The three sights worth paying for in Chicago are the Skydeck, the architecture river cruise and the Field Museum. At starting prices they cost $119 for one adult. Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier are free. On 8 November 2026 we measured the walks between the sights, and the Bean, the Art Institute and the river cruise dock all sit within 0.31 miles of each other.
What we measured on 8 November 2026
We routed pedestrian paths between the sights on 8 November 2026, using street addresses placed on a map.
| Walk | Distance | Time on foot |
|---|---|---|
| Millennium Park (the Bean) to the Art Institute | 0.27 miles | 6 minutes |
| The Bean to the river cruise dock | 0.31 miles | 7 minutes |
| The Bean to the Skydeck | 1.02 miles | 22 minutes |
| Art Institute to the Field Museum | 1.09 miles | 23 minutes |
| Field Museum to Shedd Aquarium | 0.30 miles | 7 minutes |
| The Bean to Navy Pier | 2.1 miles | 45 minutes |
| Lincoln Park Zoo to the Skydeck | 3.65 miles | 78 minutes |
- Walk the Bean, the Art Institute and the cruise dock as one block. Add the Skydeck if you want 22 minutes on foot.
- Pair the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium. They are 7 minutes apart.
- Ride to Navy Pier and Lincoln Park Zoo. Both are far past a comfortable walk from downtown.
A CTA 1-day pass costs $5 and an L ride costs $2.50, so the pass wins from the second L ride. The 3-day pass is $15 and the 7-day pass is $20. The L to O'Hare adds a $5 charge, which unlimited passes waive. Our Chicago without a car guide names the L stop for each sight.
Navy Pier's distance is to its map point on the pier, so the walk to the entrance is a little shorter.
The sights, with address, hours and price
Skydeck Chicago
Address: 233 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606. It is on the 103rd floor of Willis Tower, and you enter on Jackson Boulevard
Hours: From 1 October to 28 February the Skydeck is open 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day, and until 9:00 p.m. on Saturday. It is open 365 days a year. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing
Price: Adults (ages 12 and up) from $32. Youth (ages 3 to 11) from $22. Children under 3 free. Prices vary by date and time
The youth price is now $22. Our earlier figure of $24 is out of date.
Chicago Architecture Center river cruise
Address: Meet at the southeast corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge at Wacker Drive, at 112 E. Wacker Drive. Look for the black awning over the stairway entrance. Arrive 30 minutes before departure. Boarding starts 15 minutes before departure
Hours: The cruise is 90 minutes. The 2026 late fall season runs 2 to 22 November. The Center lists no full schedule on the cruise page. Call the box office at 312-922-3432 for departure times
Price: From $57. Tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged if you miss the boat
The cruise is the one Chicago sight with a hard end date this year. Book it before 22 November or wait for the 2027 season.
Navy Pier
Address: 600 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving (26 November) and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Year's Eve 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Centennial Wheel runs daily, and the other Pier Park rides do not run in winter
Price: No entry fee. Each attraction sets its own price
Lincoln Park Zoo
Address: 2400 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614
Hours: Open every day of the year. Gates close at 5 p.m. and buildings close at 4:30 p.m.
Price: Free. No reservation needed
Field Museum
Address: 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
Hours: Daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., last entry 4:00 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. On select dates it opens until 9 p.m., with last entry at 8 p.m.
Price: General admission starts at $30, or $21 for Chicago residents. Illinois residents get in free every Wednesday with proof of residency. Children under 3 are always free
After the Age of Dinosaurs runs through 3 January 2027, and the Pokemon Fossil Museum runs through 11 April 2027.
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Address: 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637
Hours: Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from 7 November to 30 December, except Thanksgiving (closed), 25 December (closed) and 24 and 31 December (close at 4 p.m.). After that the regular hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Price: Chicago residents get $9 off an adult ticket and $5 off a child ticket (ages 3 to 11). No Illinois Free Days are left in 2026, and the next ones are in January 2027. Families on a SNAP-style benefit can use Museums for All: show an EBT or WIC card with photo ID for free general admission
General admission is $25.95 for adults (ages 12 and up) and $14.95 for children (ages 3 to 11). The Coal Mine tour is $12 for adults and $9 for children, and the U-505 On-Board Tour is $18 for adults and $14 for children. General admission does not include the Giant Dome Theater, tours or special exhibits.
Art Institute of Chicago
Address: Main entrance at 111 S. Michigan Avenue. The Modern Wing entrance is at 159 E. Monroe Street
Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Tuesday
Price: Adults $32. Seniors (65 and up), students and teens (14 to 17) $26. Children under 14 are free. Chicago teens under 18 are free. Illinois residents get in free on the third Thursday of each month from 5 to 8 p.m., on Wednesday 11 November, and on weekdays from 2 to 18 December
The Mary Cassatt show runs through 3 January 2027 and costs $7 on top of general admission. Everything else on view is included in your ticket.
Millennium Park
Address: 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601
Hours: Daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Price: Free
The park's tree lighting ceremony is on Friday 20 November at 6 p.m. The Lurie Garden's south walkway is closed for improvements.
Shedd Aquarium
Address: 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
Shedd sets ticket prices by day and time, and cheaper non-peak dates exist. Pick your date on sheddaquarium.org/tickets to see the price and the hours, and buy only from Shedd or its listed partners.
With kids
Lincoln Park Zoo is free and needs no reservation. The Skydeck youth ticket (ages 3 to 11) starts at $22, and children under 3 are free. The Field Museum is free for children under 3. The river cruise page gives one starting price of $57 and no child price. Our pick for the lowest cost day is the zoo.
Free things to do
Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier cost nothing to enter. Illinois residents get into the Field Museum free every Wednesday, which applies to residents only. Our Chicago without a car guide lists more free places.
Read Chicago without a car for the L, the airports and the day pass. For winter dates, markets and lights, see Christmas in Chicago.
Sources
Checked 8 Nov 2026: Skydeck plan-your-visit page; Chicago Architecture Center river cruise page; Navy Pier hours page; Lincoln Park Zoo visit page; Field Museum visit and tickets pages; Griffin MSI hours and pricing pages; CTA fares page; Art Institute visit page; City of Chicago Millennium Park page; Shedd ticket page. Walking distances: pedestrian routing on OpenStreetMap data from routing.openstreetmap.de, addresses placed by the US Census geocoder, Navy Pier by OpenStreetMap, 8 Nov 2026. Check river cruise departure times and Shedd hours and prices for your date on the official sites.
