Entry No. 21 — the Chicago file — filed under: offbeat-museum

Chicago Fed Money Museum

On the ground floor of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, this free single-subject museum is entirely about money: rare and antique currency, a counterfeit-detection challenge, a briefcase holding a million dollars, and a glass cube stacked with one million one-dollar bills. Exhibits explain the mechanics of the Federal Reserve in a building that is itself a fortress of finance. Visitors leave with a small bag of shredded retired currency.

The move: Test each other on spotting counterfeit bills, then pose by the million-dollar cube and walk out with a bag of shredded cash as a souvenir.

📍 Before you go Free. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, closed Fed holidays. Visitors 18+ must show a physical government photo ID; groups of 15+ need reservations.

• 📍 The Loop
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 230 S La Salle St, Chicago, IL 60604

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23