Going to Chicago’s Museum Campus during the NASCAR street race? Here’s what you need to know
With the NASCAR Chicago Street Race slated to cause street closures around Grant Park for more than a month this summer, the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum have announced details on how to access Museum Campus in the days around the event.
The two-day racing event takes place July 1-2, but parking restrictions in part of the park begin June 2 and road closures are scheduled from June 10 to July 15.
For those driving, parking lots on the Museum Campus will remain open. For drivers coming from the south, officials recommended using northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive and exiting at 18th Street, Walden Drive or McFetridge Drive, while those coming in from the north should take I-55 between 24th and 25th and State Street before proceeding to those same exits through Lake Shore Drive.
Visitors planning to take public transportation should note that buses and trains will operate on alternate schedules. Buses to Museum Campus will pick up riders at the Roosevelt Road/Museum Campus CTA train station, as well as the Union/Ogilvie Metra stations.
For people walking or biking, access will be available via the Columbus Drive Underpass and Lakefront Trail.
The Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum have also announced adjustments to their operating hours. On June 29, June 30 and July 3, the Shedd will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be closed July 1-2, but will resume normal operating hours on July 4. Meanwhile, the Field Museum is also adjusting its hours on race days and will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 1-2.
The Adler Planetarium will be open during its regular hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, except for Wednesdays when it is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
