This Week in South Loop & Chinatown: Free Museum Days

Your week-ahead guide to South Loop & Chinatown — 4 picks worth planning around, from a Fire match to a midweek run of free museum hours.

By Raj Singh · Published September 13, 2026.

SUNDAY

Chicago Fire FC vs. New England Revolution @ Soldier Field

The Fire host New England at Soldier Field on Sunday evening, an MLS matchup down on the Museum Campus lakefront. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Illinois Resident Free Day @ Field Museum

The Field Museum is free for Illinois residents on Wednesdays — bring proof of residency and spend a midweek day with SUE and the rest of the collection, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Free Museum Evening (Illinois Residents) @ Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium is free for Illinois residents on Wednesday evenings, 4–10 p.m. Bring proof of residency — a zip code works as a promo code at online checkout — and spend the night under the dome on the lakefront.

THURSDAY

Flotsam River Circus @ Ping Tom Memorial Park

A troupe of musicians, puppeteers and circus artists who travel by handmade raft docks at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown for a free floating spectacle, 6 p.m. Thursday.

Browse more South Loop & Chinatown events for the full week.