Is there a free day at the art institute of chicago? General admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is free for Illinois residents every weekday all day long from January 4 through February 11 and every Thursday evening year-round from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Children 13 and under are always free.What are the hours for the chicago art institute? Art Institute Of Chicago Free Days: The Art Institute of Chicago is free to Illinois residents every Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Their regular hours are from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM and they are open every day of the year other than Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.Is chicago art museum free? Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave., 312-443-3600. Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is free to Illinois residents every Thursday evening from 5-8pm. Illinois residents receive free admission to the museum’s galleries as part of Free Winter Weekdays, January 8–February 15.Is the chicago art institute a museum? The Art Institute of Chicago is an art museum, the second largest in the United States, which conserves and displays an encyclopedic collection of artworks and objects of decorative arts spanning nearly 5,000 years.