Admission Info

General Admission-

• Adults - General Admission $25 /Chicago Residents $20/Illinois Residents $22 

• Seniors (65 and up)/Students - General Admission $19/Chicago Residents $14/Illinois Residents $16  

• Children under 14 (and 14 to 17 year old Chicago residents) - Free 

• Members - Free 

• Audio-Guide- $7 for non-Members / $5 for Members

Fast Pass

• Fast Pass allows customers to bypass the general admission lines at entrances and offers expedited access to the permanent collection galleries and non-ticketed special exhibitions.

• Adult General Fast Pass  $35

• Senior Fast Pass        $29

• Student Fast Pass      $29

Bundled Ticket Offers 

Chicago CityPASS-  

• One ticket booklet that saves 53% on Fast Pass admission to Art Institute of Chicago and four other must-see Chicago attractions. Valid 9 days. 

• Does not include Audio

• Mobile Tickets and Physical booklet coupons scan at the podiums. 

• Admission counters will no longer be issuing CityPass.

Free Admission Offers 

Illinois Educator Admission

Free admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is available to current Illinois educators, including pre-K–12 teachers, teaching artists working in schools, and homeschool parents. Educators can register online to receive a voucher for a complimentary ticket to the museum. This voucher must be presented—as a printed document or on a smart phone—with a valid educator ID at one of the museum’s admission counters.

For more information, and to request complimentary educator admission, visit https://www.artic.edu/educators/visit-on-my-own/educator-admission-request. 

Kids Museum Passport 

 LINK/EBT Card

The Art Institute offers FREE admission to visitors who present a LINK card or WIC card/booklet. Admission includes free coat check.

There is no limit on how many people can be admitted. As long as one person in the group has a LINK card or WIC card/booklet and a valid photo ID, they and their whole group receive free general admission tickets (as usual children under 14 are always free). We accept all states versions of this card but keep in mind that Illinois is the only state which calls it a LINK card. If they present a valid EBT card with a photo ID they will receive free admission.

Additional Ticket Offerings

Next Day Ticket Offer

A next day ticket is for visitors who would like to attend the museum the day after their initial visit.

The visit has to take place the day after their original visit, and the visitors must have their original ticket to receive a $5 discount for the second day ticket.  Not applicable with $15 after 4 pm tickets.  

Note: if visitors would like to purchase a Membership on their second day they may apply the price of the second day tickets to that membership.

End of Day Ticket Offer

Between 4 pm – 5 pm, General Admission tickets are discounted to $15. 

Non-Ticketed Entry into AIC

The following should be accepted as admission to the museum (they do not have to go through the ticket line):

• Valid Ticket - ticket holder only

• School Group Confirmation - Illinois elementary and secondary schools only

• Valid Membership Card - Valid Temporary Membership Card, Sales receipt for membership, or print out of membership purchased online with level listed (admits card holder and guest(s) depending on level) 

• AIC, SAIC staff ID  - holder and up to 3 guests

• AIC Volunteer ID - holder and up to 3 guests

• SAIC Student ID -  card holder only

• SAIC ticket - ticket holder only; write-in date of visit above perforation if it is not already written

• AIC Press Pass - card holder and 1 guest

• AIC VIP Ticket - card holder only

• Education Resource Card - This is different than the Educators Resource Center in the museum , it is issued by Museums in the Park. Allows for the entry of the card holder and 3 guests. 

Ticketed Entry to AIC

Individual only, except as noted -Holder must go through the admission line for a ticket.

• AIC/SAIC Employee Family Pass - Card holder and up to 3 guests

• Illinois preK-12 Teachers - With valid complimentary educator admission ticket, but teachers must go to Admissions for the ticket, NOT the Fast Pass line

• All branches of the U.S. Military; active duty - This privilege is also extended to disabled U.S. Military veterans with card and U.S.Military POWs with card. 

