your favorite creatures are represented at this neighborhood zoo. Zoo entry is free every day, and even admission to the Zoo's special events are usually free. Everyone looks forward to the annual Animal Meet and Greet during the winter holiday's ZooLights extravaganza. Meet the snakes, talk to the turtles, and have a blast with your family and friends. The Lincoln Park Zoo is open 365 days a year, normal hours are 10 a.m. -5 p.m. Admission is always free. The Zoo is located at 2001 N. Clark Street.

Art Institute of Chicago: As the second largest art museum in the U.S., the Art Institute of Chicago holds a very impressive collection of fine art, with over 30,000 pieces of work. Paintings, sculpture, photography, textiles, and more, you will need more than one day to explore everything the Art Institute has to offer. A major crowd-pleaser is the museum's huge collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections, some of the largest in the world. Museum admission is free on Thursdays from 5-8 p.m. The Art Institute of Chicago is located at 111 S. Michigan Avenue.

Millennium Park: A center for art, museum and architectural design, Millennium Park stretches over 24 and a half acres of downtown Chicago. The park contains phenomenal sculptures by Frank Gehry and Jaume Plensa, not to mention the infamous Cloud Gate sculpture (or "the beam"), which was Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. Millennium Park hosts a variety of events all year round, including free Monday afternoon concerts, iceskating at McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, music festivals and more. Millennium Park is located at 201 E. Randolph Street in downtown Chicago, and is open daily from 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Museum of Contemporary Photography: Whether you love to see the world through a lens, or enjoy being the subject of the picture, you'll be able to appreciate the works displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Billed as the Midwest's only photography museum, the museum houses more than 9,000 photos and photography-related exhibits from across the globe. The museum has scheduled events and lectures planned throughout the year, and exhibits works on a local, national and international level. Admission is always free. Museum hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-5 p.m. The Museum of Contemporary Photography is located at 600 S. Michigan Avenue.