Chicago Vacation...Help!!

[dsneybride]

My brother and I are taking our kids to the Chicago area to visit my Dad and Stepmom this summer. Realizing how much this trip is gonna cost me, I am trying to find cheap things to entertain us! Does anyone know if you have to pay to walk around Navy Pier if you aren't going to go on the rides? Everything is so expensive to do in the city I am in need of free or cheap ideas. We will have 5 kids (18, 14, 8, 7 and 3) and 4 adults.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

 

[skip323]

You do not have to pay to walk around Navy Pier...just participating in things costs. There is, I believe, a children's museum at Navy Pier but I am uncertain as to whether it is free or not. Forgive me, though I have been to Navy Pier we have not really participated in anything. There is a trolley from certain points around the Michigan Ave and just off Michigan Ave that will take you to Navy pier. My daughters enjoy going to the American Girl Place...even if they are not purchasing (though they would certainly like to).

We read lots of trip reports and blogs on Chicago before going for the 1st time as a family and were able to come up with discounts to various sites .... do lots of research and you may find the same!

Chicago is exciting and vibrant...we have had a nice time just roaming around and walking by Lake Michigan, going to the bean...that kind of stuff!

 

[Local_Girl]

Not sure where you are from, but if you have (or can get) a local science museum membership for your family, they may have a reciprocal agreement with some of the Chicago museums (as well as in many other cities around the country). I know there is a museum near us that has such an agreement with the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Adler Planetarium. In many cases, the admission is free; in some cases, you pay half. Might be worth looking into.

 

[dsneybride]

You do not have to pay to walk around Navy Pier...just participating in things costs. There is, I believe, a children's museum at Navy Pier but I am uncertain as to whether it is free or not. Forgive me, though I have been to Navy Pier we have not really participated in anything. There is a trolley from certain points around the Michigan Ave and just off Michigan Ave that will take you to Navy pier. My daughters enjoy going to the American Girl Place...even if they are not purchasing (though they would certainly like to).

We read lots of trip reports and blogs on Chicago before going for the 1st time as a family and were able to come up with discounts to various sites .... do lots of research and you may find the same!

Chicago is exciting and vibrant...we have had a nice time just roaming around and walking by Lake Michigan, going to the bean...that kind of stuff!

Whats the bean? Thank you for the advice. We will also be visiting the American girl store!

 

[dsneybride]

Not sure where you are from, but if you have (or can get) a local science museum membership for your family, they may have a reciprocal agreement with some of the Chicago museums (as well as in many other cities around the country). I know there is a museum near us that has such an agreement with the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Adler Planetarium. In many cases, the admission is free; in some cases, you pay half. Might be worth looking into.

I will definitly check into that! I belong to our local zoo and they do that also. Thanks!

 

[kellia]

Not sure where you are from, but if you have (or can get) a local science museum membership for your family, they may have a reciprocal agreement with some of the Chicago museums (as well as in many other cities around the country). I know there is a museum near us that has such an agreement with the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Adler Planetarium. In many cases, the admission is free; in some cases, you pay half. Might be worth looking into.

Yup, we renewed our local science membership ($80) last week before we went to Chicago this weekend. We went to the Children's Museum, Field and Sci & Industry completely FREE! (Didn't make it to the planetarium). However, if you want any of the "extra" Imax or special exhibits, those cost extra. Check out http://www.astc.org/about/members.htm for the list of the recipricals.

We spent 2 days at those 3 museums and felt like we were REALLY rushed and didn't see nearly all of them.

 

[sk8jdgca]

Here are the first 4 days of a 5 day trip. I try to do things cheap. Sorry I forgot to do the last day. We did find a nice park somehow that has a little water feature. It is somewhere between millinium park and the river and michigan and lakefront- right in the middle of that block. Anyway here is the link to my almost finished trip report
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...ne_26_June_30_with_kids-Chicago_Illinois.html

 

[Colinsmom]

Lincoln Park Zoo is free. Navy Pier is free, but the children's museum is not (unless you are police officer or a firefighter - teachers may be free, too). And frankly, I find Navy Pier to be very boring. There is a small (free) beach 1-2 blocks north of Navy Pier where you can take a quick dip or hang out for the day. My kids looooove playing in the fountains just west of Navy Pier (also free). So bring swimsuits or a change of clothes, along with towels!

