| Shedd Aquarium tips and photos posted by real travelers and Chicago locals. • 86 Photos
• 61 Reviews
See all Chicago Things To Do |
 | Chicago Shedd Aquarium Reviews | 1 - 10 of 61 |  |
 Beluga whale by hekate
There is a dolphin and whales show. You will see them diveing and tail bobbing The show takes place in the amphitheater during the Marine Mammal Presentations. I checked when the show starts in the programme given to me at the entrance.
Besides the Oceanarium, in the other areas there were variety of tropical Caribbean animals including sharks, eel, sea turtles and colorful fish.
Duration:
Took me about 3 hours.
Price:
As far as I remember I paid about USD 19.
Working hours:
Sumertime
Memorial Day - Labor Day
9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thursdays, June - August
9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
(Oceanarium closes at 8 p.m.)
Wintertime
Labor Day - Memorial Day
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. winter weekdays
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. winter weekends
Closed Christmas day Leave a Comment Address: 1200, South Lake Shore DriveDirections: Located in the Museum Campus at Lake Michigan between Grant Park and Soldier Field.Website: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/
|
 | |  |
Visiting Chicago?
Read reviews about Chicago Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
 Talking with the Beluga by aussiedoug
BUT....., it does have something that my No 1 aquarium doesn't have. Check the piccie beside this tip & yes folks you've hit it in one! The one & only, incomparable BELUGA whale. Just magical animals they are, the only cetaceans that can move their heads because of their necks. Now don't ask me to explain it technically because I'm a mere generalist educator not a specialist in ocean marine mammal life (would like to be mind you!). I swear that the beluga there was talking to me & I was trying to impress the attractive American lady beside me by talking back to it (and my wife wasn't too far away! LOL!). Seriously, I would go to the Shedd again knowing there's a Beluga there, but it is worthwhile visiting in it's own right.
Set in a beautiful building of it's own (see my Chicago travelogue for a photo of the front view), reminding me a little of our Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney(see my 2nd Sydney must see tip), it seems very modern inside.
It boasts of being the largest indoor aquarium in the world, but is still easily navigable even by the directionally/visuall spatially challenged such as myself.
With something like 8 000 animal exhibits & extremely interesting exhibits of different aquatic habitats & their denizens it is a definite MUST SEE if you are planning a visit to Chicago.
Lastly, check out their website. I've only had a perfuctory squizz at a bit of it & it looks real good! Leave a Comment Address: Check the website below for maps & directionsDirections: Easy to find. We found it by just walking towards Lake Michigan from the Sears Tower.Website: http://www.sheddnet.org
|
| | |
 Beluga whale-Oceanarium by Dabs
The Shedd Aquarium comes up on the must see list of every guidebook with good reason. It is the world's largest indoor aquarium and if you are into fish, you can spend hours here.
There are 3 parts to the aquarium:
Main aquarium, the highlight is the Caribbean Reef, a 90,000 gallon round tank when you first walk in. Catch one of the daily feedings, look for the enormous green eel and the green sea turtle. In another section, be sure to see Granddad, an Australian lungfish that has been there since 1933 when he was used to lure visitors to the World's Fair.
The Oceanarium, added in 1991, is supposed to resemble the Pacific Northwest. There's a dolphin show several times a day, more promoting conservation than a Sea World type show. The wall of windows in the Oceanarium creates the stunning optical illusion of connecting with Lake Michigan in the background. There are also several beluga whales that seem to enjoy posing for pictures, playful sea otters (some rescued from the Exxon Valdez oil spill), seals and penguins. Closed until May 22, 2009.
The Wild Reef, added in 2003, features sharks and a coral reef. It's most famous resident, Bubba, a 140 lb. Queensland grouper that had successful cancer treatments died in 2006 :-(
If you have a short amount of time, you used to be able to visit the main part of the Shedd for $6-8, I don't see that info anymore but it can't hurt to ask.
DISCOUNT DAYS-there are 52 days a year that offer free general admission, check the website under FAQ, the main part is FREE, extra if you want to see the Wild Reef or Oceanarium.
Best time to go-when it first opens or on a weekday
For more pictures and some interesting stories of some of it's residents, see my Travelogue
Fun Fact-when the aquarium opened in 1930, the saltwater was sent from Key West to Chicago by rail, the final shipment of salt water was received in 1970! Now the Shedd mixes it's own. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
 the Shedd Aquarium by TRAVELCHICK29Leave a Comment
|
 by Hosell
Also next to the Aquarium,you can get a taxi-boat at Michigan Lake to go to Navy Pier. Leave a Comment
|
Visiting Chicago?
