About
Location :
Added by Jopie, at 17 March 2017
Opening Hours
- Monday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Tuesday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
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20 Reviews
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15 July 2021
One our favorite Chicago spots to visit with the family. The staff are amazing, keeps the place tidy and clean, very knowledgeable and resourceful.
We signed up our kids for their summer camp and they loved it. Inclusive tours with lots of questions and answers. In person animal encounters and virtual ( due to safety of animals and kids) with the pandemic. Staff are super excited and take good care of the kids.
We love you guys and keep up the good work.response / report this review -
08 July 2021
Such a great aquarium. Such a grand entrance and well laid out sections. I kinda liked having each section circling the carousel. It seemed to make things easily accessible and make it so it didn't feel so crowded. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Cafeteria area had a great selection with outdoor seating and cool views. The dolphins and beluga whales were definitely the hit for everyone. Will definitely make time to visit next time we're in Chicago!
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23 June 2021
I had an amazing experience. Made some great memories with my family. I love the view in the cafeteria area. The food can be a bit pricey, paid $20 for some chicken tenders and two drinks, but that’s cool. The restrooms were definitely clean. Barely anyone wore a mask. Overall I had a great time and it’s worth going. One thing I didn’t like was that once you buy the tickets you can’t get a refund but you can switch times and as a “refund” they just give you a ticket that you can use anytime you want to go back.
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22 June 2021
Overall I enjoyed the experience. Very nice displays of sea life.
However, beware, there are a lot of stairs along with some ramps. Elevators small for accommodating strollers and passengers. Masks not mandatory for vaccinated but no process in place for checking to verify. I wore my mask the entire time.
The food court was very crowded with one line. Food staff did an excellent job trying to keep up. At this time not enough staff. Also, no gluten free items readily available on the grill menu. The line leader kindly requested a cheeseburger for me ,without bun, and indicated to workers it was an allergy. Burger was very good! He was very kind to do this since he and others were very very busy taking care of others.response / report this review -
05 June 2021
This place was extremely boring with a few exceptions of enjoyable moments. I've seen the aquatic life back in Florida and its more affordable and such a better experience than this. For the price point, all you're looking at are different fish tanks. The 4-D experience was only 12 minutes instead of 15 and the guy next to me was asleep. It was cute, but this place is definitely a place to visit with kids under 13.
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21 December 2017
A must visit in Chicago. The Shedd has always been a captivating place and they never disappoint. The Caribbean Reef makes you feel like your out in the Caribbean experiencing the it there. The Wild reef will get you next to sharks and explain the habitat. My favorite is a day in the life of a sea otter pup. So cute to see them eat and play. Kids of all ages will be fascinated by the wide array of colors seen while at the Shedd Aquarium.
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19 December 2017
Always a must go to place when traveling into the city with the kids. Also we took the in-laws for the first time and our niece. They definitely enjoyed watching The Aquatic show and seeing all the animals up close. It's also great learning about all the Care they give the animals and how they also try to clean up the oceans. You can definitely spend a few hours here and get your money's worth. It's definitely better going in the summer as you get to have the touch pools outside and able to spend some time walking around. the kids play areas in the polar zone and the Penguin area is also great stop for the kids to burn off some energy who are running around. Also it's very friendly staff who are willing to go the extra mile to make the experience great.
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10 December 2017
Always wonderful! Save money and get a membership! For a family of 5 one trip was almost the cost of a membership..its been totally worth it! The staff are AMAZING and go well beyond any where else we've ever gone.
For kids with autism or other sensory issues do bring ear plugs or a headset it can get noisy..but they have a great app so the kids can see what to expect and the staff is very accommodating. We had a friends daughter who is on the spectrum with us who was melting down but wouldn't leave without seeing the aquatic show. Our show time was 2 hours later, when I went to the desk and told the staff what was going on they worked us in to the next show and even had great reserved seating where she had a little extra room.
My son has sensory issues and we had kinda a lousy night during one of their jazzin at the Shedd due to rude and drunk people. However he loved a twin brother duo who were sweet enough to take a picture with him and my husband. When a staffer saw that we hadn't had the best time but that this duo was a huge bright spot, he had the picture I posted printed out and same the brothers to sign it. We received a wonderful letter and the photo which made my son's day!
