Downtown Chicago Museums

Deep dish pizza, Wrigley's Field and Magnificent Mile shopping immediately say "Chicago" to most people. But while the Windy City is certainly known for those delights, there's also an incredible world of museums to discover in Chicago.

The entrance fees at Chicago's world-class museums can add up, but there are several options to reduce the cost of seeing the amazing breadth of attractions. For $49, a CityPass gets you tickets to six of the city's biggest attractions (Adler Planetarium, Art Institute, Field Museum, Hancock Observatory, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium) for use within nine days.

If you're a Chicago resident, museums offer discounts. And if you have a Chicago Public Library Card, you can check out a Kraft Kids Museum Passport. This gets you into 11 attractions for free, but you can only check out one per library card.

The Art Institute is free on Tuesdays. It's home to the largest Impressionist collection outside of the Louvre, collections dating to 3000BC, and (my son's favorite) a great armor and weapons collection....read more about Things to see and do in Chicago.

Museum of Contemporary Art - Chicago
In a building that was originally a bakery, the Museum of Contemporary Art (or MCA) in Chicago, Illinois was founded in 1967. It was initially intended to be a space for temporary exhibitions. In 1974, the MCA began acquiring a permanent collection. This permanent collection of contemporary art consisted of pieces created after 1945. After years of expanding into neighboring buildings, the MCA relocated to its current site in 1996. The current site at 220 East Chicago Avenue was the site of a former National Guard Armory from 1907 until 1993....read more about Museum of Contemporary Art - Chicago