If you teach Pre-K through 12th grade in Illinois, you get one free General Admission to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, plus one free ticket to Anne Frank The Exhibition. The free ticket is for you, so family members buy their own. Teachers from other states aren’t named in the offer.
The museum goes by Griffin MSI on its website. It calls itself the number one field trip destination in Chicago, and the free teacher ticket is a good way to scout a trip before you bring a class.
How To Get The Museum of Science and Industry Teacher Discount
You have two ways to claim it:
- Request your ticket online. Fill out the free museum entry request form on the ticket pricing page and the museum emails you instructions on redeeming the offer.
- Or skip the form and show valid occupational or military status ID at a ticket counter at the museum. An educator ID card is the one the museum names on its educators and field trips pages.
The free ticket covers General Admission. It doesn’t cover parking, the Giant Dome Theater or other special exhibitions or tours that need a ticket, so plan to pay for those. Check what the museum asks for on the form before you go, since the museum doesn’t say whether private school teachers qualify. If you’re not sure, bring your school badge and a photo ID and ask at the counter.
Bringing A Class
Illinois school groups on registered field trips, and Illinois homeschool groups and families, get free General Admission too. For schools in other states, General Admission is discounted. Every school group, in state or out, gets free admission to Anne Frank The Exhibition.
Chaperones are free: one per 10 students in grades 4 to 12, and one per five students in grades K to 3. If the cost of a bus is what keeps a class home, Griffin MSI offers bus assistance to high-needs schools. You can find the details on the field trips page.
The museum also suggests visiting before you bring your students, so you know the building and the exhibits, and it points to the free teacher ticket as the way to do that. Its Education team runs a teacher workshop called Field Trip Flip.
Q&A
Is the Museum of Science and Industry teacher discount only for Illinois teachers?
Yes. Every teacher offer on the museum’s site is for Illinois teachers in Pre-K through 12th grade.
Is it a discount or free entry?
Free. You get one free General Admission and one free Anne Frank The Exhibition ticket.
What do I bring to the ticket counter?
Valid occupational or military status ID. An educator ID card works.
Does it cover parking or the Giant Dome Theater?
No. Free General Admission doesn’t include parking, the Giant Dome Theater or other special exhibitions or tours that need a ticket.
Can I bring my family for free?
No. The free admission is for the teacher.
Do my students get in free too?
Illinois school groups on registered field trips do. Out-of-state schools get a discounted rate.
Can I visit any day?
Yes. The museum says Illinois teachers can visit for free every day by showing an educator ID card.
More Information:
The offer is on the museum’s ticket pricing page, FAQ, educators page and field trips page. For more days out, see our entertainment discounts for teachers.