Chicago makes a great family vacation destination with many educational and fun attractions in close proximity. One of the best things about utilizing credit card points and miles is that there are so many ways to use those points to make your trips much more reasonably priced. Here, learn how to use your points and miles to book flights and hotels, staying within walking distance of Shedd Aquarium and other Chicago Attractions. This vacation will be full of memories and one to remember!
Why Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is one of the top Aquarium’s to see in the US
Photo courtesy of DavFace depicts the Chicago skyline from Shedd Aquarium
For anyone wanting a breathtaking view before the main attraction, plan on visiting Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and taking in the Chicago skyline in the process. Shedd is an architectural site in itself, featuring an octagonal shape. Originally built in 1930, it holds an official National Historical Landmark Designation. Inside, you will find Interactive Exhibits, Educational Programs, special events, aquatic shows, and more. Kids will surely love Touch Experiences with Stingrays, Sturgeons, and Sea Stars.
Shedd Aquarium ticket prices
General Admissions for Non-Chicago Residents: Though pricing is dynamic, expect to pay about $40 for an adult ticket and $30 for kids (3-11).
Buy a CityPASS: visit Shedd Aquarium plus four more Chicago attractions with a discount.The CityPASS includes Skydeck Chicago and a choice of other attractions:
Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour
Field Museum
360 CHICAGO Observation Deck
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Art Institute of Chicago
Adler Planetarium
Aquarium Food Choices: Shedd has multiple food options including a Food Court, two cafes, vending machines, and a popcorn stand. You may also bring your own food as long as you eat it in designated areas.
How to book Flights to Chicago on Points and Miles
To get to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium by plane, you have two options. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is approximately 19 miles from Shedd. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) is approximately 10 miles.
O’Hare (ORD): ORD is a major International airport and serves as a HUB for American Airlines and United
Midway (MDW): MDW is the predecessor of ORD and is much smaller, but does serve as a HUB for Southwest airlines.
To get to the area where the aquarium and the hotels mentioned below are located, you have the following options:
- Rent a car
- Get a rideshare
- Subway (about a 40 minute ride from MDW; there is not a direct route to take you all the way from ORD)
All flights listed below are one-way award rates.
Southwest Award Flights to Chicago
- Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Southwest
- Use points from a co-branded Chase Southwest card
- Use earned Southwest Rapid Rewards.
Here are some of the cities Southwest flies direct from to MDW::
Eastern: Baltimore (BWI), DC (DCA), Boston (BOS), Tampa (TPA), Atlanta (ATL)
Central: Dallas (DAL), Houston (HOU), Minneapolis (MSP), Nashville (BNA)
Mountain: Denver (DEN), Phoenix (PHX)
Pacific: Las Vegas (LAS), Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO)
You can fly one way from DC (DCA) direct to MDW in Wanna Get Away for 6,900 points:
From Minneapolis MSP starting at 4,893 points
From Denver (DEN) starting at 7,518 points
From San Diego (SAN) starting at 8,907 points
- Tips and tricks for searching for Southwest flights
When searching a route, look for the Low Fare Calendar. Click the link to see a month at a time.
Search Southwest flights here: Southwest Airlines
American Airlines Award Flights to Chicago
You can no longer transfer major bank points or miles to American Airlines. These points may be harder to acquire, but they offer some valuable points and miles deals. If you have a stock of these points or a co-branded credit card, consider booking here.
Here are some of the cities American Airlines flies direct from to ORD::
Eastern: Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Charlotte (CLT), Miami (MIA), NYC (JFK, LGA), Philadelphia (PHL)
Central: Dallas (DFW),St. Louis (STL)
Mountain: Denver (DEN), Phoenix (PHX)
Pacific: Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO)
You can fly from Atlanta (ATL) to ORD for as low as 5,000 American Airlines miles:
From St. Louis starting at 5,000 American Airlines miles
From Phoenix (PHX) starting at 7,000 American Airlines miles
From San Diego (SAN) starting at 6,000 American Airlines miles
Search American Airlines flights here.
