Free Museums in Palos Park

"The MCA is one of the city’s museums that’s in a near constant state of transition. With its relatively small permanent collection, it relies on special shows—from large scale installations to video, fashion, music, photography, and more—that showcase just as many rising local talents and underground, avant-garde renegades as recognizable names. Past exhibits include David Bowie Is, Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg, and Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech."

"If you’re an Illinois resident, you can visit the lakefront Museum of Contemporary Art for free on Tuesdays. The museum houses post-World War II paintings, sculptures, photos, and videos."

"PilsenImmerse yourself in Mexican culture The Pilsen neighborhood in itself is rich with Mexican murals and culture, but the National Museum of Mexican Art holds a 10,000-piece permanent collection by artists from both Mexico and America, offering a 3,000-year overview of works that often go overlooked in the American art world. Enjoy folk art, photography, sculpture, paintings and more, and make a visit here a priority during October for the museum’s Día de los Muertos exhibit, which features altars and other Day of the Dead art. What to know before you go: The museum is open 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is always free."

"Founded in 1982, this vibrant museum – the largest Latinx arts institution in the US – has become one of the city’s best. The vivid permanent collection sums up 1000 years of Mexican art and culture through classical paintings, shining gold altars, skeleton-rich folk art, beadwork and much more."

"The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum opened in 1999 in Lincoln Park with a clear mission: to educate the public, especially urban dwellers, on the importance of maintaining the quality of nature that surrounds us and steps to take that can help the environment. Your little ones will learn a little bit about nature and the environment that surrounds them, with a look at Chicago's waterways, an animal habitat play area, a year-round butterfly garden and more. The museum also hosts traveling exhibits that change every few months."

"Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is one of the top things to do in Chicago with kids. Located in Lincoln Park museum, this is a great museum that creates hands-on experiences for the kids to enjoy themselves as well as learn something along the way. The museum is an informative curation of Illinois’ natural history and ecology."

"Arranged on the University of Chicago grounds in Hyde Park, the Smart Museum of Art was considered as an establishment where researchers could examine expressions of the human experience and foster displays. Today, it’s available to general society (affirmation is in every case free) and is home to the school’s assortment of compelling artwork and artifacts, including parchments and ceramics from China just as contemporary works by any semblance of Kerry James Marshall and Andy Warhol. Investigate shows committed to rambling establishments and neighborhood craftsmanship developments prior to sitting down in the gallery’s yard mold garden."

"Nestled on the University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park, the Smart Museum houses more than 15,000 artworks, ranging from European paintings and Asian arts to contemporary and modern art. This is also home to The H. C. Westermann Study Collection, which is one of the most significant public collections of artwork and archival material related to the artist’s life and work. Bonus: the Smart Museum is free."

"The Smart Museum is small, free, an easy and engaging place to museums in Chicago. It’s easily accessible by public transit and there is a parking garage nearby. Exhibitions, which rotate, are really tremendous, tending towards the avant-garde but including the historical and always celebrating the vast diversity of the art world."

"Chef Andrew Zimmerman's Mad Men-style outfit is like the younger sister to Sepia, his popular upscale restaurant next door. The varied menu reads like an Asian hawker market, showing off Zimmerman's global street food influences: coal-roasted mussels with 'nduja butter, grilled young chicken with tamarind chili sauce, or pork belly-shrimp stuffed, crispy Vietnamese crepe. The smorgasbord of flavors and preparations range from Indian and Mediterranean to Thai and Mexican."

"Chef Andrew Zimmerman’s menu at Proxi blends borders and pulls from every corner of the globe, so it's no surprise that pastry chef Sarah Mispagel's desserts follow suit. Try black raspberry kulfi (a play on an Indian dessert) or down spoonfuls of chocolate custard with Vietnamese coffee. But our favorite dessert of all is the tres leches cake, a cube of dense, milk-laden pastry showered in strawberries, shards of meringue and bits of caramelized goat’s milk."

"South Loop is a neighborhood that has yet to hit its stride when it comes to carving out a unique identity. But M Lounge, which has been around since 2006, has stood out with martinis, live music, and a come-as-you-are vibe. View this post on Instagram"

"No matter where you relocate to, bowling is always a fun activity. Waveland Bowl is a fun place to bring out your old ball and hit a few pins. Located right smack in the center of the North Center neighborhood, you can enjoy the alley, play some pool and have a drink – it’s good for late-evening fun in the Chi."

"The Ritz-Carlton is another enduring elite hotel brand that defines posh. So, you can only imagine what their top-notch spas have to offer. Chicago’s Ritz-Carlton Spa is truly an exclusive haven of luxe pampering."

"Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago (@rcchicago) on Oct 30, 2018 at 9:00am PDT"

"When it comes to the best restaurants in Chicago, fancier isn’t always better. This low-key space offers industrial décor to augment its extensive menu of Thai favorites, all available for dine-in or delivery. With group packages available, you can feed the whole crew a delicious spread at prices everyone will love."

"Thai is that kind of food that you and your family go after a long week and just need some bonding time. The food is incredible and the center of the restaurant has cushions on the ground to sit in so you really feel comfortable and quaint. What to order: Pad Thai"

"Joy Yee Plus offers Taiwanese style bubble teas that are flavorful fresh and often in intriguing combinations. They combine South Asian fruit smoothies with tapioca pearls offering an interesting twist on bubble tea. Their range of bubble teas can be overwhelming but the taro milk tea is a sure winner."

"Joy Yee Plus takes that concept to the next level by selling Hong Kong-style bubble waffles with never-ending topping options. At the Chinatown Square Mall location, you can top your ice cream with candy, marshmallows and so much more sweet goodness."