Chicago Cubs

[fabfive]

Hello, I am trying to research tickets to the July 31st game of the Chicago Cubs. Boy are the tickets expensive. My DH and I are taking our children to Milwaukee/Chicago over the summer and wanted to show them Wrigley Field. Does anyone know of any discount tickets available, or any specials?

I would also like any advise on things to do beside the game. Our children are 8, 10 and 13. We know about the American Girl store.

 

[Minnie824]

You could check out going to see the WORLD SERIES winning Chicago White Sox! They have a beautiful stadium and really good food for a ball park. Also, I would suggest going to Navy Pier, and the Shedd Aquarium. Go to Michigan Ave and just take a walk...tons of shops and malls there.

 

[fabfive]

I checked the White Sox and they are not in town that day What exactly is Navy Pier? What type of things do they have to do for the children?

 

[robinb]

Does anyone know of any discount tickets available, or any specials?

Sorry, but no. Cubs tickets have been hard to get for quite a while. Especially if you're looking for more than 1 or 2. Single game tickets go on sale on Feb 24th. Since 7/31 is a Monday Night Game it won't be super popular, so you probably don't need to try to get tickets on 2/24. The phone lines and the internet will be completely jammed! You could probably wait until Saturday to call or log in when things quiet down a bit. I would also avoid getting tickets in the bleachers ... it's not a place for children, IMO.

I would also like any advise on things to do beside the game. Our children are 8, 10 and 13. We know about the American Girl store.

The Lincoln Park zoo is nice, small and free . I also really like the Shedd Aquarium. You will want to look into an annual family membership as it is very expensive (http://www.sheddaquarium.org/). There is also something called a City Pass (http://citypass.com/) which includes admission to the Shedd, plus many other museums.

 

[robinb]

You could check out going to see the WORLD SERIES winning Chicago White Sox! They have a beautiful stadium and really good food for a ball park.

The Cell is the absolutely worst stadium I have ever have the misfortune to see a ballgame in. Ug! Worse even than converted Football stadiums like Baltimore's old Memorial, Candkestick in SF and Cleveland's Municipal. Comiskey Park, OTOH, was a wonderful old ballpark with charm and quirky sightlines. I really miss it ... I even have an old brick from the wall and a seat to remember it by.

 

[CathrynRose]

You could check out going to see the WORLD SERIES winning Chicago White Sox! They have a beautiful stadium and really good food for a ball park. Also, I would suggest going to Navy Pier, and the Shedd Aquarium. Go to Michigan Ave and just take a walk...tons of shops and malls there.

I agree - I wouldnt bother with the Cubs. I would most definetly go see the W-Sox.

On that note - Navy Pier would be good. They have a Children's Museum in there, a few restaurants, shopping, etc.

We have (IMO) the best-est museum's - Science & Industry tops my list of fav's!

And when is Venetian Nights - anyone? Isnt it around when the OP is going? Thats a nice treat too - all the boats on the lake decorate with lights, and they hold a Fireworks Display.... just pop a squat on the beach, it's free!

 

[Banana magic]

Cubs tickets are always in high demand, so never really any deals. We usually try to go on a day when they have some promotion going on (free t-shirt day, etc). We love Wrigley and always have a good time there. Have not been to a Sox game, so don't know much about Cellular Field.

Navy Pier has a website navypier.com that tells about what is there. We have been to the Children's Museum and IMAX. We also enjoy the Shedd. My kids are a bit younger 7 and 4. The Field Museum has some interesting exhibits, new King Tut exhibit coming soon. Lincoln Park zoo is a good free place to go. We have taken the trolley tour that goes around to a lot of the tourist sites. Speaking of zoos, we love the Milwaukee Zoo. That is where we go every year. If your kids like amusement parks, there is Six Flags in Gurnee.

 

[DIS1975]

I
And when is Venetian Nights - anyone? Isnt it around when the OP is going? Thats a nice treat too - all the boats on the lake decorate with lights, and they hold a Fireworks Display.... just pop a squat on the beach, it's free!

Venetian Night is July 29th.

 

[kmp1191]

Last time we were in town we took the kids (DS10 & DD6) to the Shedd Aquiriam (sp), then we walked over to Lake Michigan and took a boat tour out on the lake, then we walked down to Buckingham Fountain and had a Chicago Style Hotdog. It was a great day and the kids want to know when we are going back. Probably this summer, we hope! I haven't been to Navy Pier, but some friends said it is great.
Have fun!!

