This Week in South Loop & Chinatown: Field Museum & Bears

Your week-ahead guide to South Loop & Chinatown — three picks worth planning around

By Raj Singh · Published October 18, 2026.

Museum Campus carries the week down here: the Field Museum turns spooky, opens free to Illinois residents midweek, and the Bears host a Thursday-night game next door at Soldier Field.

SUNDAY, OCT 18

Fright at the Field @ The Field Museum

The Field Museum gets into the Halloween spirit with Fright at the Field — a seasonal reason to wander the halls as October winds down.

WEDNESDAY, OCT 21

Illinois Resident Free Day @ Field Museum

The Field Museum is free for Illinois residents on Wednesdays, and that covers the big general-admission halls — Evolving Planet, the Ancient Americas and Inside Ancient Egypt. Reservations are recommended.

THURSDAY, OCT 22

Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots @ Soldier Field

The Bears host the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on Thursday night — a primetime game on the lakefront to cap the week.

For everything else on the calendar, see more South Loop & Chinatown events.