Go Chicago Card: Save Money when You Visit Chicago

So, you've decided to visit Chicago and you're looking to purchase a Go Chicago Card? A few things to know before you buy one.

The purpose of the Go Chicago Card is to provide a price reduction on some of the more popular Chicago tourist attractions. You receive some free admissions, and some discounted admissions to the local Chicago tourist spots.

For instance, the Go Chicago Card includes general admission to many of these popular tourist sites:

The Adler Planetarium, The Shedd Aquarium, The John Hancock Observatory, The Frederick C. Robie House, Legoland Discovery Center, Arlington Park, the Frank Lloyd House, the Sears Tower Sky Deck, Navy Pier, and many of the other famous Chicago landmarks, visit http://www.gochicagocard.com for details.

Museum visits are also possible using the Go Chicago Card. The Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Museum of Contemporary Art can all be seen using the Go Chicago Card.

Keep in mind that many of the sites on the itinerary are seasonal - Chicago is notorious for its cold weather, so be prepared for some closures depending on weather. As always, inquire with the websites for availability and options.

Included free with the purchase of a Go Chicago Card, you receive access to the Gray Line, a sightseeing tour of Chicago. These tour-bus trolleys provide sight-seeing in the Chicago Loop, the Northside (Including the Wrigley Building and Hancock Tower), the South Shore (Field Museum of Natural History) as well as a lakefront opportunity.

In addition to the sight-seeing tours, the Go Chicago Card also offers some great savings on food and shopping in the Chicago Area.

Food deals vary, but these restaurants offer some savings or complimentary entrée, see website for availability: The House of Blues Back Porch Restaurant, Fado's Irish Pub, Nacional 28, Tommy Guns Garage, Walnut Room at Macy, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Goose Island Brewery, Haagen Dazs Café, Lalo's Mexican Restaurant and Popcorn Palace, the Brain Food Court at the Museum of Science and Industry, Lou Malnati's, and the Spirit of Chicago lunch cruises.

Additional deals include the following:

American Girl offers a complimentary photo deal with the Go Chicago Card.

15% savings at the House of Blues shop, with purchase of $30 or more).

15% savings on any purchase at Hershey's Chicago.

11% savings at Bloomingdale's with purchase of $50 dollars or more.

10% savings at the Archicenter gift shop

10% savings at the Chicago History Museum Shop

10% savings at the Museum of Contemporary Art gift shop

10% savings at the Wild Things Gift Shop at Lincoln Park

2 for 1 admission at ComedySportz Theatre.

50% savings at the Navy Pier Imax (Buy one ticket receive one ticket half-off).

2 for 1 admission at Kingston Mines Blues Bar

15% savings at Segway Experience (on morning Segway Scooter tours)

Go Chicago Cards can be purchased for single-day, two-day and up to seven-day passes.

Now let's say you purchase a Go Chicago Card. How much does a Go Chicago Card save you?

http://www.gocardchicago.com provides a trip estimator, to see how much you would pay if you did the same activities without a Go Chicago Card. For instance:

A single-day trip, visiting the Adler Planetarium, the Gray Line Trolley Tour, and the Shoreline Sight-seeing Tour would cost an estimated total of $77.70. With the Go Chicago Card, you save an estimated $17.71. Keep in mind that other itineraries will cost less or more depending on the attraction.

If you order a Go Chicago Card online, you can even have the card waiting for you when you arrive in Chicago - simply print up a voucher and receive your Go Card at a redemption center. Or, wait for your card to arrive in the mail.

SUMMARY

The Go Chicago Card provides a nice little savings for people planning on visiting Chicago for a few days. It's especially nice if you want to visit some of the more famous Chicago tourist attractions. However, if you plan on getting out of the immediate area of Downtown Chicago, the Go Chicago Card does not cover any attractions out of Chicago proper.

So, the question boiling down to this: Do you want to save tens of dollars the next time you take a family trip to Chicago? If yes, choose the Go chicago card and use that money for a slightly more exciting vacation.