At $10, $15, or more – adult admission to the Shedd Aquarium in nearly $25! –  visiting several of Chicago’s great museums can really take a toll on your budget. If you plan on going to more than one during your stay in the Windy City, it makes financial sense to look into one of the city’s multi-attraction passes. There are two options.

Field Museum

The Chicago City Pass gets you into 5 great attractions for one relatively low price. For $69 for adults and $59 for kids, you’ll get admission to the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry and a “fast-pass” to either the Sears (now Willis) Tower SkyDeck or the John Hancock Tower Observatory. The Pass is good for 9 days from the date you first use it, so you can stretch out your visits over time. According to the Pass website, admission to all of these places individually would cost over $130.

The Go Chicago Card offers free admission to more attractions – it covers 30 in all. A one day ticket is around $65, but of course, the kicker is that you really can’t see more than a few attractions in that limited time frame. It becomes a much better value if you buy the multi-day passes. A three-day pass is $109, much more expensive than the Chicago City Pass, but you can also visit many more places. In addition to the attractions covered by the other option, you can also visit places like the Chicago History Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, and Museum of Contemporary Art. You can also take a Greyline Hop On/Hop Off bus tour or ride the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel. If you plan on doing a lot in Chicago, this pass could save you significant money.

To figure out which pass is right for you, make a list of the things you want to see and do on your trip to Chicago. Check the prices on each attraction’s website and then compare the cost of the pass options to how much you would spend a la carte. If the pass makes everything cheaper, purchase it, just be careful not to over-estimate how much you can really do during your time in the city. You don’t want to spend your whole trip running from place to place. Schedule time to take in some of Chicago’s many free attractions – strolling along the Lake, watching the fountains in Grant Park, and browsing the shops of the Magnificent Mile – as well as some time to relax.

Photo credit: kern.justin via Flickr