City Pass in Chicago

I'm planning a group trip to CHI from LNK in September and tripped across the "City Pass" in Chicago that should save us about $50.00. We are planning to go to 3 of the places that the CityPass offers. Has anyone used this before and is it worth getting? We plan to be going to musuems and the John Hancock Building. Is there any negative things with this pass? Can you purchase these passes online? Can you purchase them at CUS? Can you let someone else use the pass if you are not interested? They cost $50 but look like a real good bargain. Our trip is titled "Chicago On A Shoestring Budget" so we are wanting to find "every angle" to save money since alot of the people travelling are newly divorced, newly widowed etc. and finances have taken a big hit. Does anyone else have some "cost cutting" ideas for CHI? We are staying at the HI Hostel on 24 E. Congress Pkwy. About 9 blocks from CUS. Thanks!

Al

Hey Al!

You might want to call hostel if they're offering City Pass at a discount rate. Those deals that we saw look pretty good.

Also, you'll need someone who has a really good math, or calculator, to add up the cost for each place, versus the City Pass.

i don't know about the city pass, but one cost-cutting tip if you're heading to the art institute or the museum of contemporary art (both fantastic museums and well worth your time, imo) is to know that both of them have "discretionary admission", which means you DO NOT have to pay the listed price. you do have to pay something, but i've gone to the art institute for fifty cents on a particularly poor day. when you get to the cashier, say "i'd like to pay discretionary", and give them what you can afford. they don't go out of their way to advertise that, but they don't hassle you, either.

if there's a special show that costs extra, that usually isn't discretionary, by the way.

also free and worth your time are millennium park and the lincoln park zoo. some times there is a free city trolley to various attractions away from downtown. the garfield park conservatory is a favorite of mine that you might not know about (not free, i think, but cheap).

be sure to look at the website for the office of special events (i think that's right -- look on the city page) to see if there are any festivals while you're in town.

will you mostly be downtown?