After having used CityPASS in Boston, Seattle, San Fransisco, and other cities, I know that CityPASS can save you both time and money, both of which are usually in short supply when traveling. If you are visiting the Windy City and want to visit many of the top tourist attractions in a limited amount of time, purchasing a Chicago CityPASS is well worth it.
I’ve visited Chicago a few times, both as part of our mother-daughter midwest road trip and to experience Chicago at Christmas and have visited almost all the attractions that are included in the Chicago CityPASS.
If you are debating whether or not to purchase a Chicago CityPASS for an upcoming trip, I will breakdown the cost, help you figure out if it is worth it, and teach you how to make the most of your time and investment.
Is a Chicago CityPASS Worth It?
This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. My trip was hosted by Choose Chicago and CityPASS. I received complimentary accommodations, airfare, meals, and CityPASS tickets. All opinions are my own.
Chicago is not an inexpensive city and if you want to see all the main attractions, those ticket prices can really add up. Most families don’t want to spend over $800 visiting attractions!
The Chicago CityPASS includes admission to five top attractions. This includes the Shedd Aquarium (All Access Admission) and the SkyDeck Chicago (with expedited entry). Passholders can then choose from three of the following options:
- Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture Tour
- Field Museum (All Access Pass)
- 360 Chicago Observation Deck (Express Entry Admission)
- Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (includes 1 timed-entry experience)
- Art Institute of Chicago (Fast Pass Admission)
- Adler Planetarium (Plus 2 Sky Shows)
The Chicago CityPASS is currently $139 per adult and $109 for a child ages 3-11. This means buying a Chicago CityPASS for a family of four with two kids under twelve will cost $496.
Let’s compare that to buying attraction tickets individually. (Note: prices are subject to change. Please check the websites for current pricing.)
Standard Admission Prices:
Shedd Aquarium: pricing varies by day but starts at about $40 for adults and $31 for children 3-11.
Skydeck Chicago: Expedited Entry for adults and children 3-11 is $61
Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture Tour: $49.95 for adults and $26.95 for children.
The Field Museum: All Access Pass Adults $43, Children $32
360 Chicago Observation Deck: Express Entry $59.00 for adults and children (pricing varies by day)
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry: Museum entry $25.95 for adults and $14.95 for children, plus an additional $12-18 for a timed entry special exhibit for adults and $9-14 for children
Art Institute of Chicago: Adults: $40, Children FREE under 13
Adler Planetarium: All Access Pass plus two Sky Shows is $40 for adults and $28 for children.
As you can see, even if you visit just three of the top regularly-priced popular attractions, you will save money using the Chicago CityPASS during your trip.
Skydeck Fast Pass = $61
Shedd Aquarium = $40
Shoreline Sightseeing River Tour = $49.95
Total $150.95 compared to the $139 cost of the Chicago CityPASS for adults
Plus you can then visit two more attractions, virtually for free! Much cheaper, right?
Saving Time with Chicago CityPASS
In Chicago, many of the CityPASS attractions also offer Expedited Entry or FastPass entry for CityPASS holders. At top attractions like the Skydeck Chicago or Shedd Aquarium, lines can easily take 30-45+ minutes just to get your ticket.
Instead, with Chicago CityPASS, you get right into the attraction. Not only does that let you fit more attractions into your day, but if you get there early enough, you can also enjoy the experience without the crowds.
Just keep in mind that reservations are required for the:
- Shedd Aquarium
- Skydeck Chicago
- Museum of Science and Industry
- 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck
- Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour
You will need to purchase your Chicago CityPASS tickets in advance and then download the My CityPASS® app to make your reservations.
Maximize your Chicago CityPASS
Unlike some attraction passes, the Chicago CityPASS is valid for nine consecutive days. So you can squeeze everything in to one long weekend in Chicago, or you can spread it out over a leisurely week-long visit.
You don’t need to buy a CityPASS for a particular date, but once you first use the CityPASS, it will be dated and the rest of the tickets will be valid for the next nine days.
Since most first-time visitors aren’t spending a full week in Chicago, I’m going to show you how you can maximize your Chicago CityPASS with just three days in Chicago.
Skydeck Chicago
I would start off with one of the most iconic attractions (remember Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?) and head straight to the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), home of Skydeck Chicago. If you go when they first open, you won’t have to fight the crowds to enjoy the view. Although you can always save this for a nice sunset over the city too. Whenever you go, you get to join the Expedited Entry queue and skip the general admission line, which, on busy days, could save you an hour or more.
When you get off the express elevator at the 103 Floor, head straight to the western-facing side of the building and brave stepping out into a glass box 1353 feet above the street below. There are four of these glass boxes, called “The Ledge.” It takes some courage to feel like there is nothing but air between you and the ground. It probably won’t make you feel any better to know that it is actually only 1.5 inch glass panels fused together and reinforced with structural steel.
Typically you need to line up for your turn and you only get 60 seconds (90 seconds for larger groups) to take in the view and take all the selfies you can imagine. This is why it pays to get early, so you don’t need to wait too long for your turn and, if you are lucky and it isn’t crowded, maybe you can snag a little extra time out there.
Afterwards you can still take in the view from all four sides. The observation deck is indoors and open 365 days a year. On a good day, you can see all the way to Lake Michigan in the east and out to the Chicago outskirts in the west. Just keep in mind that it will get extra crowded at sunset.
