| Don't let the Magnificent Mile, Oak Street, and | | | | Jewish history and culture at the Spertus Museum. |
| 4-star restaurants fool you. You CAN enjoy | | | | (Update: the Spertus Museum exhibitions are |
| Chicago on a budget without feeling like you're | | | | closed for remodeling and will reopen fall of 2007.) |
| missing out. | | | | Take a free architecture tour aboard the El. |
| The entrance fees at Chicago's world-class | | | | During the summer, the Chicago Transit Authority |
| museums can add up, but there are several | | | | offers the Loop Tour. Docents from the Chicago |
| options to reduce the cost of seeing the amazing | | | | Architecture Foundation guide visitors through the |
| breadth of attractions. For $49, a CityPass gets | | | | history and architecture of the elevated train and |
| you tickets to six of the city's biggest attractions | | | | its surrounding architecture. |
| (Adler Planetarium, Art Institute, Field Museum, | | | | You can kill two birds with one stone (figuratively, |
| Hancock Observatory, Museum of Science and | | | | please) by having a meal or a drink at the |
| Industry, Shedd Aquarium) for use within nine | | | | Signature Lounge on the 95th floor of the |
| days. | | | | Hancock Building. |
| If you're a Chicago resident, museums offer | | | | Navy Pier is always free, but there's an entrance |
| discounts. And if you have a Chicago Public Library | | | | fee to the Chicago Children's Museum. However, |
| Card, you can check out a Kraft Kids Museum | | | | it's free on Thursdays from 5 to 8pm. Grab a |
| Passport. This gets you into 11 attractions for | | | | funnel cake, shop at the kiosks, watch a free |
| free, but you can only check out one per library | | | | show in the atrium, then head up to the museum. |
| card. | | | | Getting to all these fabulous places can also be |
| The Art Institute is free on Thursdays from 5:30 | | | | free. The city offers a free trolley service. During |
| to 9pm. It's home to the largest Impressionist | | | | the summer it runs daily, and on the weekends |
| collection outside of the Louvre, collections dating | | | | from September through December. |
| to 3000BC, and (my son's favorite) a great armor | | | | Dining and drink specials are too numerous to list |
| and weapons collection. | | | | here, but that's OK. There's a whole page of |
| Contemporary art fans can enjoy the Museum of | | | | them at [ Specials range from half-price wine to |
| Contemporary Art on Tuesdays from 5 to 8pm | | | | $2 appetizers to $25 3-course meals. |
| for free, and the Museum of Contemporary | | | | I bet your wallet's feeling a little heavier already. |
| Photography is always free. | | | | (For contact information for the above |
| Explore the history of surgery at the International | | | | attractions, visit the Things To Do page on The |
| Museum of Surgical Science. It's free on | | | | Local Tourist. |
| Tuesdays. Fridays you gain free knowledge of | | | | |