Alaska Airlines Award Flights to Chicago
- Transfer Bilt points to Alaska Airlines
- Use points from a co-branded Alaska Airlines credit card
- Use earned Alaska Mileage Plan miles
With Alaska Airlines, you can find direct flights for as low as 4,500 Alaska miles from cities like Charlotte (CLT), Philadelphia (PHL), DC (DCA), or New Jersey (EWR).
Search Alaska Airlines flights here.
United Airlines Award Flights to Chicago
- Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United Airlines
- Use points from a co-branded United credit card
- Use earned United Mileage Plus Miles
Here are some of the cities United flies direct from to ORD:
Eastern: Boston (BOS), Atlanta (ATL), Charlotte (CLT), Cleveland (CLE), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), New York (EWR, LGA), Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia (PHL), Baltimore (BWI), DC area (DCA, IAD)
Central: Austin (AUS), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Kansas City (MCI), Minneapolis (MSP), Nashville (BNA), St. Louis (STL)
Mountain: Denver (DEN), Phoenix (PHX), Salt Lake City (SLC)
Pacific: Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA)
From the East Coast, you can find one way Main Cabin seats from Atlanta (ATL) to ORD from 7,400 United miles:
From Minneapolis (MSP) starting at 6,300 United miles:
From Denver (DEN) starting at 7,800 United miles:
From Las Vegas (LAS) starting at 9,200 United miles:
Search United Airlines flights here.
Where to stay in Chicago: Hotels near Shedd Aquarium
Cheapest Hotel on Points: Travelodge by Wyndham Downtown Chicago
This hotel truly is the value choice. Reviews mention the need for upgrades and annoyance at noice, but rave about the central location being fantastic and the area feeling safe. If your main priority is location and cost, look into the Travelodge by Wyndham. Both Capital One Venture Miles and Citi ThankYou points transfer to Wyndham 1:1 for booking.
Amenities: Free wifi, 100% smoke-free, two on-site restaurants, business center
Walk: 22 minutes (1 mile) to Shedd Aquarium
Points cost: 15,000 points for a King or two Double beds
How to book: Transfer Capital One Venture Miles and Citi ThankYou Points to Wyndam to book Wyndam hotels.
Closest Hotel on Points: Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown South Loop OR Homewood Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown South Loop
Both properties, situated in the same building are about a 14 minute walk to Shedd Aquarium. They are comparable in many ways, with slightly different amenities and styles. The ground floor hosts both the lobby and Shang Noodles, a Chinese restaurant featuring traditional Mandarin, Szechuan and Taiwanese delicacies with hand-chosen ingredients from the Chinese market. Both earn high remarks for excellent views from the rooms, cleanliness, and a great location!
Hilton Garden Inn Amenities: On-site restaurant, fitness center, indoor pool, business center, meeting rooms, free wifi
Homewood Suites Amenities: free hot breakfast, fitness center, business center, free wifi, connecting rooms
Walk: 14 minute walk to Shedd Aquarium
Points cost: Use the “Find the Best Price”tool to search your prospective travel dates. Expect 50,000-70,000 points on a standard night award. The Hilton Garden Inn typically has lower points prices on select dates.
How to book: Transfer American Express Membership Rewards points, points from a co-branded American Express Hilton card, or earned Hilton points to your Hilton Honors account to book.
Luxury Hotel on Points: The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
In a room at The Blackstone, expect marble bathrooms, comfy beds, local art and great views. Take a stroll in the Art Hall, with changing photography, paintings and graphic art that are all purchasable. What says luxury more than splurging on an in-room Wellness Journey with Leaf Spa? Follow it up by booking a table at Mercat A La Planxa, featuring authentic Spanish foods. If you want your Chicago trip to be luxurious, look no further!
Amenities: Spa, Fitness Center, Free wifi, Restaurant, Digital Check-in, Smoke-free property
Walk: 18 minute walk to Shedd Aquarium
Points Cost: 52,000 points
How to book: Transfer American Express Membership Rewards points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott to book Marriott hotels.
