Visiting locations such as the Sears Tower, Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois, doesn't have to be costly. With proper planning, tourists to the Windy City can still have a good time without having to pay a lot of money.
Go to discount booking websites to book your hotel room, such as Priceline and Expedia. Chose a location as close to as many of the places you'd like to visit as possible. The closer you stay to your destination, the less money you'll wind up spending on getting around the city.
Buy a CTA pass. Getting around Chicago's busy streets is extremely difficult, and parking can be very costly. Hotel parking is typically $60 per night, and parking at a lot of the museums can be as much as $20 per hour at most museums. To save money, once you make it into the city, leave the driving up to Chicago's public transportation system. The CTA pass is issued from the Chicago Transit Authority and allows you to ride any of Chicago's buses or trains as many times as you would like. The Chicago Transit system works very well and drops you off within blocks of your destination. As of September 2011, the rate for a three-day CTA pass is $14. See References for a link.
Buy a Chicago CityPASS, a coupon booklet that includes tickets to the following Chicago attractions: Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum, Skydeck Chicago, Adler Planetarium or the Art Institute of Chicago and the John Hancock Observatory or the Museum of Science and Industry. As of September 2011, the Chicago CityPASS costs $76 per adult and $59 for children age 3 to 11. Savings adds up to about 52 percent. See References for a link.
