Visiting Chicago's Children's Museum for Free: Thursday Nights During the School Year

Sure, you can to the Children's Museum of Chicago on a rainy day in June, along with all the other moms looking for a place to entertain their children for a few hours. Or go in July, during the summer camp season, and try to fish your child out of a school of green, blue, or the dreaded tie-dyed camp tee-shirts. Perhaps you want to take advantage of the free Thursday night in the summer, just like every other vacationing family in America who has picked up a local tourist book. Try to explain to your child why they have to wait for twenty minutes to play on a computer.

As for me and my family, we prefer to take over the museum. And we prefer to do it for free. The best time to go to the Children's Museum on Navy Pier is Thursday nights during the school year (not a holiday or vacation week). We went on a Thursday night in late September for our daughter's birthday. Yes, the next day was a school day, and yes, our children did have some homework. We did it as quickly as possible and drove thirty minutes into the city, getting to the museum at 5 pm, when the free admission is in effect. Our family and about seventy other individuals had the entire museum, all three floors to ourselves.

Normally the cost of the museum is $9/person ($8/seniors). However on Thursday from 5pm to closing at 8pm, the museum is free. And realistically, how much longer would you want to follow your child around a museum. Not only is it free admission, there are no hidden fees for "special " exhibits like other area museums. The entire museum is up for grabs. Hands on entertainment for three hours for free! As an added bonus the night we were there, a musician preformed and taught on percussion instruments.

Our kids played on everything, actually there are still some areas of the museum we haven't visited because we had so much time in concentrated areas. Imagine free rein in the water room, or no line for the rope ladder to the second floor. How about being the only two people digging up lost bones, or having an entire butterfly screen all to yourself. We even had our pick of computers to sit down in front of.

In going to the Children's Museum on an off-season Thursday, parking also becomes less of an issue. For the first time, we were able to find nearby on-the-street parking. Instead of paying a minimum of $18 for parking, we paid a grand total of $3.

Sure your family would need to eat dinner a little earlier or later than normal, but because the Children's Museum is located at Navy Pier you have a variety of places to choose from, including the old standby, McDonald's. Or you could even bring your own picnic dinner as there is an atrium with numerous tables right across from the museum entrance.

My daughter's seventh birthday was indeed a special one. We didn't need the costly birthday package to make it a success. With only spending $3 for the evening, we were able to take her out for her favorite dinner, Chinese food. Chicago can be cold and miserable during parts of the school year. A Thursday night at the Children's Museum can be the perfect mini-vacation for your family and your wallet.