We have been to Chicago twice (as a family) and both happened to be in 2018: once in the Spring for the debut and finale of my acting career (I was an extra on Chicago Fire one time) then a few weeks before Christmas. They were entirely different experiences and we are already planning a trip back because we have not made it to Navy Pier yet (I know, right?). I am now thinking next Summer when the weather is beautiful. Maybe even go to a baseball game since that’s what most people do there, I guess 😉 It is a 4-4.5 hour drive, but really isn’t bad, and the kids do just fine…
On our first visit I had a hotel mystery shop for two nights and it was on the South end of downtown Chicago. A pretty decent location, but not quite as central as our second stay. We spent one whole day at the Shedd Aquarium, but our main mission on that visit was my job as an “extra”, which sucked up a whole 12 hour day and happened to be outside, in the snow, in Chicago, in April. I will never forget that it snowed on April 16th, 2018, that has got to be one of the latest snowfalls on record…
On our second trip, it was mid-December and the city was soooo Christmas-y and soooo beautiful with all of the lights! Surprisingly, there was less snow than our April trip… but it was amazing. We stayed in a different hotel, right in the middle of the downtown loop by the river, which was another mystery shop (if you are wondering what is going on and how to do mystery shopping, see my other blog post). The location was amazing and during this trip we went to the Museum of Science and Industry and Millenium Park, which is FREE (but did have things you could pay for, like ice skating) and is also where the famous bean is located.
Things To Do
The Shedd Aquarium
This is not your average aquarium, I also wouldn’t consider it a “cheap” outing, but there are lots of discounts available on tickets. It is in a great location on the shoreline near the Navy Pier, Planetarium, Field House museum, and Soldier Field. You can see the Navy Pier from the steps of the Aquarium, there are some great photo ops of the lake, and boat tours are offered right there as well. I am certain that you could spend a whole day at the aquarium checking out the slew of exhibits, but there are plenty of other attractions nearby if you (or the kids) need more variety.
Here is a sneak peek at one of the exhibits, and yes, that is a giant sea turtle with a broken shell that was rescued by an animal rehab team. They feed the animals in the big tank every hour so you can watch a diver jump in there with them and go around spreading food:
My kids even got to touch a preserved piranha (and it’s teeth!) at one of the exhibits and they thought that was pretty awesome.
Museum of Science and Industry
This was on our second trip (December) and it was pretty cool you guys. Definitely a fan-fave of my two boys. Think HUGE imaginarium where everything is interactive, there’s tons of exhibits, you can fly an fighter jet (I may or may not have almost threw up), and tour an underground coal mine. We were also able to visit the U-Boat exhibit. You guys, they built this section of the museum around the U-Boat because it is so big. It. Was. Awesome.
CityPass
I mentioned the Sightseeing Pass we used in Orlando and there is a CityPass in Chicago that does something similar. I just (like 1 minute ago) took this screenshot and you can see that the pass saves you 50% off of regular admission on these 5 attractions:
You will definitely need more than a day or two for this though. I would suggest at least 3 days, these museums are pretty serious and warrant almost a full day visit to each.
Groupon and Discount Sites
Don’t pretend you didn’t know I was going to say this: Definitely watch Groupon for discounts in Chicago and deals on any family travel for that matter, because there are tons of offers on there, especially in large US cities. Here is an example, but there are pages of deals for Chicago and the surrounding areas.
Food and Drink
When you travel on a budget with the family, you definitely need to think about food, right? In case you didn’t see my three previous posts…. SNACKS. But also, a cooler full of bottled water and juice boxes or gatorade will save you tons of money at the hotel and while on the road, or even while you’re out visiting the sights.
You can also imagine that there are lots of ideas for meals on Groupon, but there are also tons of restaurant deals in the area on Restaurants.com and the RetailMeNot app.
Macaroni Kid
I almost forgot about this VERY important resource: Did you know that there are over 500 Macaroni Kid websites around the US and Canada that can help you find FREE family friendly stuff to do while you’re on vacation? Go to www.macaronikid.com and search by City/State. And there are several in and around the Chicago area. I promise you can find all of the FREE family fun that your heart can handle.
I almost planned a December trip to Chicago this year (I REALLY want to see the Winter Wonderland at Navy Pier), but didn’t see any great deals or mystery shops right now… I know, I’m cheap…
Anyway, I did see some pretty awesome deals for Wisconsin Dells lately and that may be the winner for the kids’ Christmas gift this year… I’ll keep you posted 😉