April showers bring May flowers — so as wet spring weather descends on Chicago, residents might be looking for an indoor activity that won’t break the bank.
Museums in and around Chicago offer free days for Illinois residents throughout the month of April, and some spots are always free and open to the public. Here are the free museum days for Illinois residents in April:
Chicago museums with free days in April
Adler Planetarium 
1300 S. Lake Shore DuSable Dr.
Free admission from 4-11 p.m. on Wednesdays for Illinois residents.
The Field Museum 1400 S. Lake Shore DuSable Dr.
Free admission Wednesdays for Illinois residents.
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry 5700 S. Lake Shore DuSable Dr.
Free for Illinois residents on April 20.
Shedd Aquarium 1200 S. Lake Shore DuSable Dr.
Free for Illinois residents on April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
American Writers Museum 180 N. Michigan Ave.
Free the third Sunday of the month.
Chicago History Museum1601 N. Clark St.
Free for Illinois residents on April 16 and 30.
Chicago Botanic Garden1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe
Free for Illinois residents April 7-11.
Driehaus Museum50 E. Erie St.
Free on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
DuSable Museum of African American History740 E. 56th Pl.
Free on Wednesdays for Illinois residents.
Heritage Museum of Asian Art3500 S. Morgan St.
Free admission on third Friday of the month.
Illinois Holocaust Museum9603 Woods Dr., Skokie
Free admission last Friday of the month.
Museum of Contemporary Art220 E. Chicago Ave.
Free on Tuesdays for Illinois residents.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum2430 N. Cannon Dr.
Free on Thursdays for Illinois residents.
Swedish American Museum5211 N. Clark St.
Free admission second Tuesday of the month.
Chicago-area museums that are always free
- Block Museum of Art (40 Arts Circle Dr., Evanston)
- Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.)
- Chicago Fed Money Museum (230 S. LaSalle St.)
- DePaul Art Museum (935 W. Fullerton Ave.)
- Design Museum of Chicago (108 N. State St.)
- Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave.)
- Hyde Park Art Center (5020 S. Cornell Ave.)
- Jane Addams Hull-House Museum (800 S Halsted St.)
- Lincoln Park Zoo (2001 N. Clark St.)
- Museum of Contemporary Photography (600 S Michigan Ave)
- National Museum of Mexican Art (1852 W 19th St.)
- National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (3015 W Division St.)
- National Veterans Art Museum (4041 N Milwaukee Ave., 2nd floor)
- The Renaissance Society (5811 S Ellis Ave.)
- Smart Museum (5550 S Greenwood Ave.)