Like I said they go above and beyond. We will be staying members for years to come even with it being a 2 hour drive from home :)response / report this review -
04 December 2017
Shedd continues to make me gasp in wonder, even after so many years and so many visits. I had been to visit often as a kid with my family and occasionally while being back in the area for college, but I still have new and exciting experiences every time I come here. This time around, I had a bit of a behind the scenes tour of the facility and discussion on the creative force behind the construction of each exhibit. It was especially wonderful to see how much care and passion goes into taking care of the animals and making sure that they are comfortable in their environment. With the lowering of the entrance fees recently to around $20, more people than ever are visiting the aquarium and experiencing the wonders below the waves. I would highly recommend a visit for kids and kids at heart of all ages!
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04 December 2017
My son and I come 150 miles to celebrate his birthday at Shedd. We leave the driving to buses and taxis, adventures in themselves. Architecturally beautiful, yet young and alive, Shedd Aquarium smells good, is bright and interesting, educational, fun and playful. It's people friendly with elevators, wheelchair and stroller access, family restrooms, baby changing rooms, lockers and more. You'll find popcorn, frog shaped cookies, Chicago style food, friendly helpful staff, great shows, Christmas carolers, fantastic views of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier, sail boats and seagulls, Chicago skyline. You can get souvenir pictures with your group or family. Bring your cameras, too. Buy tickets on line or at the door, become a member, but whatever and however you do itdo come here.
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04 October 2017
I wish I had come here sooner! I don't know what kept me from going my whole 34 years but I wish I'd have been sooner! Otters are my favorite, I loved the live show and this aquarium was beyond a magical place!
It can be pricey but we purchased a dinner package that included fireworks later but unfortunately, we were rained out. Coming in from out of town didn't help with getting a "rain check" on the fireworks option but such is life.. We were there for the aquarium anyhow. Expect to get there an hour early and research parking ahead of time. If you park in one of the lots, it'll be a slight walk. Also, expect to enjoy the majority of your day here. It's worth the money to take your time and learn about these animals, their habitats along with what Shedd's purpose and role is in helping these animals thrive and survive. It's a great trip for the entire family! There's bound to be something you will see that makes you feel like a kid again.response / report this review -
15 September 2017
I always like to visit aquariums wherever I go, so this was a natural stop for me on my vacation. I read up a little before I visited, and I decided to ride share as opposed to walking from my hotel inside the loop just because I want sure how long it easily take me to go through it and I only had about 2-3 hours before it closed that day. Google said most people spend about an hour there. I probably spent 2 there and felt I saw everything aside from the stuff you have to play extra for. There was a short wait to get in, but after I got inside the building, I saw that the reason was that there was a photographer talking your picture as you came in for you to purchase later. I have to say, I was worried because I had seen that it was a free day for Illinois residents. Coming from Houston, the days like that for the zoo are crazy busy, so I expected the worst. It wasn't horribly crowded, but I was visiting on a wed after school started up. The exhibits looked well cared for, and I liked that many of them had touch screens you could use to identify the species and learn more about them. The must see exhibits for me would have to be: the sharks in the wild reef, the otters, the dolphins, the penguins, and the beluga whales (not necessarily in that order). There were several interactive stations (touch pools) around the aquarium, but I didn't want to do them as I had a cut on my hand and figured it wasn't a good idea. I would have to say that this was a very well kept aquarium, and I would (and probably will) definitely visit again.
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24 August 2017
Great aquarium! So much to see, but it tough to see it all in detail in one day (but it can be done). Everything is fantastic except for the 4D movie theater. At $5.00/person extra the movie we saw wasn't really worth the extra money. The aquatic show with the dolphins and other Shedd animals was superb. Go to the 10:30 AM show. Again, you need to get there early to get into the shows and see everything. Great walking path outside and gardens around the aquarium too!
