79 museums, zoos and aquariums, every one verified on its own official page. Free days come in four flavors — always-free institutions, weekly free evenings, monthly free days, and published resident free days — and each page below shows the schedule, who qualifies, whether you need a reservation, and the source we checked. City guides collect everything free in one town.
| Institution | City | Free day | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Zoo | Apple Valley, MN | No regular free day | Minnesota residents currently receiving qualifying public-assistance benefits |
| High Museum of Art | Atlanta, GA | 2nd Sunday monthly | Open to everyone on Second Sundays/Third Wednesdays |
| Zoo Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | Announced in batches | Restricted to verified City of Atlanta/Fulton County residents |
| Baltimore Museum of Art | Baltimore, MD | Always free | Everyone |
| ICA Boston (Institute of Contemporary Art) | Boston, MA | Thursdays 5pm–9pm | Everyone |
| Museum of Fine Arts Boston | Boston, MA | Published dates | Massachusetts residents |
| Brookfield Zoo Chicago | Brookfield, IL | Published dates | Open to all guests, no residency requirement stated for Free Days. |
| Adler Planetarium | Chicago, IL | Wednesdays 4pm–10pm | Illinois residents. Accepted proof: valid Illinois driver's license/photo ID, an Illinois student photo ID, or a photo ID plus a document |
| Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL | 3rd Thursday monthly 5pm–8pm | Illinois residents |
| Chicago Children's Museum | Chicago, IL | No regular free day | N/A — no ongoing free-admission program found on the museum's own page. |
| Chicago History Museum | Chicago, IL | Published dates | Illinois residents |
| DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center | Chicago, IL | Wednesdays | General public on Wednesdays |
| Field Museum | Chicago, IL | Wednesdays | Illinois residents, proof of residency required. |
| Griffin Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago, IL | Published dates | Illinois residents |
| Lincoln Park Zoo | Chicago, IL | Always free | Open to all, no restriction. |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago | Chicago, IL | Tuesdays 5pm–9pm | Illinois residents on Tuesday evenings |
| National Museum of Mexican Art | Chicago, IL | Always free | Open to all visitors, no restriction. |
| National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture | Chicago, IL | Always free | Open to all, no restriction. |
| Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum | Chicago, IL | Published dates | Illinois residents only |
| Shedd Aquarium | Chicago, IL | Tuesdays 5pm–9pm | Illinois residents. All adults |
| Cincinnati Art Museum | Cincinnati, OH | Always free | Open to everyone |
| Cleveland Museum of Art | Cleveland, OH | Always free | Open to everyone |
| Dallas Museum of Art | Dallas, TX | Always free | Open to everyone |
| Perot Museum of Nature and Science | Dallas, TX | No regular free day | Restricted-group discounts only |
| Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus | Denver, CO | Published dates | Open to everyone |
| Denver Art Museum | Denver, CO | Published dates | Open to everyone, no proof/ID required |
| Denver Botanic Gardens | Denver, CO | Published dates | Open to everyone |
| Denver Museum of Nature & Science | Denver, CO | Published dates | Open to everyone |
| Denver Zoo | Denver, CO | Published dates | Open to everyone |
| Detroit Historical Museum | Detroit, MI | No regular free day | General free-day eligibility unspecified |
| Detroit Institute of Arts | Detroit, MI | Always free (residents) | Residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties |
| Amon Carter Museum of American Art | Fort Worth, TX | Always free | Open to everyone |
| Fort Worth Zoo | Fort Worth, TX | No regular free day | Open to everyone |
| Kimbell Art Museum | Fort Worth, TX | Always free | Open to everyone |
| Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth | Fort Worth, TX | Fridays | Open to everyone |
| Chicago Botanic Garden | Glencoe, IL | Published dates | Illinois residents. |