Blue Star Program

• The museum will again offer free general admission to the immediate families of active duty service members of the US military this summer. New this year, the program will begin on Armed Forces Day rather than on Memorial Day. Effective dates are Saturday, May 21 through Monday, September 5, 2022. 

• Free general admission is for active duty service members and their immediate family members (defined as spouse and child, aunts, uncles, grandparents).

• Each id holder (either the active duty service member or a dependent family member with appropriate id) is eligible plus up to five family members.

• If the active duty service member is deployed, the family is eligible for free general admission by presenting an active DD 1173 or DD 1173-1 family id.

• Chicago Police and Chicago Fire Departments - off duty - Proceed to admission for complimentary ticket

• “Admit One Pass” - Issued by AIC, 1 ticket per pass 

• Valid Learning & Public Engagement Family Pass - Up to 4 tickets per pass; pass to be collected at time of use  

• Kids Museum Passport - checked out at Chicago library. Allows up to 2 adults and 2 children. 

• Paid Caregivers of special needs visitors are granted free admission with paying visitor

• Staff of all other art museums with valid photo I.D. and/or business card (individual only)  

Membership card carriers proceed to the Fast Pass Line for Tickets

• American Alliance of Museums (AAM) - Current Members Only, date is on card

• International Council of Museums (ICOM)- Current Members Only, date is on card

Staff and Volunteer admission to/from other Chicago museums

• Current and retired Staff I.D. card carriers from the following list (including 1 additional guests)  

• Volunteers and Docents for the following list (individual only)  

  • • Adler Planetarium

    • Brookfield Zoo/ Chicago Zoological Society

    • Chicago Children’s Museum

    • Chicago Botanic Garden (Chicago Horticultural Society)

    • Chicago History Museum

    • Chicago Park District

    • DuSable Museum of African American History

    • Field Museum

    • Illinois Holocaust Museum 

    • Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture

    • Lincoln Park Zoo

    • Museum of Contemporary Art

    • Museum of Science and Industry

    • National Museum of Mexican Art

    • Notebaert Nature Museum

    • Shedd Aquarium

Corporate Leader and Sponsor Employee Admission

In recognition of their support of the museum, members of the Corporate Partner Program at the Leader level, as well as Sponsors of various exhibitions and programs, are to receive free general admission and free special exhibition admission for their employees. If you have any questions, or if an employee is not satisfied, please contact Madeline Shearer at (312) 443-3139 or at mshear1@artic.edu.

If a visitor believes they receive free admission but is not on the list below, please call Maddie at #3-3139 to clarify.

*All employees and guests of employees are granted free admission to special exhibitions

Updated 11/28/2021.

ORGANIZATION  -  EXPIRATION 

• AbelsonTaylor 6/30/2022

• AIG  (AIG Sonpo, Travel Guard, Lexington Insurance, Western World, Validus Re, Laya Healthcare, Crop Risk Services, Alphacat, Talbot, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Sun America)     12/31/2022

• Alex Brown/Raymond James 10/31/2022

• Allstate Corporation (Arity) *allow 1 guest 6/30/2022

• Bank of America (Merrill Lynch, US Trust) *allow 1 guest (Also see Museums on Us pg.4) 1/31/2023

• Baxter International 3/31/2023

• Bloomberg L. P. *allow up to 3 guests  1/31/2023

• Blue Cross Blue Shield (Health Care Service Corporation, Dearborn National)  *allow 1 guest 6/30/2022

• BMO Harris Bank *allow 1 guest 3/31/2023

• Christie's 3/31/2023

• CIBC 6/30/2022

• Citadel Investment Group   1/31/2023

• CNA Insurance 3/31/2023

• ComEd/Exelon 5/31/2022

• The Cultivist *allow 3 guests  5/31/2022

• East Bank Storage. 10/31/2022

• Edelman 12/31/2022

• Edgewater Funds 8/31/2022

• Exelon/ComEd 5/31/2022

• GCM Grosvenor *allow 1 guest   5/31/2022

• Goldman Sachs & Co 8/31/2022

• Health Care Service Corporation (Blue Cross Blue Shield Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Dearborn National) *allow 1 guest 6/30/2022

