Chicago Fed's Money Museum
Hours
The Money Museum is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00pm, except on Bank holidays. You should plan about 45 minutes for a self-guided visit.
Directions
The Money Museum is located on the first floor of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago at 230 South LaSalle Street, on the corner of Jackson Boulevard and LaSalle.
Daily Presentation at 1pm
Monday – Friday at 1pm, we offer a guided presentation which lasts roughly 30 minutes. Reservations are not needed; simply show up at 1:00 to join the group. The experience includes:
- A presentation about the functions and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System from a Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago staff ambassador
- A short video about what we do at the Chicago Fed
- A Q&A session following the video and presentation
Accessibility
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is committed to making Money Museum exhibits and presentations accessible to everyone. Service animals are welcome at the Museum. The Museum is wheel chair accessible. (Wheel chairs are not provided.) The presentation video is captioned, and assistive listening devices may be requested by visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. If a group requires ASL interpretation for a presentation, please contact the Money Museum to place a request at least two weeks prior by emailing Money.Museum@chi.frb.org.
Photo ID requirement
All adult visitors 18 years and older must show a valid, government-issued photo ID before entering the Money Museum.
Security Screening
All individuals visiting the Money Museum will be subject to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's screening process. The following items are not allowed in the Museum. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Fire arms, stun guns, knives (including large pocket knives), utility/box cutters
- Explosives
- Pepper spray or mace
- Illegal drugs
- Other illegal or potentially dangerous or destructive items
Prohibited items, not illegal, that are detected will be placed in a container, marked with owner’s name, and returned at the end of the visit. Illegal items that are detected will be confiscated and not returned to the owner.
At no time are firearms allowed into the Museum regardless of concealed carry status. Individuals may not store them and will be asked to leave the premises.
Food and Beverage Policy
We ask for your help in maintaining our facility. Please refrain from consuming food and beverages in the Money Museum. For your convenience, a drinking fountain is located outside the washrooms.
Student Groups
The Money Museum is most appropriate for junior high school students and above. Museum staff members are not able to accommodate groups of children under third grade. School groups are encouraged to have at least one adult chaperone for every ten students age 17 or younger. Reservations are highly encouraged for all student groups with 15 or more attendees. If you do not have a reservation, your group may be turned away if the museum is at capacity.
School groups are required to have at least one adult chaperone for every ten students age 17 or younger.
Reservations are highly encouraged for all student groups with 15 or more attendees. If you do not have a reservation, your group may be turned away if the Museum is at capacity.
Read about Nearby Attractions to see our recommendations for additional stops on your field trip.
Teachers, we also have links to resources you can use in the classroom before you visit, or you can try out our interactive quiz.
Reservations
Reservations are required for groups of 15 or more people. A group visit lasts one hour and consists of a presentation by a staff member in the Money Museum auditorium for 30 minutes, followed by exploration on your own in the exhibition for 30 minutes. During the presentation, you will hear from a Chicago Fed staff member about the roles of the Federal Reserve, watch a video, and participate in a Q&A. If you prefer your group to explore the exhibits on your own rather than receive a presentation, please indicate this in the "Notes" field of your reservation request.
Reservations are offered Monday - Friday at 10 am, 11 am, 2 pm, or 3 pm and can be made up to six months in advance.
We are not currently accepting reservations.
- See military currency from three different wars
- Learn about the history of U.S. currency
- Discover the origins of the Federal Reserve
- Check out $50,000 in coins
- Try your hand at detecting counterfeit notes
- Create your own money
- Decide whether currency should be shredded
- View rare currency from our museum's collection
- Stand next to the $1 million cube
- Test your skill at being head of the Fed
- Find out what $1 million in $20 bills looks like
- Get a souvenir photo with $1 million
- See how we keep currency in good condition
There is also a Visitors Center located at the Bank's Detroit Branch. Please see the Detroit Branch Visitors Center page for information on hours, location and visit availability.
- What should I bring with me?
- Admission is free. Adult visitors age 18 and over must present a valid government-issued photo ID to enter. All visitors must go through our security screenings (think: airport security metal detectors). For a list of restricted items, see the "Security Screening" section on our website under Plan Your Visit.
- Where should the bus drop us off and park?
- Buses can drop off and pick-up in front of our building at 230 S. LaSalle Street. According to the City of Chicago’s website Choose Chicago, there is free on-street motor coach parking at Canal and Roosevelt. You can find more information here.
- Can we eat lunch at the museum?
- Unfortunately, we do not have cafeteria space that is available for visiting groups and we do not allow open food or drinks in the Money Museum. There are many restaurant options nearby though!
- Do you have any teacher resources to help us put together lesson plans before or after our visit?
- Yes, the Chicago Fed offers a “What We Do” lesson plan kit for educators in high school and entry level college economics courses. Please note that the film included in the “What We Do” kit is the same film shown during a guided Money Museum visit. We also recommend the New York Fed’s educational comic book “Once Upon a Dime” and accompanying lesson plans for middle school and high school classes.
- What do I do if my group is larger than the 49 visitor limit?
- The Money Museum limits group reservations to 49 people because that is the number of seats we have in our auditorium. We encourage larger groups to split into separate hour reservations. Half the group can visit the museum while the other half goes to lunch or visits a nearby destination in Chicago (such as the Willis Tower). If that cannot work for your group, please contact us. We’ll try our best to accommodate your group.
