I went to this aquarium because my brother's family has a yearly pass for his entire family. We went there on a Friday and it was very busy since it was summer time. I believe three of the exhibits were closed. One of the main shows was with dolphins and it was very cool. We got to see all the exhibits that were open in a very timely manner. We even enjoyed some ice cream from one of the food trucks outside. I highly recommend this museum, it has all the good stuff you'd expect from a high quality museum.
Your kids and you will love this aquarium. Beautiful location on the lake in an amazing historic building. The aquatic exhibits are fantastic and the large amphitheater has reall cool educational shows with dolphins / beluga whales etc. you can go downstairs to see into those tanks and get an underwater look at belugas and dolphins. There is a kids playground in the basement with a digital background so it looks like they are with penguins. Also a neat submarine to play in. Wild reef area is a lot of fun as well. If you are having lunch, I suggest the patio on the lake or if you are leaving around lunch just picnic on the lawn on the lake.
Nice aquarium for being in the Midwest. Was pretty busy with lots of children running around and screaming. The staff was quick to clean any messes up on the ground. They had a decent amount to see for fresh water species, but lacking in salt water. This again makes sense being in the Midwest and what not. Would recommend visiting if youve never been here before. Worth a visit once.
We LOVED the Shedd Aquarium during our trip to Chicago. It was definitely a highlight and would recommend to anyone visiting the city for the first time. We took our five year old to see the aquarium and it was a great experience for him. We saw dolphins, penguins, beluga whales, sea otters, and so many other under water creatures. We spent about 2 hours there and absolutely could have been there longer!
This place is huge! Next time we visit, we will come by on a weekday because it was packed. We really enjoyed the exhibits and shows. The restaurant areas were nice as well. We were able to take our strollers on the elevator to the multiple levels. Parking is $35 so if you can take the train.Visited onWeekendWait timeUp to 10 minReservation recommendedYesPrice for adult entry$31+
I haven't been to the Shedd in years. This was a girl's trip & we really enjoyed ourselves. It was extremely soothing & a great outing. The dolphin show & 3D shark experience was amazing!Visited onWeekendWait time10–30 minReservation recommendedYesPrice for adult entry$31+
Fantastic experience! There are lots of interactive exhibits enjoyable for any age group. They have a very large assortment of aquatic life and we were very pleased to see that their enclosures were well suited and maintained. Exploring the entire place took about 3 hours to see everything. Definitely recommend the sturgeon and stingray touch pools!
Great place to go when you’re in the city! There were so many different exhibits to see like fresh water fish from the Americas to deep sea creatures like turtles. The gift shop was a large one with many options and the cafeteria had so many options. I got a chicken sandwich and it was very good. Great in a group or on your own!
FREE FOR ILLINOIS RESIDENTS Specific days of the week. You do have to go on their website and pre book your tickets, you will need to show your ID at the entrance to prove you are a resident. The place is amazing!. I definitely recommend going earlier in the day because some of their shows like the dolphin show, stop running in the evening time. So if you arrive early you will have time to see everything. They have a 3D and 4D show for only 5 dlls per person, very cool and fun experience. They have a lot of interactive activities, great for families or groups of friends. They have several levels of different displays as well as a food hall and store. 10/10.
We have frequented the Shedd Aquarium numerous times over the past years; it's an enjoyable spot for children. The museum has consistently undergone renovations, yet it remains smaller in comparison to other prominent aquariums in the US and worldwide. However, it's worth noting that the admission fee is one of the steepest among Chicago's museums.
