Across the official rosters, 186 Illinois institutions take part, clustered in Chicago, Springfield, Rockford: 26 NARM, 12 ASTC Passport Program, 6 AZA Reciprocal Admissions Program, 13 AHS Garden Network, 12 ACM, 63 Museums for All, 54 Time Travelers. Put your ZIP in the lookup and they come back sorted by distance, rules computed. Rosters pulled 2026-09-05.
| Program | Illinois rows | Share | Biggest cluster |
|---|---|---|---|
| NARM | 26 | 14% | Chicago (13) |
| ASTC Passport Program | 12 | 6% | Chicago (3) |
| AZA Reciprocal Admissions Program | 6 | 3% | Bloomington (1) |
| AHS Garden Network | 13 | 7% | Rockford (3) |
| ACM | 12 | 6% | Chicago (1) |
| Museums for All | 63 | 34% | Chicago (21) |
| Time Travelers | 54 | 29% | Springfield (6) |
With 12 ASTC centers in Illinois, there are 66 center-to-center pairs; 25 are closer than 90 miles, and for those the passport is worthless. Nearest neighbors are Burpee Museum of Natural History and Discovery Center Museum (0 mi); the widest gap, 318 mi, separates Discovery Center Museum from The Science Center — far enough to qualify. It's measured twice — from your home science center and from your home address — in straight-line miles. How the ASTC rule works.
33 Illinois institutions appear on two or more rosters — the ones where almost any card in your wallet works: Peoria Riverfront Museum (NARM + ASTC Passport Program + Time Travelers + Museums for All); Children's Discovery Museum (ASTC Passport Program + Museums for All + ACM); Children's Museum of Illinois (ASTC Passport Program + Museums for All + ACM); Kidzeum of Health and Science (ASTC Passport Program + Museums for All + ACM); Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum (ASTC Passport Program + Museums for All + ACM); Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Time Travelers + Museums for All); Adler Planetarium (ASTC Passport Program + Museums for All); American Writers Museum (NARM + Museums for All); and 25 more.
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| American Writers Museum | Chicago |
| Chicago History Museum | Chicago |
| Chicago Architecture Center | Chicago |
| National Museum of Mexican Art | Chicago |
| Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago | Chicago |
| Peoria Riverfront Museum | Peoria |
| Dusable Black History Museum and Educational Center | Chicago |
| Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures | West Asia & North Africa | Chicago |
| Intuit Art Museum | Chicago |
| National Public Housing Museum | Chicago |
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| Adler Planetarium | Chicago |
| Griffin Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago |
| International Museum of Surgical Science | Chicago |
| Burpee Museum of Natural History | Rockford |
| Discovery Center Museum | Rockford |
| Cernan Earth and Space Center at Triton College | River Grove |
| Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum | Chicago |
| Kidzeum of Health and Science | Springfield |
| Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum | Peoria |
| Peoria Riverfront Museum | Peoria |
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| Lincoln Park Zoo | Chicago |
| John G. Shedd Aquarium | Chicago |
| Miller Park Zoo | Bloomington |
| Peoria Zoo | Peoria |
| Scovill Zoo | Decatur |
| Cosley Zoo | Wheaton |
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| Garfield Park Conservatory | Chicago |
| Lincoln Memorial Garden | Springfield |
| Washington Park Botanical Garden | Springfield |
| Anderson Japanese Gardens | Rockford |
| Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden | Rockford |
| Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens | Rockford |
| Luthy Botanical Garden | Peoria |
| Hauberg Estate | Rock Island |
| Quad City Botanical Center | Rock Island |
| Oak Park Conservatory | Oak Park |
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| Chicago Children's Museum | Chicago |
| Kidzeum of Health and Science | Springfield |
| Discovery Center Museum | Rockford |
| Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum | Peoria |
| Children's Museum of Illinois | Decatur |
| DuPage Children's Museum | Naperville |
| Wonder Works Children's Museum | Oak Park |
| Children's Discovery Museum | Normal |
| Quincy Children's Museum | Quincy |
| Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago | Glenview |
| Institution | City |
|---|---|
| Norwood Park Historical Society | Chicago |
| The National Public Housing Museum | Chicago |
| The Richard H. Driehaus Museum | Chicago |
| Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum | Springfield |
| Dana-Thomas House | Springfield |
| Illinois Governor's Mansion | Springfield |
| Illinois National Guard and Military Historical Society | Springfield |
| Illinois State Museum | Springfield |
| Lincoln Presidential Foundation | Springfield |
| Erlander Home Museum | Rockford |
No membership involved: a SNAP EBT card and photo ID get up to four people into these 63 Illinois participants for free to $5, any normal day: Adler Planetarium · American Writers Museum · Art Institute of Chicago · Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum · Chicago Architecture Center · Chicago Children's Museum · Chicago History Museum · Driehaus Museum and 55 more. Program rules.
If you don't hold a qualifying card, 15 Illinois institutions here still have verified free routes: Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Adler Planetarium, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago History Museum, DuSable Black History Museum and 9 more. City guides: Chicago. Library cardholders can also reserve museum passes: CPL Digital Museum Passes, Museum Adventure Pass. And for the outdoors, see whether a Illinois library card borrows a state park pass.
↥ Check another membership → Browse all reciprocity guides →
26 Illinois institutions are on the current NARM roster, including American Writers Museum, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Architecture Center, National Museum of Mexican Art. The fine print: NARM-level membership required, and individual museums may exclude special events or members living within 15 miles.
Yes — everywhere. With 12 ASTC centers in Illinois, there are 66 center-to-center pairs; 25 are closer than 90 miles, and for those the passport is worthless. Nearest neighbors are Burpee Museum of Natural History and Discovery Center Museum (0 mi); the widest gap, 318 mi, separates Discovery Center Museum from The Science Center — far enough to qualify.
63 Illinois institutions take part in Museums for All: EBT card plus ID, up to four people, free to $5 apiece, no membership.