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How to get Free Chicago Museum Tickets in July 2026
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Bank of America's Museums on Us® program gives qualifying free general admission to 5 different museums in Chicago, on the first full weekend of every month. In 2026, that means July 4 and 5 are your free-access days if you're a Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank credit or debit card.
The program covers a genuinely impressive range of institutions in the city of Chicago, from world-class art museums to natural history collections to hands-on science centers. Whether you're a Chicago local looking to spend a weekend afternoon without paying admission, or a visitor trying to stretch your travel budget, the lineup here is worth knowing before you go.
Here's a look at the Chicago museums participating in Museums on Us® in July 2026, what each one offers, and a few practical notes to help you plan your visit.
TL;DR
The Bank of America Museums on Us program gives eligible cardholders free general admission to a solid lineup of Chicago institutions on the first full weekend of each month. In July 2026, that falls on July 4 and 5, which falls on a holiday weekend and may effect how busy the museums are.
Here's a look at the participating Chicago museums and what you can expect at each one.
| Museum | Normal Non-resident Adult Admission | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Art Institute of Chicago | $32 | 111 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603 |
| Illinois Holocaust Museum presents Experience360 | $12 | 360 N. State St., Chicago, IL 60654 |
| Adler Planetarium | $25 | 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art | $22 | 220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611 |
| Griffin Museum of Science and Industry | $25.95 | 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637 |
A major U.S. art museum, the Art Institute holds a permanent collection spanning more than 5,000 years of art from around the world. The Impressionist and Post-Impressionist galleries are a consistent draw, with works by Seurat, Monet, and Picasso. General admission for adults runs around $32 (as of June 2026). Check the Art Institute's website for current rates for seniors and Chicago residents.
A major hands-on science museum on Chicago’s South Side, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry fills the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Long-running draws include the U-505 Submarine, Science Storms, the Great Train Story, the Henry Crown Space Center, and the Coal Mine tour. General admission for adults starts around $26 (as of June 2026), with Chicago residents receiving a discount. Check the museum’s website for current rates, since special exhibitions, the Giant Dome Theater, and tours usually cost extra.
One of the city’s key stops for contemporary art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago focuses on work from the 20th century to today, with a collection of more than 2,500 artworks and rotating exhibitions rather than a fixed greatest-hits layout. Expect postwar and contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation, and performance, with artists and shows changing frequently. Check the MCA’s website for current rates for students, seniors, and free-admission windows.
Perched on the lakefront with sweeping views of the Chicago skyline, the Adler covers space science across multiple galleries. General admission gets you into the main exhibit floors; fulldome theater shows are separate. It's a good pick if you're combining it with other Museum Campus stops since the Field and Shedd are walking distance away.
A downtown River North experience from the Illinois Holocaust Museum, Experience360 uses immersive storytelling, survivor testimony, holography, and virtual reality to connect visitors with the history of the Holocaust and other genocides. Key draws include interactive survivor holograms, a 360-degree VR theater, and exhibits pairing historical context with personal artifacts, photographs, and memories. Check the museum’s website for current pricing and reservation details for VR and holography experiences.
The process is straightforward. Present your eligible Bank of America credit or debit card along with a photo ID at the museum's admissions desk on July 4 or 5. No pre-registration or special coupon is needed. Admission is for the cardholder only, so companions would pay standard rates unless they also carry an eligible card.
Prices above reflect standard walk-up adult rates and may vary. Special exhibitions, IMAX screenings, and add-on experiences are not included under Museums on Us and require separate tickets.
Head up: July 4 falls on the program weekend this year, so some museums may have modified holiday hours. Confirming hours directly with each venue ahead of time is worth the two-minute check. Crowds will (probably) be heavier than a typical Museums on Us weekend because the holiday aligns with the program dates. Arriving early or targeting late-afternoon entry can make a real difference.
If you're looking for a no-annual-fee Bank of America option to keep in your wallet for this benefit, the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card is worth a look. New cardholders earn 2% cash back on purchases for the first year from account opening, with no limit to the amount of cash back you can earn. After that, you'll earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no expiration on rewards as long as your account remains open.
That makes it a simple everyday card that also gets you into participating museums on the first full weekend of each month.
Some Bank of America perks are easy to remember. Museums on Us, for example, happens every month, so you may already have a sense of whether you used it recently. But other benefits are easier to overlook and forget. For example, if you carry the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card, you get up to $100 in Airline Incidental Statement Credits annually (which, can be a bit tricky to keep track of)
This is where nextcard credit tracking can help. nextcard gives you one place to track your Bank of America benefits, credits, and reset dates. Instead of checking terms, statements, spreadsheets and calendar reminders separately, you can see what card-specific benefits you still have available and when they expires. The free tier supports unlimited manual credit tracking, while nextcard Pro adds automated Plaid tracking that can sync eligible transactions for you.
Museums on Us® returns on the first full weekend of each month, but that timing can still be easy to forget, especially when you are planning around travel, weekend schedules, or participating museums in another city.
nextcard Notifs gives you a simple reminder before each Museums on Us weekend, so the benefit is on your radar before the dates arrive. You can choose text or email reminders, making it easier to plan a museum visit whether you are staying local or adding a stop to an upcoming trip.
The benefit is available the first full weekend of each month, which for July 2026 falls on Saturday, July 4, and Sunday, July 5. That's it for the month, so plan accordingly.
The free admission covers the primary cardholder only. Each person in your group needs their own eligible Bank of America or Merrill card to get in free.
Both Bank of America debit cards and credit cards qualify, as do Merrill cards. Just bring the physical card and a matching photo ID.
Bring your eligible Bank of America, Merrill, or U.S. Trust credit or debit card along with a valid photo ID. Present both at the admissions desk. The benefit covers the cardholder only; companions pay standard rates unless they're the primary cardholder of an eligible card.
