Guides · By Victor Hardt · Updated · 3 min read
Things to do in Hyde Park as a UChicago student
Your UCID is the Arts Pass. It gets you free general admission at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry and free admission at the Art Institute and the MCA. The Smart on campus is free for everyone. More than 70 organizations accept the pass.
Your UCID doubles as the Arts Pass. It gets you a discount at some places and free entry at a long list of others.
Your ID gets you into museums free
The Arts Pass covers more than 70 arts and culture organizations across Chicago, at free or reduced admission. There is nothing to sign up for. You show the card at the counter.
| Place | What the UCID gets you |
|---|---|
| Griffin Museum of Science and Industry Near campus, 5700 S Lake Shore Dr | One free general admission ticket per visit, at the Entry Hall ticket counter. Special exhibits are not included |
| Art Institute of Chicago Downtown, Michigan Ave | Free admission, show the UCID at the ticket counter |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Streeterville | Free museum admission with the UCID |
| Smart Museum of Art On campus | Free for everyone, always. Open Tuesday to Sunday |
From the Arts Pass pages at studentarts.uchicago.edu and the Smart Museum's own site, checked September 29, 2026. The full list of 70-odd organizations is on the Arts Pass page. It changes, so check it before you travel for one.
Start with the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. It is about a seventeen minute walk from 57th and University, and since it costs you nothing, you can go for an hour on a wet Sunday and leave when you're done.
2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl (from October 8) and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street, plus deals at 12 more Hyde Park restaurants (one from September 29, one from September 30, four from October 1 and one from October 8). Free for verified UChicago students, live Monday, September 28.
Get PoolThings to do on campus
Doc Films shows movies in the Max Palevsky Cinema at 1212 E 59th Street. Its site says it was officially founded in 1940, with roots going back to 1932, and calls it the oldest student film society in the nation. Court Theatre is a professional theatre on campus. Check its season before you go. The Logan Center at 915 E 60th Street has a gallery, performance spaces and a cafe. Its site says its events, exhibitions and programs are open to all.
The bookstores are easy to overlook. Seminary Co-op and 57th Street Books are both a few minutes from the quad, and neither is a typical campus bookstore.
Outside while it's still warm
If you only go to one place outside, make it Promontory Point. It sits on the lake at 55th Street as part of Burnham Park and is open 6 am to 11 pm. From 57th and University it is about a twenty-five minute walk. Jackson Park and the Wooded Island are just south of the Griffin museum.
Go in September and early October. By November it is too cold by the lake to want to sit there.
Lunch while you're out
The museum may be free, but you still have to eat. Pool is a food deals app for UChicago students, free and open only to verified students, and the discounts guide covers the transit and museum programs that come with being a student. This quarter Pool means 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl (from October 8) and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street, plus deals at 12 more Hyde Park restaurants (one from September 29, one from September 30, four from October 1 and one from October 8), live from Monday, September 28.
On Pool this quarter. The app is free right now.
- 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl
- 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street
- 2-for-1 half chicken plates at Nando's PERi-PERi
- 2-for-1 Philly sandwiches at B'Gabs Comfort Cafe
- 2-for-1 jerk or honey wings at Ja' Grill
- 2-for-1 Wagyu Steak Frites at Chemistry
- 2-for-1 wraps, salads and bowls at Litehouse Whole Food Grill
- 2-for-1 chicken shawarma wraps at Cedars
- a free refresher with any treat at StruggleBeard Bakery
- a free third taco or a free drink with a Taco Dinner at 5 Rabanitos
- 2-for-1 Indian combo meals at Rajun Cajun
- 2-for-1 chicken and waffle bites at Dawn A.M. Eatery
- 2-for-1 lattes at Sweet Drip
- 2-for-1 sushi, pizza and more at The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar
Live Monday, September 28. StruggleBeard Bakery starts Tuesday, September 29. B'Gabs Comfort Cafe starts Wednesday, September 30. Rajun Cajun, Dawn A.M. Eatery, Sweet Drip and The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar start Thursday, October 1. Deep Purpl and Nando's PERi-PERi start Thursday, October 8.
Questions people ask
- Do UChicago students get into museums for free?
- At several, yes. Your UCID is the Arts Pass, which gives free general admission at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry and free admission at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The Smart Museum on campus is free for everyone. More than 70 organizations take part at free or reduced rates.
- Is the Museum of Science and Industry free for UChicago students?
- Yes. The museum, now the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, gives UChicago students one free general admission ticket per visit with a valid student ID, at the Entry Hall ticket counter. Special exhibits are not included. It is about a seventeen minute walk from 57th and University.
- What is there to do in Hyde Park for free?
- Walk to Promontory Point at 55th Street or Jackson Park and the Wooded Island, go to the Smart Museum, which is always free, or browse the two bookstores. The Arts Pass covers a lot of what is not already free.
- What is Doc Films?
- The student film society, screening in the Max Palevsky Cinema at 1212 E 59th Street. It was officially founded in 1940, with roots going back to 1932, and its own site calls it the oldest student film society in the nation.