It's only when we travel that we realise how incredibly lucky we are in London that most galleries and museums are free to visit to members of public. Most galleries and museums just make an invitation to make a donation (which many people do), and/or a charge for special exhibitions. The Tate Galleries, V&A, Royal Academy and others also have memberships which give free entry to the special exhibitions, talks, events and members rooms, but these are only worth it if you are here all year.
So, when I started planning our recent trip to Chicago, and thinking about what we'd like to see and do, my search pulled up a Chicago City Pass. I'd used City Passes before in New York, so thought that it was worth a look at the Chicago options. The format is similar, with some either/or choices and some that are included as part of the deal automatically.
I knew that I wanted to go to the Art Institute as I really enjoy the American art that's on display there, but I suspected that my son wouldn't be as interested, and would enjoy other museums more. It transpired that the City Pass was perfect for just that.
What is included in the City Pass?
There are 5 attractions in total included in the Chicago City Pass. Two are pre-selected; the Shedd Aquarium and Skydeck Chicago. Then you chose 3 further attractions from the following:
Shoreline Sightseeing Architectural River Tour
Field Museum
360 Chicago Observation Deck (this does not include Tilt)
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, this also included a ride on one of the motion simulators
Art Institute of Chicago
Alder Planetarium
How much does it cost?
£110 per person if you use the UK website - I used the US site and it worked out a little less for us at £106 per person (I have a UK credit card that doesn't charge exchange fees, and with those it's always wise to pay in the currency of the country to get the best exchange rate).
Is it value for money?
It is, if the attractions are all things that you actually want to see. We saved around £34 per person. If you skip some, it might be better to look at the Chicago C3, which gives you a saving of up to 29% at 3 attractions. This costs $102 or around £78 using the US website.
If we'd booked each attraction individually it would have cost:
Art Institute/Museum of Science and Industry | $32/$33.95 inc the motion sensor |
Shedd Aquarium | $38 (price does vary slightly by day) |
Skydeck Chicago | $32 |
360 Chicago Observation Deck | $30 |
Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour | $49.95 |
$182-184 (£140) |
How long is it valid for?
It's valid for up to 12 months from the date of purchase.
How long do you have from the first use?
Once you've visited the first attraction you have 9 days to complete the rest.
Do you need to make reservations at the attractions?
Yes, for most of them. It was only the Art Institute and the Field Museum that didn't require them. This was very different from when we'd used the New York City Passes, but that was pre-Covid and so much has changed in its wake.
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