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19 August 2017
This place is amazing. Spent hours here walking around, first time in Chicago and unfortunately didn't have a lot of time here, however the time I was here was definitely well spent! The Beluga whale exhibit was great, I've never seen Beluga whales in any other aquarium, and the staff is great! Super friendly and knowledgeable, they would just walk right up and start talking about whatever it was you were looking at. I will definitely make this a stop next time I'm in a Chicago!
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16 August 2017
An AMAZING place and is always busy with visitors 👩👩👧👧👨👨👧👦so, PLAN YOUR TRIP WISELY!
If you come on a Saturday in the summer then expect a line, it's as simple as that. The lines can get long but every time that I have visited the staff does it's best to get the line moving and answer any questions that one might have before getting into the building. Also a big personal suggestion is buying your ticket ahead of time online🎟. That you they can just scan 📲it and let you in, Super Easy!
Another thing is food🍿, anything in the city can be expensive and at all the museums things can get pretty pricey🤑. So it's my advice to pack snacks! There are a few places to eat inside the building and also bring a water bottle💦. They have those cool water bottle stations at the water fountains.
If you bring food you won't have to spend it on food there and could maybe splurge on something at the gift shop🐬. (Not gonna lie they have a pretty cool gift shop)
When I visit there are usually things to really look out for. The Aquatic Presentation🐠🦑and the 4D experience🎥, those were the main shows that I saw but also there are these little chats that are at certain hours⏰. Those chats are like short little talks with someone who really knows about the animal🙋🏼🙋🏻♂️. I personally loved it because they really take the time to answer any and all questions you might have.
This place is AMAZING and does a GREAT job at trying to accommodate to a lot of guests. You just have to do your part and plan ahead and usually everything works out pretty great! There is so much to do here so don't pass up the opportunity!
🦑🦀🐙🐠🦈🐋🐡response / report this review -
01 May 2017
My husband brought me here for my birthday this year. The exhibits are interesting and well done. The 4d theater and One World shows were informational and entertaining. Sea Otters, Penguins, Beluga Whales, Sea Turtle, Sea Lion as well as many small marine life exhibits make this well worth your time! I love that the Shedd works so hard on conservation and animal life rescue!
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30 April 2017
As Illinois Residents, the website states that basic admission is $8. The woman at the front desk didn't seem to want to sell us this ticket, saying "we don't like to push this one" and "you won't see hardly anything with this ticket". I'm a college student and just simply wanted to see a few things in the HOUR AND A HALF before the aquarium closed, so I really didn't feel like paying $35 for a ticket I didn't need. After showing the woman that the $8 ticket is offered on the website, and saying that if they say they are offering it she should honor it, she gave it to me.
For $8 I actually felt like I did see a lot. I stayed until closing and loved seeing the stingrays.
Sometimes the tanks seem rather small for the animals in them, but that's nothing that hasn't been said before.
Of all the staff I encountered, none of them seemed helpful. They all just seem like money grubbing robots trying to get you to spend more than you want. The gift shop is especially overpriced.
Overall, it's probably only worth on a free day.response / report this review -
04 April 2017
My experience here was great. We came on a Monday which was crowded but not too crowded that you felt squished. we should of ordered our tickets online to beat the crown but it wasn't too bad. when we got up to the front desk the prices weren't too bad for 5 people. If you get the Shedd pass you get to see all the fish and the whales and dolphins which doesn't sound like a lot but it was enough to satisfy my family. At the end when we went into the gift shop there were so many options to pick from so you had a wide variety of things to choose. My overall experience was great and I would definitely go there again.
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31 March 2017
I think there should be a capacity here. For the most part it was a nice visit. Until about 2pm. Then the place got crazy. People pushing to see things. The cafe was not open you had to get water from the locker area, that was packed come 2pm. No lockers were available. The exhibits were nice and the dolphins were cool.
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24 March 2017
Really nice aquarium with a lot of fun exhibits to check out. However I really don't care for places that make you pay extra for different exhibits. Just have one fee and let everyone enjoy the whole facially. Great for kids and adults I would say if you're in Chicago definitely check it out but be aware that if you want to see everything it casts a lot more than just the entry fee.
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