| Children's Museum Houston | Houston, TX | Thursdays 5pm–8pm | Must bring a child; no other ID/income proof required |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science | Houston, TX | Tuesdays 5pm–8pm | Everyone |
| Houston Zoo | Houston, TX | 1st Tuesday monthly | Open to everyone |
| Menil Collection | Houston, TX | Always free | Open to everyone |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Houston, TX | Thursdays | Open to everyone |
| Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art | Kansas City, MO | Always free | Open to everyone |
| California Science Center | Los Angeles, CA | Always free | Everyone |
| Griffith Observatory | Los Angeles, CA | Always free | Everyone |
| Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) | Los Angeles, CA | 2nd Tuesday monthly | L.A. County residents |
| Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens | Los Angeles, CA | No regular free day | L.A. Public Library cardholders |
| Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) | Los Angeles, CA | Weekdays 3pm–5pm | L.A. County residents |
| The Broad | Los Angeles, CA | Always free | Everyone |
| The Getty Center | Los Angeles, CA | Always free | Everyone |
| Minneapolis Institute of Art | Minneapolis, MN | Always free | Everyone |
| Walker Art Center | Minneapolis, MN | Thursdays | Open to everyone on Thursday nights and First Saturdays |
| American Museum of Natural History | New York, NY | Pay-what-you-wish daily (residents) | New York State residents (with ID) |
| Bronx Zoo | New York, NY | No regular free day | Wednesday reduced-admission tickets: anyone who books in time |
| MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) | New York, NY | Fridays 5:30pm–8:30pm | New York State residents (with ID) |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, NY | Pay-what-you-wish daily (residents) | New York State residents; NY, NJ and CT students (with ID) |
| Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) | Oakland, CA | 1st Sunday monthly | Everyone |
| Philadelphia Museum of Art | Philadelphia, PA | Fridays | Everyone — pay what you wish on Friday nights |
| Heard Museum | Phoenix, AZ | 1st Friday monthly | Everyone |
| Phoenix Art Museum | Phoenix, AZ | Wednesdays 3pm–8pm | Everyone — voluntary donation (pay what you wish) |
| OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) | Portland, OR | No regular free day | Everyone |
| Oregon Zoo | Portland, OR | No regular free day | Discounts: Oregon/Washington income-assistance participants |
| Portland Art Museum | Portland, OR | 1st Thursday monthly 10am–7pm | Everyone |
| Balboa Park Residents Free Days (multiple museums) | San Diego, CA | Tuesdays | City and County of San Diego residents, plus active-duty military and their dependents — photo ID showing address required |
| Fleet Science Center | San Diego, CA | 1st Tuesday monthly | San Diego County residents |
| San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) | San Diego, CA | 1st Tuesday monthly | San Diego City & County residents, active military + dependents |
| Asian Art Museum (San Francisco) | San Francisco, CA | 1st Sunday monthly | Everyone |
| California Academy of Sciences | San Francisco, CA | No regular free day | EBT cardholders |
| de Young Museum | San Francisco, CA | Saturdays | Bay Area residents |
| Legion of Honor | San Francisco, CA | Saturdays | Bay Area residents |
| San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) | San Francisco, CA | Published dates | Ages 18 and under |
| Burke Museum | Seattle, WA | 1st Thursday monthly 10am–8pm | Everyone |
| Seattle Art Museum (SAM) | Seattle, WA | 1st Thursday monthly | Everyone |
| The Museum of Flight | Seattle, WA | 1st Thursday monthly 5pm–9pm | Everyone |
| Woodland Park Zoo | Seattle, WA | No regular free day | Varies by program — see freeText |
| Saint Louis Art Museum | St. Louis, MO | Always free | Open to everyone |
| Saint Louis Science Center | St. Louis, MO | Always free | Open to everyone |
| Saint Louis Zoo | St. Louis, MO | Always free | Open to everyone |
| National Gallery of Art | Washington, DC | Always free | Everyone |
| Smithsonian Museums & National Zoo | Washington, DC | Always free | Everyone |