The Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium will shorten their hours of operation during the NASCAR Chicago Street Race this summer.
Visitors should account for traffic and museum schedule changes between June 28 and July 3, the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium advised Monday in a joint statement. The street race will take place in and around Grant Park on Saturday, July 1, and Sunday, July 2.
Last month, NASCAR and the city of Chicago announced the traffic plan for the event, which will include about three weeks of road closures before, during and after the race.
The Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, will open an hour later and close an hour earlier than usual on the weekend of the race. The museum will be open during its normal hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, will be closed the weekend of the race. The aquarium will open an hour late and close two hours early on Thursday, Friday and Monday.
The Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, will operate on its regular schedule during the race weekend — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Field Museum will open late and close early during NASCAR race weekend.
Field Museum
The museums advised visitors coming by car to use northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive and exit at 18th Street, Walden Drive or McFetridge Drive. Parking lots will be open race weekend.
Visitors arriving on foot or bicycle can use the Columbus Drive underpass and Lakefront Trail, the museums’ news release stated.
Museumgoers using public transportation should be aware of changes to CTA operations. A shuttle will replace the regular No. 146 bus service to the Museum Campus.
The Adler Planetarium will operate on its normal schedule, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., during NASCAR race weekend.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file
