Chicago's Museum Campus also includes the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium.
Adler offers free admission to its planetarium exhibits! The only things you pay for here are Sky Shows ($5 USD), and the Astronomy Museum ($5, but free on Tuesdays).
Shedd bills itself as "the largest indoor aquarium in the world, with more than 8,000 aquatic animals including beluga whales, dolphins, penguins and a Caribbean reef."
Seeing all three places in one day is a bit of a stretch, but you can sample some of each on one visit.
Wednesday is a good day to try it, since admission to the Field Museum that day is free.
Something else to consider: the Chicago CityPass. It offers admission to all of the following for $39 adult/$29 ages 3-11: Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, The Field Museum, Hancock Observation Deck, The Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium. The attractions purchased separately would cost $72.50.
Another tip: avoid parking at the site if possible, especially on a day when the Chicago Bears are playing at nearby Soldier Field. It can cost $15-20 USD, far more than a budget traveler wants to pay for parking.
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| INSIDE AND OUT, the views on Chicago's Museum Campus are spectacular. The Shedd Aquarium is the circular building to the left. |
There is a courtesy bus that runs from Museum Campus to Water Tower Place, perfect for those with hotel rooms along Michigan Avenue, also known as the Magnificent Mile. Check locally for times.
The nearest Chicago Transit Authority trains run on the orange, green and red lines, stopping at the Roosevelt-Wabash station. It's about a 10-15 minute walk east from there.
It's a chance to save and enjoy at the same time. The Museum Campus was created in 1998 after the relocation of Lakeshore Drive. That added 57 acres of terraced gardens, walkways along the shore of Lake Michigan and a concessions pavilion. On a nice day you'll enjoy great views of the Chicago skyline.
Cities across the world are justifiably proud of their museums. Berlin offers so many, you could visit a different one each day for six months. Italy and France offer the chance to spend your remaining days on earth in museums and probably still miss some of their offerings.
New Yorkers and Chicagoans can argue about who has the better museums on this side of the Atlantic. I'm not weighing in on that one. But I will tell you that the Museum Campus concept in the Windy City was a stroke of planning genius. As a budget traveler, what better way to see three of Chicago's top attractions in a relaxed, convenient setting?
