Every year Chicago museums and zoos provide an engaging, educational and fun experience to more than 14 million visitors.

Museums and zoos make learning fun! Last year alone nearly 1.5 million students visited a Chicago museum or zoo. Illinois teachers can receive training and programs that help bring museums’ and zoos’ vast resources and knowledge into the classroom.

Our 15 museums and zoos create more than 23,000 jobs.

Museums offer affordable fun for individuals and families. Each museum offers free admission days and free education programs. In fact, more than 1 million people visited Chicago museums for free in 2011.

Museums and zoos are one of the top reasons tourists come to play in Chicago and they are a big source of civic pride.

Chicago museums and zoos are masterful at leveraging limited public tax support to help raise private contributions. This partnership enables museums to create amazing experiences for all ages.

Including dollars generated, jobs, vendors, tourism, etc., the museums and zoos generate more than $850 million in economic impact in Illinois annually.

They provide an engaging look at really cool collections – from dinosaur bones to space exploration to butterflies to modern art to African American history and much, much more. These collections help us learn about our world and ourselves.

Museums and zoos inspire the next generations of historians, scientists, botanists, artists, wildlife researchers and informed citizens who care about their world – past, present and future.

Offering all of these benefits and more, Chicago museums work for YOU!