New Year’s resolutions: Five things to do at UChicago in 2024
The University of Chicago and its affiliated campuses, centers, institutes, museums, and laboratories offer a plethora of diverse experiences for the University community to partake in—and most of them are free.
Have you had the chance to explore what UChicago has to offer? We’ve gathered five distinctly UChicago activities—plus some more bonus experiences—that you might want to put on your list for the new year.
View the colossal statue of King Tut at the ISAC Museum
The impressive statue of King Tutankhamun from Egyptian Dynasty 18, ca. 1334, is just one of the many amazing pieces on permanent display at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum (formerly the Oriental Institute) at 1155 E. 58th St. The ISAC Museum's collections comprise one of the best resources for archaeology, art, history, and languages of West Asia and North Africa, with some 350,000 artifacts excavated mainly by ISAC archaeologists. On special exhibition through March 24 is Back to School in Babylonia, with items excavated from a 1740 BCE Babylonian school. Admission to the museum is free to the University community and their guests.
Learn more about the ISAC Museum >
Climb the 271 steps of the carillon tower at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
Don’t miss out on perhaps the best 360-degree aerial view on the Hyde Park campus—plus an enlightening history lesson on the 95-year-old Gothic structure that booms its carillon music daily across campus from the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Carillon. Tower tours are free with a UChicago ID and start promptly at 11:30 a.m. or 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday during the academic year. Visitors should check in at the front desk when they arrive and be prepared to climb the 271 steps of the spiral stone staircase, which is not recommended for those with aversions to heights or tight spaces, or for children under the age of 5. Or, check out all of the chapel’s/Spiritual Life’s free offerings, like weekly Tea & Pipes, yoga and meditation sessions, and more.
Learn more about the carillon tower >
Learn the science behind decision making at Chicago Booth’s Mindworks
Free and open to the public, Mindworks offers a unique experience for visitors to both understand the science of judgement and decision making and participate in research with eight interactive exhibits and testing rooms. Plus, on display through the month of January is a special pop-up exhibit about how to achieve your New Year's resolutions! Located on the first floor of 224 S. Michigan Ave. and across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago, appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are also welcome. The space is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and visits take about 30 to 60 minutes, depending how many studies you’d like to take. Mindworks also invites small and large group visits by appointment.
Catch an indie (or recent blockbuster) movie at Doc Films
Tucked away in Ida Noyes Hall lies Max Palevsky Cinema, current home of the oldest student-run film society in the country. Movie lovers can view both recent and new films in various formats—including digital, 35mm, and 16mm—for only $7 per screening, or you can purchase a quarterly pass for $40. Tickets can be bought at the theater or online via cash or credit card. Check Doc’s carefully curated screening calendar on its website for the most up-to-date showtimes or sign up for its weekly newsletter.
Visit the buffalo at Fermilab
Fermilab, a UChicago-affiliated national laboratory located in Batavia, Ill. (about 40 minutes outside of Chicago), is America’s particle physics and accelerator laboratory. It’s also home to a large natural outdoor area, which includes interpretative trails for walking, hiking, bicycling, running, rollerblading, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, bird watching, photography, painting, and visiting its famous bison herd. The outdoor area is open from dawn to dusk every day of week and visitors will need to show a valid ID* at the entrance gate to gain access. Also onsite is the Lederman Science Center, which includes family-friendly exhibits and activities.
*Note: after May 3, 2023, public visitors will be required to show a REAL ID driver’s license or passport to enter the site.
Learn more about how to visit Fermilab >
MORE TO DO
Attend a UChicago Athletics sporting event
Excluding NCAA tournament games, all sporting events at UChicago are free to those with a UChicago ID. This winter and spring’s home schedule include basketball, wrestling, track and field, swimming and diving, lacrosse, baseball, softball, and tennis.
Tour the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House
Free guided tours are available on the first Monday of every month and UChicago academics and staff get a $3 discount at all other times to view the most famous of FLW’s iconic Prairie houses, located across the street from Booth’s Harper Center.
See a show at Court Theatre
Academics and staff get a 25% discount on tickets at the professional theatre located just across the street from the Ratner Athletics Center. Coming February 2 is Antigone by Sophocles to conclude Court’s Oedipus Trilogy.
Explore the Logan Center
Open to the public, the Logan Center for the Arts offers art exhibitions, musical and dance performances, film screenings, and family-friendly events all year long, with many of them at no cost. View the center’s full schedule on its website.
Browse the collections at The Smart Museum of Art
The fine arts museum of the University of Chicago is always free and open to the public. Several special exhibitions—including work by Ruth Duckworth, Haegue Yang, and a show on poetry—are on display through February 4.
Experience conceptual art at The Renaissance Society
Located on the top floor of Cobb Hall, the Ren gives artists a unique and intimate platform for bold experimentation. All exhibitions are also free to attend. Next up on display, work by artist Ghislaine Leung, from Jan. 20–April 14.