Top 10 budget things to do in Chicago
by Arthur
Posted on Tuesday, January 10th, 2006 at 10:13 pm CET
Here is a list of 10 cheap things that you can do on your visit to the Windy City. From walking along Michigan Avenue and seeing the lake from Navy Pier, Chicago is a great city. Here is my list of top free (or cheap) things to do in and around Chicago:
- Stained Glass Museum, Navy Pier
- Millennium Park
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Eli’s Cheesecake World
- Magnificent Mile
- Museum of Science and Industry
- Illinois Beach State Park (Zion)
- Shedd Aquarium
- Chicago Botanic Garden (Glencoe)
The Spindle (Berwyn)
Stained Glass Museum, Navy Pier
700 E. Grand Avenue, ( 312-791-6049
Open Su-Th: 10am-8pm; Fr-Sa: 10am-10pm
The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800ft.-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall at Navy Pier. All of the windows were designed by prominent local, national and European studios and most were originally installed in Chicago area residential, commercial and religious buildings. The museum is free.
Millennium Park
Between Michigan Avenue, Randolph Street and Monroe Street
( 312-742-1168, Open Mo-Su 6am-11pm
Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. Among Millennium Park’s prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Kathryn Gustafson, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor’s hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture on the SBC Plaza.
Before you go don’t forget to download this official (and free!) audio tour for your iPod. The 40-minute tour is a great way to experience the park. Audio tour rental is also available for $5 in the Chicago Shop at Millennium Park.
Photo by Atelier TeeeField Museum of Natural History
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive ( 312 922-9410
Open: Mo-Su 9am-5pm
The highlight of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History is Sue, the largest, most complete and best preserved T-Rex in the world. Also worth visiting is the museum’s comprehensive set of cultural exhibits, including artifacts from ancient Egypt, the Pacific Northwest, and Tibet. Entrance to the museum is free, but if you want to see Sue (she has been moved out of the main lobby) you must get a Gold Pass, which is $19 for adults. However, the museum has 52 discount days in the year on which admission is just $7.
Check out this live view of the Chicago skyline from a cam located on top of the Field Museum.
Eli’s Cheesecake World
6701 Forest Preserve Drive ( 800-ELI-CAKE
Open: Mo-Fr 8am-6pm, Sa 9am-5pm, Su 11am-5pm
Eli’s Cheesecake World offers sneak peek tours of their factory, where you can see the 62,000 square foot bakery where Chicago’s favorite dessert is actually being made. You learn about the company and see how a cheesecake is made from start to finish – including research and development, mixing, baking, hand decorating, and packaging.
Magnificent Mile
The Magnificent Mile is a wonderful part of North Michigan Avenue with world-class shopping, dining, lodging and leisure entertainment. There are many free events throughout the year, including Light Nights in January, Tulip Days in April/May, Gardens of Chicago in the summer and the Lights Festival in November.
Before you go check out this helpful page with a listing of the public restrooms, weather, maps and other resources.
Photo by sftrajanMuseum of Science and Industry
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, ( 773 684-1414
Open: Mo-Sa 9:30am-4pm, Su: 11am-4pm
The Museum of Science and Industry is one of the most beloved and visited museums in the world. Current temporary exhibits include Living Heart (through 5 March) and Robots like us. Regular admission is $11 for adults, but the museum has over 50 free days through the year.
Illinois Beach State Park
Lake front, Zion, ( 847-662-4811, open: Memorial Day to Labor Day sunrise to 8:00 p.m; Labor Day to Memorial Day sunrise to sunset
Illinois Beach State Park (see map) stretches 6 miles along scenic Lake Michigan. It was established as a means to preserve the beach’s shoreline and the unique ecosystem within this park. It is one of the most popular Illinois state parks, offering camping, hiking and swimming. Check out this related article with some photos of my last visit to the park.
Photo by joethefigShedd Aquarium
1200 South Lake Shore Drive, ( 312 692-3274
Open: 9am-5am or 6am (see detailed hours page
The Shedd Aquarium is the second largest aquarium in the world, with 5 million gallons of water and 20,000 fish. It was opened in 1929, making it one of the oldest public aquariums in the world. Admission is steep at $23 for adults, but there are discount days throughout the year that are listed on the website.
Photo by petalpowerChicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road , Glencoe, ( 847 835-5440
Open: 8am to sunset
The Chicago Botanic Garden, a 300-acre living museum, offers you the opportunity to experience more than 20 different gardens, from the serenity of the Japanese Garden to the vibrant colors of the Rose Garden. Entrance to the park is free, but a parking fee of $12 per car is applied.
The Spindle
Update: The Spindle was removed in May 2008
Made famous in the 1992 film Wayne’s World is this 40 foot spindle of eight cars at Cermak Plaza Mall in Berwyn, Illinois. The Spindle is an 1989 work of art by Dustin Shuler, who has more auto works in the de Saisset Museum in Santa Clara, California. There are 20 other sculptures located around the mall. We visited this place last week; check out these photos.