 

[PolyGuy]

Actually, I would try to get them the day they go on sale. Night games ALWAYS sell out quickly, and in the middle of summer....it will be a quick sell out.

 

[imsayin]

I would also avoid getting tickets in the bleachers ... it's not a place for children, IMO.

I agree. Also, you don't want to have to get there early for a good seat if you're waiting with kids.

The best section, IMO, is the family section. It is actually to the side of the bleachers in the outfield. There is no alcohol allowed in this section, thus it reduces the associated problems (language, beer spilled on you, etc.). The seats have back support, unlike the bleachers.

 

[imsayin]

duplicate, sorry

 

[challada]

Just got back from a weekend trip to Chicago...here's my advice for what it's worth:

1. Do a tour of Wrigley Field and watch a Cubs game from ESPN zone instead (better view of the game and cheaper overall).

2. Get a membership to your local science museum before you go...w/our local (about 150 miles from home) science museum membership for a family (cost was $70 here), we got admission for free for our family to Museum of Science and Industry (best), Field Museum (bored the kids), and Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier....saved well over $100 w/just that. Shedd does free days (they were doing it this weekend) so you can get in free, but the lines were crazy so we chose not to go there.

3. Take time to do Magnificent Mile or whatever they call Michigan Ave...we went for AGPlace and I found that I wanted to spend more time just looking around that area as a whole (but we were too tight on time).

4. Check for day-of tickets for the plays downtown...they run halfprice.

5. Blue Man Group is in Chicago full time...my kids wanted to see but DD is too young to go (requirement is 8 and up).

ENJOY!

 

[gopack]

We really love going to Cubs' games. I would try for tickets the minute they go on sale. They put you in a type of cyber waiting room. Last year I was able to snag a couple tickets together, but I was really flexible on the dates. We also love the Field Museum, Aquarium, DisneyQuest, Navy Pier (an Imax is there which is fun if you don't have one at home). Every restaurant under the sun. We like the Rainforest Cafe.

 

[fabfive]

Gosh, what good advice from everyone. I really appreciate all of your thoughts. Please spread some pixey dust my way on those Cub tickets.

 

[tazdeb]

U.S Cellular field isn't that bad if you sit in the lower deck...Upper deck forget it. By the way the point is probably moot because the Sox just anounced that all of thier season tickets have sold out for the year so tickets are going to be hard to get at both places this year....If you cant get seats from the cubs directly there are lots of ticket agencies that will sell them at a slight increase, usually $20 more than face value and up depending on how good the cubs are doing and their opponent that day. Most cub fans are very impaitent now that the sox have won the world series and if they are stinking up the place come end of July there might be a boycott in place which would increase your chances of getting in cheap. Go to Stubhub.com and check it out. Also I dont know where your staying but many conciege can get tickets. Also, there is a gangster tour of Chicago that takes you to all the old places in a double decker bus. This tour takes you past the actuall places but is dealt with in a humorus tounge in cheek way, my kids loved it.

 

[elizke]

It's such an old place (second only to Boston), and so uncluttered by digital screens and ads, and the ivy is so nice. I always feel like when I go to a game there I am seeing it the same as someone did 50 years ago. And the bleacher-topped brownstones make you feel like part of a neighborhood game.

Great suggestions already on where to go. Have fun and good luck with tickets. That's the only drawback about the place and it's age; more old-fashioned capacity!

E.

 

[fabfive]

I love the double decker bus idea. Could you give me a website or more info on that.

I love the idea of an old fashion ball game.... Here in Cincy, everything is so electronic. If any of you need any info on Cincy, I would be happy to help.

Thanks.

 

[tazdeb]

Hope this link helps.....www.chicagotours.us/

 

[Licorice]

At Wrigley, before the game, you can always buy tickets outside the park. There are often dozens of people selling them. They are not cheap, but the closer you get to gametime the price goes down. Just be sure you know where they are located, although even the worst seats in Wrigley are not that bad.

Remember, in Chicago, there are only about 20,000 White Sox fans, the other 5 million are Cub fans, so you always have trouble getting a ticket to Wrigley and never U.S. Cellular. Also, Wrigley is in the middle of a high-end neighborhood with lots of restaurants, bars and clubs, while U.S. Cellular is in the slums. And I am a Sox fan.