Say what you want about Chicago winters, but the fact is, this town knows how to pack a lot of fun into the coldest months of the year. And best of all, there are plenty of FREE things to do in Chicago during the winter.
Some of the city's best attractions offer free admission during the winter, with free Illinois resident days at the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum—plus, The DuSable Museum is always free (to help you celebrate MLK Day and Black History Month in February), and the Art Institute of Chicago is free on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays through St. Patrick's Day. Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, lots of parades are returning as everyone becomes Chi-rish for a day, or you can see a different kind of parade at Chinese New Year in Chinatown. Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day also make our list of fun free things to do in Chicago this winter.
Looking for more? Our list of 100 Things to Do With Chicago Kids Before They Grow Up might do the trick, and of course you can always find more daily activities in our Chicago Event Calendar or our Chicago Winter Fun Guide.