• Hyatt Hotel Corporation 6/30/2022

• Illinois Tool Works (include subsidiaries) *allow 1 guest 6/30/2022

• Jenner & Block LLP *allow 1 guest 12/31/2022

• JP Morgan Chase *allow 1 guest 12/31/2022

• Leo Burnett (ARC, Lapiz, Publicis Groupe) 6/30/2022

• Madison Dearborn Partners LLC 6/30/2022

• McMaster-Carr Supply Company *allow 1 guest 12/31/2022

• Morton Salt (K+S Group) 4/30/2022

• MUFG *allow 1 guest 5/31/2022

• Northern Trust 5/31/2022

• Raymond James/Alex Brown 10/31/2022

• Spark Foundry (Starcom, Zenith, Digitas) 6/30/2023

• Sotheby's (Also see Sotheby’s Preferred Card pg.4) 6/30/2022

• Terra Foundation for American Art 8/31/2022

• United Airlines *allow one guest *does not include United retirees (no subsidiaries) 6/30/2022

• Walgreens 6/30/2022

• Wanxiang International 1/31/2023

Corporate Access Cards  

• Corporate Access Cards resemble member cards. The company name is on the back of the card. Corporate Access cards are scanned at a security podium and are valid for the cardholder and up to four guests. Card levels include Corporate Executive, Leader, Benefactor, Patron, Associate, Contributor, or Small Business Partner. 

Special Corporate Guest Admission

• Bank of America – Museums on UsBank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit cardholders receive free general admission to the museum on the first full weekend of each month. Must show a valid photo ID with matching name. Special exhibitions and ticketed activities are not included and must be purchased separately. 

• Sotheby’s Preferred Sotheby’s Preferred cardholders and up to three guests receive complimentary general and special exhibition admission to this museum. Must show valid photo ID with matching name.

UNIVERSITY PARTNER PROGRAM  

All universities below receive free general admission and free special exhibition admission for various audiences within the museum. All University Partners are granted free admission to undergraduate students. Please read the notes column to clarify admitted audiences.  

• American Academy of Art.  8/31/2022  *No faculty/staff

• Beloit College.  11/30/2022       *No faculty/staff

• College of DuPage 5/31/2022.  *No faculty/staff

• Columbia College Chicago 6/30/2022.   *No faculty/staff

• DePaul University   12/31/2022 *Faculty/staff included *Retired faculty included

• Harold Washington College. Unlimited *No faculty/staff

• Harry S. Truman College. Unlimited.  *No faculty/staff

• Kennedy-King College.  Unlimited.    *No faculty/staff

• Loyola University Chicago.  1/31/2023.  *Graduate students included. *No Faculty/Staff. *No Stritch School of Medicine students

• Malcolm X College. Unlimited.  *No faculty/staff

• Milwaukee Institute of  Art & Design.  8/31/2022   *No Graduate. *No Faculty/Staff

• Morton College 8/31/2022 *No faculty/staff

• National Louis University  1/31/2023  *No faculty/staff

• North Central College   9/30/2022   *No faculty/staff

• North Park University  12/31/2022 *Undergraduates only (clarify with ask)*No faculty/staff

• Northwestern University  5/31/2022. *Undergraduates only (clarify with ask) *No faculty/staff

• Olive-Harvey College. Unlimited.  *No faculty/staff

• Prairie State College. 3/31/2023.  *Faculty/staff included

• Richard J. Daley College. Unlimited.    *No faculty/staff

• Rush University.  3/31/2023.   *No Faculty/Staff

• The University of Chicago. 8/31/2022 *All students with an ID that reads STUDENT included *Does not include post-doc, faculty, staff, or any other distinction other than STUDENT

• Wheaton College. 10/31/2022.  *No Faculty/Staff

• Wilbur Wright College.  Unlimited. *No faculty/staff