Here is a list of 10 cheap things that you can do on your visit to the Windy City. From walking along Michigan Avenue and seeing the lake from Navy Pier, Chicago is a great city. Here is my list of top free (or cheap) things to do in and around Chicago:
- Stained Glass Museum, Navy Pier
- Millennium Park
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Eli’s Cheesecake World
- Magnificent Mile
- Museum of Science and Industry
- Illinois Beach State Park (Zion)
- Shedd Aquarium
- Chicago Botanic Garden (Glencoe)
The Spindle (Berwyn)
Stained Glass Museum, Navy Pier
700 E. Grand Avenue, ( 312-791-6049
Open Su-Th: 10am-8pm; Fr-Sa: 10am-10pm
The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800ft.-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall at Navy Pier. All of the windows were designed by prominent local, national and European studios and most were originally installed in Chicago area residential, commercial and religious buildings. The museum is free.
Millennium Park
Between Michigan Avenue, Randolph Street and Monroe Street
( 312-742-1168, Open Mo-Su 6am-11pm
Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. Among Millennium Park’s prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Kathryn Gustafson, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor’s hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture on the SBC Plaza.
Before you go don’t forget to download this official (and free!) audio tour for your iPod. The 40-minute tour is a great way to experience the park. Audio tour rental is also available for $5 in the Chicago Shop at Millennium Park.
Photo by Atelier Teee
Field Museum of Natural History
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive ( 312 922-9410
Open: Mo-Su 9am-5pm
The highlight of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History is Sue, the largest, most complete and best preserved T-Rex in the world. Also worth visiting is the museum’s comprehensive set of cultural exhibits, including artifacts from ancient Egypt, the Pacific Northwest, and Tibet. Entrance to the museum is free, but if you want to see Sue (she has been moved out of the main lobby) you must get a Gold Pass, which is $19 for adults. However, the museum has 52 discount days in the year on which admission is just $7.
Check out this live view of the Chicago skyline from a cam located on top of the Field Museum.
Eli’s Cheesecake World
6701 Forest Preserve Drive ( 800-ELI-CAKE
Open: Mo-Fr 8am-6pm, Sa 9am-5pm, Su 11am-5pm
Eli’s Cheesecake World offers sneak peek tours of their factory, where you can see the 62,000 square foot bakery where Chicago’s favorite dessert is actually being made. You learn about the company and see how a cheesecake is made from start to finish – including research and development, mixing, baking, hand decorating, and packaging.
Magnificent Mile
The Magnificent Mile is a wonderful part of North Michigan Avenue with world-class shopping, dining, lodging and leisure entertainment. There are many free events throughout the year, including Light Nights in January, Tulip Days in April/May, Gardens of Chicago in the summer and the Lights Festival in November.
Before you go check out this helpful page with a listing of the public restrooms, weather, maps and other resources.
Photo by sftrajan
Museum of Science and Industry
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, ( 773 684-1414
Open: Mo-Sa 9:30am-4pm, Su: 11am-4pm
The Museum of Science and Industry is one of the most beloved and visited museums in the world. Current temporary exhibits include Living Heart (through 5 March) and Robots like us. Regular admission is $11 for adults, but the museum has over 50 free days through the year.
Illinois Beach State Park
Lake front, Zion, ( 847-662-4811, open: Memorial Day to Labor Day sunrise to 8:00 p.m; Labor Day to Memorial Day sunrise to sunset
Illinois Beach State Park (see map) stretches 6 miles along scenic Lake Michigan. It was established as a means to preserve the beach’s shoreline and the unique ecosystem within this park. It is one of the most popular Illinois state parks, offering camping, hiking and swimming. Check out this related article with some photos of my last visit to the park.
Photo by joethefig
Shedd Aquarium
1200 South Lake Shore Drive, ( 312 692-3274
Open: 9am-5am or 6am (see detailed hours page
The Shedd Aquarium is the second largest aquarium in the world, with 5 million gallons of water and 20,000 fish. It was opened in 1929, making it one of the oldest public aquariums in the world. Admission is steep at $23 for adults, but there are discount days throughout the year that are listed on the website.
Photo by petalpower
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road , Glencoe, ( 847 835-5440
Open: 8am to sunset
The Chicago Botanic Garden, a 300-acre living museum, offers you the opportunity to experience more than 20 different gardens, from the serenity of the Japanese Garden to the vibrant colors of the Rose Garden. Entrance to the park is free, but a parking fee of $12 per car is applied.
The Spindle
Update: The Spindle was removed in May 2008
Made famous in the 1992 film Wayne’s World is this 40 foot spindle of eight cars at Cermak Plaza Mall in Berwyn, Illinois. The Spindle is an 1989 work of art by Dustin Shuler, who has more auto works in the de Saisset Museum in Santa Clara, California. There are 20 other sculptures located around the mall. We visited this place last week; check out these photos.
7:41 pm
This is a fabulous post. I forwarded to a friend. I LOVE Chicago! Thanks for the info!