Spend a low cost Labor Day weekend in Chicago with transportation and free admission to museums. There are parks to visit, sculptures to see, and good places to eat.
Transportation can be inexpensive by walking, riding a water taxi, bus, or train. Taking a water taxi is the way to see the sights in Chicago. Chicago Water Taxi has stops at Michigan Avenue, LaSalle/Clark, Madison Street, and Chinatown. Fares are $2.00 for a single ride or $6.00 for all day. Another water taxi service is Shoreline Sightseeing with prices ranging from $2.00 to $7.00 depending on the route. Take a walk and look at the architecture within the Loop. Two good examples are Willis Tower formerly known as Sears Tower and Chicago Board of Trade Building.
There is free admission Labor Day weekend by showing your Bank of America credit card to Art Institute of Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, DuSable Museum of African American History, Chicago History Museum, and Museum of Contemporary Art. The Art Institute of Chicago houses art works by Vincent Van Gogh, Rene Magritte, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keefe, and many other artists. There are sculptures, paintings, textiles, and photography. Shedd Aquarium not only has aquariums full of fish but also penguins, lizards, sea turtles, and otters. DuSable Museum of African American History has exhibits on African Americans in aviation, the militia, and Harold Washington, Chicago’s first African American mayor. Chicago History Museum has exhibits on Abraham Lincoln, Chicago artifacts, Chinatown, and dioramas. Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on art from 1945 to the present in diverse mediums.
Another museum that is always free to the public is Museum of Contemporary Photography and the only museum in the Midwest with the focus on photography. Their current exhibit is Our Origins and gives the human point of view on natural history.
Take the children for a walk through Millennium Park and walk under and around “Cloud Gate” that looks like a silver bean. There is also Grant Park to walk through with Buckingham Fountain featured on Married with Children. Navy Pier is also fun to walk along and view Lake Michigan.
A couple places with good food to eat are Gino’s Pizza where you can write on the walls or Tilted Kit Pub and Eatery, which is a Scottish Hooters with girls in school uniforms.
Chicago can be an inexpensive trip for Labor Day weekend with its history, architecture, and fun. The main costs are for food, hotel room, shopping, and parking if you drive. Remember to bring your walking shoes.