Read reviews about Chicago Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
You could spend hours in here and still not see everything. This place is amazing and so big inside. When you enter you will be given a guide of what to see. This time round the place was packed for the holiday season (December) and the q's were very long. Leave a Comment
|
 Shedd Aquarium by jtsioson
Features of Wild Reef:
- 1 million coral polyps
- More than 2,000 fish
- 540 species, doubling the number of total species at the Shedd
- 17.5 tons of Philippine sand
- 750,000 gallons of water
- 85 "faux" corals
- 10,000 watts of light trained on the tank holding real coral Leave a Comment
|
 The main pool at the Shedd
Aquarium by rmdw
Located southeast of downtown Chicago, it's south of the Field Museum and right near the Adler Planetarium. Leave a Comment Address: 1200 South Lake Shore DrivePhone: 312.939.2435Directions: From Lakeshore Drive turn onto McFetridge Drive, between Soldier Field and the Field Museum. Follow this around to Solidarity Drive. Shedd is to your right.Website: http://www.sheddnet.org Other Contact: contactus@sheddaquarium.org
|
 Karen in front of Shed
Aquarium by Stephen-KarenConn
We've been to other newer aquariums which had acryllic walk-through underwater tunnels that Shedd can't match. But the one thing Shedd has that the others don't is the Oceanarium, and that's been added since I was young. This 3 million gallon marine mammal pavilion is the world's largest. To us it was definitely the highlight of our visit. The beluga whales, white-sided dolphins and other amazing creatures had us open mouthed and gasping with delight.
We were there on a summer weekend when the line was VERY long. We went back again on a Sunday in early autumn, and there was hardly any line at all. Leave a Comment Address: 1200 South Lakeshore Dr.Phone: 312-692-3355Directions: From Lakeshore Dr. turn into McFetridge Dr., between Soldier Field and the Field Museum. Follow this around to Solidatary Dr. The aquarium will be on your right.Website: http://www.sheddnet.org
|
| | |
Went there on the busiest day of a week - Saturday at 10am. Bought our tickets at the reception desk, no problem, even though it is recommended to buy them online in advance.
The place was not too crowded for the first hour but we did have to go 15 minutes before the Dolphins presentation started to make sure we have good seats. The show was pretty boring (few jumps and mostly dolphins feeding) but I guess I should not expected much from 20 minutes marine life presentation.
In general I`d give it 3 stars out of 5.
PRICE:
- 4D All-Access Pass is $27.50 for adults, $20.50 for kids/seniors (includes the Oceanarium, Wild Reef, Lizards and the Komodo King, Amazon Rising, the Caribbean Reef, Waters of the World and the new 4-D Special FX Theater, featuring SpongeBob SquarePants.);
- All-Access Pass is $23 for adults, $16 for kids/seniors (includes all of the above with the exception of 4-D Special Thater);
- Become a member and go for free. Individual memebership is $70;
- Just Aquarium is $8 for adults, $6 for kids/seniors;
- Wild Reef Mini Pass is $18 for adults, $14 for kids/seniors (includes entrance to Wild Reef, Waters of the World, Amazon Rising and the Caribbean Reef).
NOTE: Residents of the city of Chicago receive a 25% discount on admission every day. Must present vaild ID. Address: 1200 South Lake Shore DrivePhone: 312-939-2438Directions: On Chicago’s Museum Campus. DIRECTIONS: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/getting_to_shedd.htmlWebsite: http://www.sheddnet.org Other Contact: e-maill: contactus@sheddaquarium
|
| | |
|
- Hostelling International Chicago Summer Hostel
24 E. Congress Pkwy. South Loop, Chicago, IL - Hard Rock Hotel Chicago
230 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL - Bridgestreet Sterling
345 N Lasalle St, Chicago, IL - Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport
O' Hare International Airport, Chicago, IL - Super 8 Chicago
7300 North Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL - Residence SP Suites Dearborn
1133 N Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL - The Wicker Park Inn, a Chicago Bed and Breakfast
1329 N. Wicker Park Ave., Chicago, IL - Wyndham Chicago
633 North St. Clair Street, Chicago, IL - Days Inn Lincoln Park North
644 W Diversey Pkwy (formerly Days Inn Lincoln Park - North), Chicago, IL - Best Western Chicago Southland
17345 Halsted Street, Chicago, IL - Marriott Chicago Midway
6520 South Cicero Avenue, Chicago, IL - Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago
330 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL - Ramada Inn Lake Shore
4900 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL - Affinia Chicago Hotel
166 East Superior Street (formerly Fitzpatrick Chicago Hotel), Chicago, IL - 320 North Michigan Avenue
320 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
|
