8 Illinois Museums Will Be Free Sept. 18 For National Museum Day

GLEN ELLYN, IL — Eight Illinois museums will be participating in the 17th annual Museum Day this Saturday, Sept. 18. The event, which is sponsored by the Smithsonian, grants free admission into select museums for the ticket holder and one guest.

A spokeswoman from the Smithsonian said this year's Museum Day will celebrate the reopening of museums and cultural institutions across the country after yearslong closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme of 2021's event is "Experience America," according to a press release.

"Museum Day goes beyond getting visitors through museum doors—it acts as a springboard to empower and help advance the hopes and ambitions of the public, particularly school-aged children and those in underrepresented communities," a representative from the Smithsonian told Patch.

Each museum may have differing safety precautions, so officials suggest coming prepared. Residents will be able to choose one museum to redeem their free ticket from.

A full list of participating museums in Illinois:

• Lizardo Museum of Lapidary Art: Oak Brook
  • Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Stacy's Tavern Museum: Glen Ellyn
  • Hours: 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens: Rockford
• Hours: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
• Illinois State Museum: Springfield
• Hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• The Illinois State Museum is regularly free to the public.
• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: Springfield
• Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• American Writers Museum: Chicago
• Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Aurora Regional Fire Museum: Aurora
• Hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Dillon Home Museum: Sterling
  • Hours: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Click here to see the full list of participating museums in the country and download a free ticket visit.