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 at 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive will open an hour later and close an hour earlier than usual on the Saturday and Sunday 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 at 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed both Saturday and Sunday of race weekend. The aquarium will also open an hour late and close an hour early on Thursday, Friday and Monday.
The Adler Planetarium at 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive will operate on its regular schedule during the race weekend. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Field Museum will be open late and close early on 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 and during the race weekend.
Visitors arriving on foot or bicycle can use the Columbus Drive underpass and Lakefront Trail, the release stated.
Museum-goers 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 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., during the NASCAR race weekend.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file