Museums for All offers discounts for low-income residents

With holiday breaks around the corner, many families may be looking for fun and educational activities that don't break the bank. Why not try a new museum?

Dozens of interesting museums in the Chicago region are waiting to be explored.

Admission fees vary, but low-income residents can take advantage of Museums for All, a nationwide initiative of the Association of Children's Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Cantigny Park in Wheaton rolled out Museums for All in 2018 and has so far welcomed nearly 2,000 guests through the initiative.

The program applies to Cantigny's parking fee because the park's museums, gardens and most events are already free.

Families can visit the park for just $1 by presenting a state-issued Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card or Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program card.

The discounted rate applies to one vehicle with up to eight passengers. Parking at Cantigny is normally $5, or $10 during summer weekends.

"Museums for All aligns perfectly with what our benefactor, Robert R. McCormick, intended for Cantigny," said Matt LaFond, Cantigny Park executive director. "He envisioned this property being open to all, with a strong educational component. We want as many people as possible to benefit from Colonel McCormick's generous gift."

Museums for All promotes diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring affordable access for all people.

Roughly 30 area museums offer reduced or free admission through the program, including the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, Downers Grove Museum, DuPage Children's Museum, Morton Arboretum, Naper Settlement, SciTech Hands On Museum and Shedd Aquarium.

"One of our most common phone calls is from people who say, 'This seems too good to be true,'" said Heather McLaren, director of guest relations at the Shedd. "They ask if it really applies any day of the year and if they will get the exact same experience as people who pay full price. For us to be able to say 'yes' and then have them share their experience and photos after they visit is really inspiring."

Shannon Lange from Blocks to Bricks agrees. "We've had a good number of families use Museums for All who would not have been able to visit otherwise," she said. "Being inside Woodfield Mall, our museum sees a wide range of guests every day. This program enables access for everyone to view our collection."

Museums for All has no use limit, so visitors can enjoy participating attractions as often as they wish.

For a complete listing of museums nationwide, visit museums4all.org.