Chicago summer savings!

[Debbie6221]

I was hoping to start a thread where people who live in Chicago or are from the Chicago-land area could post deals that have helped them save money this summer.

Maybe a place to pick up a coupon for a water park or a way to earn free zoo passes, etc.
If we all post how we have saved this summer maybe we can help others.

For example....
I earned Brookfield Zoo passes by buying a HIP (Harlem Irving Plaza) gift card to pay for the shopping I was going to do anyway at the mall (including Target)!


Thanks!!!

Debbie (and I actually live IN Chicago)

 

[drinkme]

You can get any of the museum passes from a Chicago Public Library. You have to live in Chicago, not live in the suburbs and have a Chicago Library recipical card. You can get a Brookfield Zoo pass from the suburban libraries. Not sure if Chicago libraries have Brookfield Zoo passes.

The current issue of Chicago Parent has a $3 off coupon for Kiddieland which is closing for good this year.

Another coupon in Chicago Parent is for Medieval Times.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[budbeerlady]

I just bought the Chicago loop entertainment book for 2009 at $7.99 and then $2.00 back from Sunshine rewards. Its got Ed Debevic, Jinos and the big yellow boat cruise in it. We are going to Chicago again this September so this will help us save.

 

[sunlover13]

I took DD downtown for the day a couple of weeks ago. There a ton of coupons for Navy Pier & various museums here:

http://www.chicagotraveler.com/chicago-discounts-attractions.htm

Make sure you read the fine print though as some are only valid weekdays. The buy 2 get 1 free Navy Pier rides was a great deal though as each ride is $5 - $6.

The Entertainment book has a lot of great coupons too!

Kidsbowlfree.com is a great programs for summer bowling.

Great idea for a thread.

 

[wendygrace]

Great idea!

I check on free days at the museums as nearly all the museums have them. There are also several museums that are just plain free.

I get a yearly membership to the Children's Museum in Normal that allows me to go to the Chicagoland Childrens Musuems and the Science Museums in the area for free (except parking of course!). That includes Science and Industry, Field and Chicago Children's Museum as well as the Sci-Tech Museum in Aurora and all the Children's Museums in the 'burbs. I think that if you buy the membership at the Chicago Children's Museum, it will let you do the same thing (my in-laws live near Normal so we get that one). If you go to two museums a year with two kids, you're set. We go 4-5 times a year to one or the other so its well worth it.

That's all I can think of right now but I'll be back.

 

[Debbie6221]

I knew there would be awesome Disers from the area here! Share the thread with people who live by us. I just posted at the Chicago/Illinois thread here.

 

[Colinsmom]

Expanding on what wendygrace said, get a membership at a museum in another city. Google "reciprocal science museums" for more information. Then you can use your membership to get in free or cheap to many/most of the Chicago area museums. You don't get the other member benefits (such as free Harry Potter passes, parking discounts, etc) but can still be worth it. If you join a Chicago area museum such as MSI, that won't get you in free to other Chicago area museums. It just extends to museums that are at least a certain # of miles away from where you have your membership, if that makes sense.

I believe that either a Field Museum membership or MSI membership will get you into the Chicago Children's Museum for free.

And I recently heard that firefighters (like DH) can get their families into the Chicago Children's Museum for free. I would assume that police are covered too, and there may be other groups.

 

[Jordans_Mommie]

For Bank of America customers, the first saturday of the month is free for several attractions/museums. I know that the Shedd Aquarium is one of them. I believe it is good for up to four people and you just present your bank or credit card.

Jewel/Osco has a promotion where if you buy any pepsi product you get a BOGO free coupon for Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier.

 

[Kimmumum]

Regarding the museum and zoo admissions from the south suburbs....you can get a pass to most Chicago libraries and Brookfield Zoo from our library.

Six flags has deals on thier website.

The Chicago White Sox has (or at least had...haven't checked in a while) ticket/meal ticket deals.

People often forget about going to the Indiana dunes. We went today. Our beach had parking for $8 but everything else we brought in so we didn't have to buy anything there.

My family often parks near 35th Street and bikes to Lincoln Park Zoo and back (about 18 miles). Good for older kids (mine are 11 and 15).

There are a couple of candy factories in the area. We went to one on Sunday and a road trip on Monday led to another.