Other Hotels within a 20 minute walk and what you may expect to pay in points. Check out the links for availability.
Each hotel program calculates their points amounts for redemptions differently. All of the below point amounts are for the same August date for a one night standard room amount. Please check the links to search for the particular date you would like to book to confirm points required per night stay.
Hilton
Similar to Delta Airlines, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to book stays at Hilton Hotels. Several American Express co-branded credit cards offer generous Hilton Honors points, with some providing free night certificates and elite status.
Hilton uses dynamic pricing for award stays, so it’s beneficial to use their “Find the Best Price” tool. This tool helps you identify dates with the best redemption values, ensuring you maximize your Hilton Honors points. To use this tool:
- Search: Visit Hilton’s website and search for the area where you’d like to stay without selecting specific dates.
- Select Dates: Once the search results display, click “Select Dates” next to the hotel you’re interested in.
- Find the Best Price Tool: The tool will appear for the selected hotel, showing points or cash rates by month.
Using this tool can help you select the best points redemption for the dates you have available, ensuring you get the most value from your Hilton points.
- Hilton Chicago
- 70,000 points
- 17 minute walk
Marriott
Transfer American Express Membership Rewards points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott to book Marriott hotels.
- Le Méridien Essex Chicago
- 49,000 points
- 15 minute walk
Hyatt, IHG, Accor, Choice
Unfortunately, there are no hotels from these chains located within a 1-mile radius of Shedd Aquarium.
There are endless options for excellent hotels that are further away from Shedd Aquarium. If you are renting a car or want to use public transportation to explore the city, also consider the following points-bookable hotels with excellent ratings:
- LondonHouse Chicago, Curio Collection by Hilton
- Waldorf Astoria Chicago (Hilton)
- Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown West Loop (Hilton)
- Chicago Athletic Association – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
- Park Hyatt Chicago
- Thompson Chicago by Hyatt
- Kimpton Gray Hotel (IHG)
- SPRINGHILL SUITES CHICAGO CHINATOWN (Marriott)
- HOTEL ZACHARY, CHICAGO, A TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO HOTEL (Marriott)
- RESIDENCE INN CHICAGO DOWNTOWN/LOOP (Marriott)
- RESIDENCE INN CHICAGO DOWNTOWN MAGNIFICENT MILE (Marriott)
- MOXY CHICAGO DOWNTOWN (Marriott)
Other close attractions In Chicago:
- Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain: Three story fountain with lighting and water shows
- Adler Planetarium
- Northerly Island Park: Walking, biking, hiking, live music, and skyline views
- Field Museum: Natural history museum
- Grant (Ulysses) Park
- Cloud Gate (The Bean)
- Fox in a Box: Highly rated Escape Rooms
- Chicago Riverwalk: Public open space running by the Chicago River
- Soldier Field: Stadium is home to the Chicago Bears and Chicago Fire FC while also hosting live concerts
Conclusion:
Planning a trip to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago offers families the chance to have fun, learn, and create unforgettable memories. The city is filled with activities and experiences that people of all ages can enjoy. Getting there and staying there on points and miles can make the trip more affordable, which makes it even better in my opinion! How will you get there?
Ready to Dive In?
Start planning your unforgettable Shedd Aquarium adventure today! Use the tips and strategies in this guide to make the most of your points and miles, saving money while creating lasting memories with your family.
Plan Your Trip Now:
Book Your Flights
Search flights on Southwest
Search flights on American Airlines
Search flights on Alaska Airlines
Search flights on United Airlines
Book Your Hotel
Search Hyatt Hotels
Search Hilton Hotels
Search IHG Hotels
Search Marriott Hotels
Fun Fact: The Pacific Octopus living at Shedd Aquarium was named by the public. The winning name: Sawyer!
Photo by Gautam Krishnan on Unsplash
Share your experiences and tips below in the comments. I’d love to hear them!
