Seeing Chicago with a CityPASS
Chicago is the 3rd most populous city in the USA with a population of over 2.7 million people. In July 2011, a buddy and I visited this city and it turns out to be one of my favorite trips ever and Chicago also became one of the cities I need to revisit soon. We each bought a CityPASS, which contains prepaid admission tickets to 5 of 7 of the city’s top attractions all packaged together in one little booklet making things easier.
Current 2020 prices for Chicago CityPASS costs $109 USD for guests age 12+ and $89 USD for children age 3 to 11. This bundled package gives you 49% off if you were to buy the tickets individually. Included are Shedd Aquarium, Skydeck Chicago, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium OR Art Institute of Chicago, and Museum of Science and Industry OR 360 Chicago Observation Deck (it was called John Hancock Observatory when we went in 2011). The booklet is valid for 9 consecutive days with the first use counted as day 1.
CityPASS ticket booklets
Here is a recap of the 5 attractions that we chose to do:
John Hancock Observatory
Originally called John Hancock Observatory because it was located in the John Hancock Center which opened in 1969. Since the building removed John Hancock from its name in 2018 due to naming rights, the observatory is now called 360 Chicago. The building itself is now known as 875 North Michigan Avenue and is located in the Magnificent Mile district. We went on a Tuesday evening since we needed something to do and it was our first attraction that we did from the CityPASS booklet.
in front of the city at night
The ride up to the observatory was a quick 40 second ride to the 94th floor and we also got an audio guide to learn more about the city. Seeing the roads and the buildings all lit up was pretty mesmerizing and magnificent. It was pretty wheelchair accessible as we got around pretty easy. There was also a bar located on the North side of the observation deck that we didn’t visit. New since 2014, is Chicago’s highest thrill ride called Tilt, where it offers visitors a unique downward facing views for an additional $8. Tickets are now $25 if not purchased with CityPASS, we spent over an hour on the observation deck and it was definitely worth visiting.
using the free audio guide
Skydeck Chicago
Since we spent Wednesday watching a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, our next CityPASS we used was on Thursday to Skydeck Chicago. It is located in the heart of downtown on the 103rd floor of the former Sears Tower which is now called Willis Tower since 2009. It is the 3rd tallest building in the US and with more than 1 million visitors every year, it is one of Chicago’s most popular attractions.
nice view of the city
The Skydeck was definitely busier than John Hancock Observatory and the views were even better. Maybe because we visited during the day, we saw a lot more at the Skydeck. We both really enjoyed the Ledge which is a glass floor that extends over 4 feet from the edge of the Skydeck. It was also really interesting and informative reading all the signs around everywhere. Tickets are now $26 and we visited for about an hour which was plenty of time here.
The Ledge (glass floor) on the Willis Tower
Shedd Aquarium
After visiting the Skydeck, my buddy quickly pushed my wheelchair while jogging so we could visit the next attraction on our CityPASS. Shedd Aquarium opened in 1930 and features over 32,000 animals across 1500 species in 5 million gallons of water throughout. There are 6 major exhibits: Amazon Rising, Caribbean Reef, Abbott Oceanarium, Polar Playzone, Waters of the World, and Wild Reef.
Caribbean Reef exhibit
Despite being a very old building, the aquarium was quite wheelchair friendly with the accessible entrance ramp located on the southwest side. All the exhibits were easy to get around and the amphitheater does have accessible seating. Both of us really enjoyed this massive aquarium and spent a few hours taking everything in. Tickets are $40, while Chicago residents get a 50% off discount. Shedd Aquarium does offer personal care attendants free admission for guest with disabilities.
sting ray behind me
Art Institute of Chicago
We visited the Art Institute of Chicago the next day and it is one of the oldest and the largest museums in the US. The museum opened in 1893 and sees about 1.5 million visitors every year and with over 30 exhibits and over 300,000 art pieces, there is lots to see. Some very famous paintings are located here including: American Gothic, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, The Old Guitarist, and Nighthawks.
Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist
We did get to spend a couple hours here but the museum is just to massive, we couldn’t see everything. Wheelchair accessibility was great as there are elevators for the 4 levels and was easy to get around. We stayed at the museum for a couple of hours and was happy to take pics with some of the most famous paintings. Tickets are $25 and totally worth it because you can spend almost the whole day here to see everything.
Grant Wood’s American Gothic
Field Museum
Our last attraction we did with our CityPASS was to visit the Field Museum on the Saturday. It opened in 1921 and is one of the world’s largest natural museums with 1.6 million visitors annually. Permanent exhibitions include: Animal Halls, Evolving Planet, Inside Ancient Egypt, Ancient Americas, Cultural Halls, Geology Halls, Underground Adventures, and Working Laboratories. A huge library is also located within the museum.
recreated elephant diorama
We had lunch at the Mc Donald’s that was located here before we started our day at the museum. It has since been replaced by The Field Bistro. We spent a few hours looking at all the taxidermy, sculptures, and dinosaur bones. We then looked at some cool art pieces and crafts before leaving. General admission tickets are $26 and there are options to upgrade to see special ticketed exhibits.
Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton yet discovered
This Chicago trip was very memorable and was one of my favorite trips ever. Using the CityPASS made everything easier and cheaper by bundling everything together in one little booklet. Whenever covid travel restrictions lift, I would love to revisit Chicago and check out these attractions and the city again.