As an alternative, you can visit the 360 Chicago Observation Deck in the John Hancock building. However, if I could only choose one observation deck experience, I think the Skydeck Chicago offers a great value. At 360 Chicago, you need to pay extra for their “Tilt” experience, that tilts you out from the building to see the view below. Not only is Tilt not included in CityPASS, you also can’t take your own pictures so you need to purchase photos if you want a souvenir.
Art Institute of Chicago
From the Skydeck Chicago, it is only a 15 minute walk over to the Art Institute of Chicago, where you can complete your memory lane of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off . Remember them staring at this painting? (Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte – 1884)
You can spend plenty of time staring at the other paintings too. The Art Institute of Chicago has the greatest collection of Impressionist paintings outside of Paris.
There is so much to see at the Art Institute that you may want to pick a few galleries that are most interesting to you. Don’t miss a stop into the Modern Art gallery to see the Andy Warhol’s and the gorgeous view over Millennium Park.
Many people also make it a point to see American Gothic in real life, as it is such an iconic painting.
If you are visiting with kids, be sure to stop into the family room when you arrive. You can sit at one of the computers and use their mapping software to create a custom map for exploring the museum!
After a visit to the museum, it is a perfect time to explore Millennium Park and take an obligatory photo at “The Bean.”
Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Cruise
From the Art Institute and Millennium Park, it is only a 15 minute walk to the departure dock for the Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Cruise. These cruises provide an excellent overview of the Chicago skyline and history, as well as the history of the river.
Shedd Aquarium
I would recommend starting your second day bright and early at the Shedd Aquarium as the aquarium can still get quite crowded and the best way to avoid the crowds is to get there early. I have been in the mid-afternoon and in the morning, so trust me when I tell you that you will have a lot more fun in the morning.
Your CityPASS includes one 4-D experience. My favorite part of the aquarium, the Oceanarium, is best reached downstairs. Other parts of the aquarium aren’t too different from aquariums you can find in other cities but the Oceanarium features dolphins and Beluga whales. I can just sit and watch both of these for hours. And if you pay attention to the feeding and trainer interactions, you can also learn a lot while you watch.
It is really important to visit the Amazon Rising before it gets too crowded. Otherwise the elevators and the corridors can make you quite claustrophobic if you have those tendencies among crowds.
When you visit with little kids, make sure to allocate plenty of time for the Polar Play Zone. The penguins are fun to watch, but there are many other hands on play areas for little kids.
Adler Planetarium
At this point, you still have one more attraction that you can visit with your Chicago CityPASS and the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum are located right near the Shedd Aquarium. The Adler Planetarium offers 60,000 square feet of exhibitions and two domed theaters. We visited the Adler in the summer, since Hannah is interested in all things astronomy and space-related.
One of the more impressive exhibits has been largely donated by local hero Jim Lovell, the astronaut that Tom Hanks portrayed in the movie Apollo 13. You can see his personal notes and even the space suit he would have worn had he gotten the chance to walk on the moon. We spent about 30 minutes trying to figure out how to land the Apollo 13 on minimal systems (never quite did solve that puzzle.)
The planetarium also has a wonderful kids area for smaller future astronauts. There are opportunities to strap on packs and wander through black tunnels of a space station.
The Field Museum
After the Shedd Aquarium, you could also head across the street to The Field Museum. There is a great cafe at the Field Museum, or you can stop at one of the food trucks outside the aquarium and spend some time running around outside on a nice day.
You will need all afternoon to fully explore The Field Museum. We explored all of the exhibits when we visited and the Antarctic Dinosaurs was definitely our favorite. I never knew that there were dinosaur fossils under all that ice. Antarctica is on our bucket list so it was really interesting to learn about early exploration to the continent and some of the more recent discoveries.
Mummies was also fascinating, as you learn about the new technology that is used to see inside the mummies but also reconstruct what they might have looked like when they were alive. It was interesting but also a little creepy in our opinion so we were ok not spending a ton of extra time in that exhibit.
We also took in a 3D movie about the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors in China, which is something Hannah had learned about years ago and always found fascinating.
Between all of these special exhibits, as well as regular exhibits on animals, gems, ancient Americas, and so much more, it is easy to spend half a day at the Field Museum.
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
If those museums don’t fit your fancy, you could visit the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry or the 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck instead. The Museum of Science and Industry covers 14 acres and is the largest science museum in the country.
We missed this one when Hannah and I were in town, but I had plenty of time to explore during a more recent visit. There is a 40-foot indoor tornado, a real World War II German submarine, plus planes, trains, cars, and more.
It is great for kids that love interactive exhibits that make hands-on learning possible.
The Chicago CityPASS ticket includes museum entrance, one timed-entry experience (Giant Dome Theater film or a Motion Simulator Ride.)
Purchase your Chicago CityPASS now online so you can skip the line at the very first attraction you visit!
If you are a family visiting Chicago, be sure to check out Travel Mama’s post on visiting Chicago with kids.
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Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Publisher of We3Travel. A former marketing executive and travel advisor, Tamara is an award-winning travel writer and recognized expert in family travel. Tamara is a member of SATW, NATJA, IFWTWA, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and serves on the Board of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Vacation Mavens travel podcast.