Indiana Beach in Monticello is only 1 1/2 hours from the south side. Free admission (new this year) to the boardwalk and then there are different prices for different hours of rides (somewhere around $20) and they have a waterpark too.

Deep River waterpark in Merriville, In. Not necessarily cheap but a fun day.

I'll think more......

 

[MelAnderson]

Don't forget to order Metra's rail Free Summer Fun kit. The best deal by far is the B1G1 Free for the Chicago Architecture Cruise Monday - Friday. There are some other deals, but that is the best one.

 

[mommyrants]

We do lots of restaurant.com and Member Card (mine is from WBEZ) discounts.

Someone posted about Disney on Ice - I got 12th row tickets for $11 each. The code is also good for the circus.

While tickets for Wrigley aren't cheap - you can bring in your own sealed drinks and food.

Chicago Park District outdoor pools are free - we live near Portage Park which has a water park/play area.

Groupon.com has a daily Chicago deal. They had $11 Wendella River Tours this week.

I'm on mailing lists for MANY restaurants and get coupons - Shaw's, Maggiano's, Flat Top, Sweet Tomatoes.

Not a discount but Chinatown is cheap to eat in, fun to walk around in and cheap to shop. And you really feel like you are in another world there.

The Garfield Park Conservatory is also free. DD had a field trip there today. They have a great kids' play area.

The Chicago Botanical Gardens are $20/car for admission but great to walk around. The train exhibit there is very cool.

Is anyone going to the Disney Christmas Carol Train Exhibit this weekend? It's free....

 

[akcire]

Don't forget this weekend is the FREE Christmas Carol Disney Train in Union Station.

We went today, we were downtown for something else, it was pretty cool. The line was not that long we waited about 20 minutes to get on the train and a few minutes for the 3-D movie section.

Free rocks!!

 

[PooohBear]

Wow great thread ! I can't believe I didn't know about some of this stuff

 

[Debbie6221]

You guys are the best! So helpful! I hope this thread keeps going so we can turn it into the Fall Chicago savings thread....and so on and so on!
Thanks guys!

 

[Colleen27]

Expanding on what wendygrace said, get a membership at a museum in another city. Google "reciprocal science museums" for more information. Then you can use your membership to get in free or cheap to many/most of the Chicago area museums. You don't get the other member benefits (such as free Harry Potter passes, parking discounts, etc) but can still be worth it. If you join a Chicago area museum such as MSI, that won't get you in free to other Chicago area museums. It just extends to museums that are at least a certain # of miles away from where you have your membership, if that makes sense.

I have to say, this is a great idea and one we've been using for years. The reciprocal agreement is free admission to museums more than 90 miles from your home museum, so I'm a Detroiter who has had MSI, COSI (Columbus, OH) and even the VA Beach Marine Science museum as my home locations.

I hope y'all don't mind me lurking here. We're hoping to fit in a low-budget Chicago trip before the HP exhibit ends, and every little savings idea I find helps.

 

[angwill]

Magic Waters Waterpark in Rockford is like $19.95 regular price but the McDonalds in that area have $4 off coupons making it a fun day for $15 per person over 47 inches under that is less.

HTH

 

[aclov]

One of the things I like doing in Chicago and just in general is eating! But it can be SOO expensive. I noticed more restaurants doing mid-week specials or prix fixe menus. I went to Zocalo this week for $25 on Tues and Thurs you can get a appetizer, dinner and dessert. And they have a lunch buffet for 10.95 I did enjoy the food! Corona's were $3 and they do have other drink specials
Roy's also has a summer prix fixe menu for $35

 

[sunlover13]

Bumping this back up...........

Home Depot kid workshops for free. (all year round)

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...gId&langId=-1&pn=Kids_Workshops&storeId=10051

 

[FlyingBelle]

Did you know there is a free parking section at the Museum of Science & Industry?

I almost hate to broadcast it because we've always been able to find a space. It's over by the IMAX theatre - there is an entrance there and several dozen free parking spaces.

 

[Mrs D]

I posted the deal about Disney On Ice; you get 4 tix for $44 (before all the fees). Still a great deal. I can share the info if anyone wants it.
Since we're going to the United Center for this, I curious about parking near there. I can not justify paying $20 for parking, I could walk a block or two with the kiddos. Any tips?