shedd aquarium: Hi planning a visit looking for parking - figuring we can park somewhere in Chicago and then hop public transit to our destinations each day to avoid expense parking. Planning a trip on a tight budget. Will be staying in a town outside of Chicago, so must drive in each day. Will be visiting Hancock observatory, museum of science and industry and field museum as well as Lincoln Park Zoo and Shedd Aquarium. Would also like to spend some time farting around the neighborhoods like Hyde Park and other places for interesting shopping, so wondering about parking in those areas as well. Thanks::DD|||The cheapest way is to not drive into downtown... Most suburbs, almost all of them have a Metra station (commuter station). Park there and take the train into the city. It's usually about $4... CTA is $2.25 per ride or I think like $7-8 for a day pass. Parking anywhere in the city for even an hour will run you $20|||I usually park at the Desplaines CTA station. It only costs a couple of bucks and take the CTA into town. Downtown parking costs $35 in most places.|||Take a look at this map: http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/m鈥?/a> Some of the CTA's elevated trains have parking lots that will run you $4 for the day, they're marked with a "P" on the map. The only parking lots I would say to avoid would be the Green Line's 63rd & Ashland stop (so you don't get shot), and the Orange Line's Kedzie stop (so your car leaves with it's radio). So find the station closest to your hotel and take the L into the city. The CTA runs on a better schedule (every 10 minutes instead of hourly) and is cheaper than Metra. At that you can invest in a CTA Pass and ride the CTA trains & buses as many times as you want for only $5.25 per day: http://faremedia.chicago-card.com/store/鈥?/a> There is no special deal for Metra except for weekend passes, and the Metra does not cover Chicago's local stops, only the suburban. You can use the CTA's Trip Planner to find which trains or buses will get you to your destination.