If you head west of Navy Pier to McClurg Ct and then go south, you can pick up the riverwalk and walk along the Chicago river to Michigan Avenue. My kids like watching the boats on the river, and if they are lucky they can see one of the bridges go up. I believe that there are nighttime fireworks certain nights during the summer (not just July 4th) - look for those dates as your trip gets closer.

Parking is crazy expensive in Chicago so plan to use public transportation. The best type (bus, el, commuter train) depends on where you are staying.

 

[NotUrsula]

If the children are all part of the same nuclear family, you will save money (and time) by buying memberships ahead of time online to the museums you wish to visit. With my family of 4 it normally takes two trips per year to come out ahead on a membership, but with more children it might only take one trip. This is especially important at Field or Shedd on summer weekends, when the nonmember admissions line can be a two-hour wait.

Note that some of the facilities in Chicago (Shedd comes to mind) don't honor certain reciprocal memberships from other cities if those memberships are significantly cheaper. What we have discovered that we have to do to get the best value on that is to buy the membership to the Chicago facility, then use the reciprocal benefits in our own city instead. That costs a bit more, but it's a better 2-for-1 value for us. It can be difficult to discover which ones are honored -- call up the membership desk at the Chicago attraction and ask before investing in a local membership on the theory that it will be honored somewhere in Chicago.

You can also buy a Citypass, which will allow you to visit several of the cultural institutions in a short period at reduced admission prices. Again, you just have to do the math to determine the best deal.

Also, note that the cultural institutions in Chicago all have free days on a pattern. To save the most, tailor your trip to match the free day pattern. Note that free days are never on weekends; that is a weekday-only deal.

 

[Bethmom3]

"The Bean" that was mentioned is a sculpture in Millenium Park. Millenium Park is a fun free place to hang out and there is a water feature that kids can splash in. They have free concerts there quite often. There are free days at the museums...you can get a list of dates on their websites. Not sure how that works in the summer as we take advantage of that during the school year. Also Lincoln park Zoo is free. Just walking along and window shopping on Michigan Ave is quite a sight and American Girl is amazing! There is a FB group that I have been seeing but have not joined called Free things to do in Chicago. you may want to check that out. I would assume there would be a lot of options to cut costs.

Have a Great Time!!

 

[MelAnderson]

The Bean is officially known as Cloudgate 9. I don't know why they even list it as that since no one knows it by that name. They have activities throughout the summer, but since the city is cutting back, they may be less than in previous years. Also, check out Buckingham Fountain for some photo ops.

I would pick a Thursday to go to Navy Pier. The Chicago Children's Museum is free on Thursday evenings from 5-8 pm. On the first Sunday of each month, the museum is free for people age 15 and under. There is also a Skyline stage at Navy Pier, if there is a child friendly play, you can go to hottix.org to see if there are any 1/2 off tickets. There are also fireworks on certain nights. But, back to free...

The "beaches"...Oak Street beach, North Avenue beach and both are close to Lincoln Park Zoo.

The Chicago History Museum which has a few interesting exhibits and some pretty fun ones for kids, is free on Monday. It's in the general vicinity of Lincoln Park.

The Major Museums (Shedd, Field and Science and Industry) have gotten really stingy with their free days, you will have to check their site for the specific free days listed. If you have a Bank of America card, you can get free "general" admission to Shedd on the 1st weekend of each month. Check for details as there might be a limit on the # of tickets. Note: The free admission doesn't include the dolphin show.

