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people watching a movie in the park
Photograph: Courtesy of Chicago DCASE

Where to watch free outdoor movies in Chicago this summer

Pack a blanket and a box of candy for a movie under the stars.

Samantha Nelson
Jeffy Mai
Written by
Samantha Nelson
&
Jeffy Mai
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Summer is almost over, but there's still time to watch a movie outside. Parks throughout Chicago host free screenings all season long, inviting crowds to bring blankets, lawn chairs and snacks to watch a flick while enjoying the fresh air. The Chicago Park District's Movies in the Parks series features dozens of different films across neighborhoods from Rogers Park to South Shore, and runs at some top destinations like Millennium Park and the Museum of Science & Industry. But that's not all—you can also catch free showings outside Wrigley Field at Gallagher Way.

The film selection is mostly geared towards families, mixing newer releases like DC League of Super-Pets and Minions: The Rise of Gru with classics like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Field of Dreams. There are also nights for grown ups, with showings of Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Woman King. Check out our guide for the full lineup and pick a night that suits your tastes and schedule.

Movies at the Parks screenings begin at dusk. Movies at Gallagher Way screenings begin at 7:30pm.

RECOMMENDED: Discover the best drive-in movie theaters near Chicago

AUGUST

Victor/Victoria (Tuesday, August 1 at Belmont Harbor)

A Goofy Movie (Tuesday, August 1 at Indian Road Park)

Encanto (Tuesday, August 1 at West Lawn Park)

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Tuesday, August 1 at Millennium Park)

Black Adam (Wednesday, August 2 at Hasan Playlot Park)

Instantánea (Wednesday, August 2 at Loyola Park)

Coco (Wednesday, August 2 at Marquette Park)

American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story (Thursday, August 3 at Piotrowski Park)

Thor: Love and Thunder (Thursday, August 3 at Portage Park)

Top Gun: Maverick (Thursday, August 3 at Sheridan Park)

DC League of Super-Pets (Friday, August 4 at Nichols Park)

Minions: The Rise of Gru (Friday, August 4 at Vittum Park)

Space Jam: A New Legacy (Friday, August 4 at White Park)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (Saturday, August 5 at Berger Park Cultural Center)

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (Saturday, August 5 at Dawes Park)

West Side Story (2021) (Saturday, August 5 at Oz Park)

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Tuesday, August 8 at Museum of Science & Industry)

Hairspray (2007) (Tuesday, August 8 at Oakwood Beach)

Field of Dreams (Tuesday, August 8 at Trebes Park)

Clueless (Tuesday, August 8 at Millennium Park)

Luca (Wednesday, August 9 at Chippewa Park)sf

Top Gun: Maverick (Wednesday, August 9 at Mary Bartelme Park)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Wednesday, August 9 at Oakdale Park)

Minions: The Rise of Gru (Thursday, August 10 at Ridge Park)

Encanto (Thursday, August 10 at Washtenaw Park)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Thursday, August 10 at Paul Revere Park)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Friday, August 11 at Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens)

Black Adam (Friday, August 11 at Hermosa Park)

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile (Friday, August 11 at Peterson Park)

Top Gun: Maverick (Saturday, August 12 at Loyola Park)

Monsters University (Saturday, August 12 at Mann Park)

Luca (Saturday, August 12 at Park No. 596)

Minions: The Rise of Gru (Tuesday, August 15 at A. Montgomery Ward Park)

Chicago (Tuesday, August 15 at Chicago History Museum)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Tuesday, August 15 at Lake Shore Park)

Top Gun: Maverick (Tuesday, August 15 at Millennium Park)

The Bad Guys (Wednesday, August 16 at Armour Square Park)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Wednesday, August 16 at Hamlin Park)

Black Adam (Wednesday, August 16 at Stanton Park)

Hoosiers (Thursday, August 17 at Arrigo Park)

Top Gun: Maverick (Thursday, August 17 at Commercial Club Playground)

Enchanted (Thursday, August 17 at Edgebrook Park)

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Friday, August 18 at Calumet Park)

Minions: The Rise of Gru (Friday, August 18 at Sauganash Park)

The Woman King (Friday, August 18 at West Chatham Park)

Crazy Rich Asians (Saturday, August 19 at Jonquil Playlot Park)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Saturday, August 19 at Loyola Park)

DC League of Super-Pets (Saturday, August 19 at Unity Playlot Park)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Tuesday, August 22 at Kells Playground Park)

Barbershop (Tuesday, August 22 at Millennium Park)

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (Tuesday, August 22 at Osterman Beach)

The Wiz (Wednesday August 23 at South Shore Cultural Center)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Wednesday, August 23 at Wilson Park)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Wednesday, August 23 at Gallagher Way)

Encanto (Thursday, August 24 at Hoyne Playground Park)

Weird Science (Thursday, August 24 at Wicker Park)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Friday, August 25 at Hermitage Park)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Friday, August 25 at Pottawattomie Park)

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back (Saturday, August 26 at Churchill Field Playlot Park)

The Wiz (Saturday, August 26 at Oz Park)

Chicago Onscreen Selections (Monday, August 28 at Promontory Point)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (Tuesday, August 29 at Millennium Park)

Chicago Onscreen Selections (Tuesday, August 29 at Lincoln Park)

Chicago Onscreen Selections (Tuesday, August 29 at Palmer Park)

The Dark Knight (Wednesday, August 30 at Gallagher Way)

Chicago Onscreen Selections (Wednesday, August 30 at Blackhawk Park)

Chicago Onscreen Selections (Wednesday, August 30 at Washington Park)

Chicago Onscreen Selections (Thursday, August 31 at Wicker Park)

Chicago Onscreen Selections (Thursday, August 31 at White Park)

SEPTEMBER

Silent Movie Series (Friday, September 1 at Indian Boundary Park)

Chicago Onscreen Local Film Festival (Friday, September 1 at Douglass Park)

Chicago Onscreen Local Film Festival (Saturday, September 2 at Douglass Park)

Grease (Wednesday, September 6 at Eckhart Park)

Million Dollar Arm (Thursday, September 7 at Mary Bartelme Park)

Grease (Friday, September 8 at Lake Shore Park)

Lightyear (Saturday, September 9 at Jonquil Playlot Park)

Back to the Future (Wednesday, September 13 at Gallagher Way)

The Blues Brothers (Wednesday, September 27 at Gallagher Way)

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