HTH

 

[FINFAN]

well, one of my favorite "freebies" in Chicago is at Ghiradellis...you will get a free sample of chocolate just for coming in! It is not far if you do visit Navy Pier, certainly walkable. You can also pop into the Hershey factory, Disney Store, just walking about is kinda fun. There are usually "living statue" entertainment here/there...just keep you eyes open. What time in the summer? Taste of Chicago's dates have been altered I think....or is you are coming mid/late August the air show is then, it is awesome and free, but very crowded! I would try Navy Pier for sure, there is a McDonalds there which is going to be your most economical food choice or you can pack a lunch. If you park at the pier I believe it is about $20 for the day, may be higher, but there are usually bands playing for free, some boardwalk type entertainers and every Wed and Saturday nights you can see fireworks ( unless they are cutting back due to budget as mentioned) yes, the childrens museum has a fee, and I think it is fairly high, as in I would go to the Museum of Science and Industry and pay there. If you want an inexpensive side option, you can take a water taxi along the river, I think it is about $2-4 per person each way ( and there is a r/t rate as well) but it fun to get from point A-B and then walk back or whatever. If you can. book a hotel with an indoor pool, weather can be iffy with some cooler days or rainy, so having an indoor option may help that and if you are paying for a hotel, may as well get use out of it! You can pack decent kites and fly those by the lake, in grant park etc., Chicago generally has enough wind to accomodate that daily,bring rollerblades and skate along the path along the lake, it is reallly pretty on a sunny day. Your teens will like Oak Street or North Avenue beaches..., If you can swing it, heading up into the Sears Tower for the ledge is awesome...we waited 2.5 hours to go up for the cheap rate (just have stuff to entertain the younger ones like hand held games etc) once you are up there you can stay as long as you like...it is really very cool to do. A less expensive option is the Hancock viewing,closer to Navy Pier. While I know it is a pain to lug a cooler around etc, having snacks/water bottle is going to save you some $ each day. I hope you enjoy your vsit to our city, summer is the best time to visit Chicago!

 

[budbeerlady]

The entertainment books are $17 right now. We usually buy the chicago one. Also checkout Groupon. I bought Dh and I bike tours for half price today, something we can do on our anniversary trip. http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1367717

Dont be sucked into the sears (Whatever its called now) tower. The waits are huge! So up the hancock instead if you want that type of experience.

 

[4forMe]

The following link has the event schedule for Chicago. Just click on the calendar for the dates you will be in town. There is also an option to look for free events only. This will help give you an idea of what is going on in the city during the time that you are there:

http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/event_landing.html

Have fun planning your trip!

 

[deerhart]

if your a Bank of America customer, I beleive several of the Chicago museums are on their free museum weekend deals if your there during that weekend.

Both Shedd and the History Museum are included

here is the link to the program with dates and all the participating museums

http://museums.bankofamerica.com/

 

[Tiggerish]

I want to second the Lincoln Park Zoo recommendation. It is free. Right next to the zoo is the Lincoln Park Conservatory which is also free. In the summer there is a very nice duck pond next to the conservatory. There is a minimal amount of street parking with meters but you have to look around and be prepared to walk some.

However, you can get there on the bus and you can get a single day bus pass for around $6 and children under a certain age are free. Riding the bus and el trains can be fun in and of itself. You can easily get to the Bean and its park and splash fountain, Buckingham Fountain (which is also free), Navy Pier and the zoo area on the bus. You can pack a lunch and there many, many spots to sit and eat at all of these places.

 

[budbeerlady]

However, you can get there on the bus and you can get a single day bus pass for around $6 and children under a certain age are free. Riding the bus and el trains can be fun in and of itself. You can easily get to the Bean and its park and splash fountain, Buckingham Fountain (which is also free), Navy Pier and the zoo area on the bus. You can pack a lunch and there many, many spots to sit and eat at all of these places.

We picked up some food at Trader Joes and had a picnic at Millenium park. Dd could have spent all day splashing with the kids by the face tower things. She wants to go back there again this summer.

We also took a picnic lunch to Shedd and ate it on the picnic tables there! Lots of green room to find a place to eat.

And I am now one of the biggest fans of the Seneca park (according to Google maps) around the corner from American Girl. The kids wanted to run and blow off some steam and a friend walked us there. That park was priceless after a crowded Michigan Ave walk! Love it and will visit everytime there is a child with us.

Dd also likes to look at the horse and carriages waiting across the street from American Girl. Its fun to walk Navy pier and see the boats waiting for cruises. They are very, very nice.