Shedd Aquarium — Attraction in Chicago

I booked tickets for my significant other and I on their website. It was $85.90 for both of our tickets together, so it wasn’t cheap. The website had me choose a date and a specific time to visit, so you should be cautious of that if it doesn’t change. I chose 1/20/2023 at 9 am for our visit. I chose that time, so we were able to get in early in the day. Once I completed the purchase online, I was given an E-Ticket with a scannable code that displayed the Date for my visit. That was convenient. I also downloaded their app.

This aquarium was located relatively close to me, for being what it was. There was a small walk before the entrance. Unfortunately for us, the weather wasn’t too friendly. After we entered the aquarium on the Ground Level, our tickets were scanned almost immediately. We took an elevator up to the Main Level after that.

There were plenty of displays to see at almost every turn. I really enjoyed the Pacific white-sided dolphin display. Of course, I also had to check out the Beluga whale display, which was just as pleasant to see! It was such a unique experience to see them. They were beautiful and they seemed happy in their environment. I was glad to see that! They had a Rockhopper penguin and Magellanic penguin display. That one was definitely my favorite. As we went along, we stopped at the Underwater Beauty area. There, I checked out the Spotted jelly, Lagoon jelly, and Blue blubber jelly area. They were so vibrant and each movement they made was astonishing! To switch things up, we checked out the Common musk turtle and Western pond turtle area. Close to them, we got to see more than one American Alligator in the Alligator Lake display. That was a real treat for me! I’m now an Alligator fan! There was also a Golden Shiner, Midas Cichlid, and Red-Eared Slider display within the Alligator Lake display.

Besides viewing displays all day, we did get to sit down for a bit at the dolphin show. This show was included at no extra charge, so with that being said, it was a must-see show! The dolphins seemed to have a high level of training and they were entertaining.

We stopped at Soundings Café for a break from all of the beautiful scenery. It was located on the Ground Level. I purchased a Strawberry Fruit Smoothie, a Peanut Butter Cookie, and a Monster Energy 16 Fl. Oz. to get some energy. The prices were a bit steep, but not intolerable for me. My order was completed relatively fast. We sat down at a table that they had there. The smoothie was thick, fruity, and tasty! The cookie was a good size and just as tasty! That was a relief, as it was rather pricey. The Monster was crisp and refreshing! This was a convenient stop.

Before we headed out, we stopped at the shop on the Main Level of the facility. It was large with a variety of items to choose from. To give insight, I purchased a Shedd Aquarium mug, a Shedd Aquarium magnet, and a Shedd Aquarium keychain. The keychain came in a little bag. The prices at this store were definitely not the best. I didn’t expect them to be. I’d say it’s worth it to purchase at least one item if you have the chance, so you have a physical memory to take home with you.

The whole place was tidy and clean. That was impressive to see a busy place still kept up with.

The customer service I had throughout my visit was friendly. I didn’t have any issues or encounter anyone with a bad attitude, so that was a plus!

Overall, this was a relaxing experience for my significant other and I to do together. The displays were put together nicely and there was a variety of living things to admire! I loved all of the displays in a special way. I’m almost positive I’ll return here again someday.

Date of...

I rarely write reviews, though after my experience with Shedd I wanted to take the time to write one.

I am a new ambulatory wheelchair user, meaning that while I can walk, doing so for long distances can lead to pain, instability, and risk of injury. I have only had my wheelchair for a few weeks and this was my first "big outing" in my chair. I was very nervous at first going in, as I have learned very quickly that the world is not 100% accessible but have found this as my experience once inside.

Screening was easy to get through, metal detectors wide enough to roll through and bag check was low enough where I can easily set my bag down to be searched. All door buttons worked besides the last one before leaving the aquarium on the right hand side, though a staff member was quick to assist my husband and I with opening the doors wide enough so I was able to get through.

The ramps were my biggest worry, though 99% of them were wide and were easy to push myself up and down besides the ramp to the otter exhibit on level 1. If going too fast I was a little worried I was going to become enrichment for the otters by slamming my face into the glass lol. The ramp was stepper than others, where once level you only have a few feet to quickly slow down.

There are several areas that are reserved for those in wheelchairs, the show for pacific white sided dolphins were a shock when I was sitting in a reserved spot and my husband was standing to the side of me, and a staff member brought over a chair that is reserved just for companions that are with someone in a wheelchair. I loved getting to also pet the sting rays and feeding them, where they have a spot set up that is wheelchair accessible, having the wall being thinner with a thick glass instead of stone so that its easier to reach over to them or just look through the glass. Surfaces were easy to get through in regards to texture, including carpeted areas as they were thin enough I was still able to push myself through.

Besides the accessibility of the aquarium, it was such a great experience of learning, wonder, and beauty seeing the different tanks along with Shedd does to help with protecting wildlife. This including the breeding program for their zebra sharks and monitoring how invasive species are affecting native species in the great lakes. I cannot remember her name, though she was ginger and was going over different shark eggs and how they adapted over time based on their environment, she was amazing and informative of the subject matter, please give her some major kudos. We spent a little over 3 and a half hours here, and could easily have spent more if it was not for the fact that they were closing soon. I cannot wait for the next opportunity I will have to...

This was hands down the best aquarium I’ve ever been to! 🐠

We were actually denied entry the first day because tickets were sold out and had to come back the next day (we didn’t know that even with CityPASS you still need a reservation), but we’re so glad we did—it was 100% worth it!

They have animal spotlight throughout the day, and we loved the 🐬 dolphin show which took place at the amphitheater! It was cool that they also shared interesting facts/a story about the animals along with climate change/impact, etc; beforehand and then the dolphins began doing awesome flips and tricks — we had 4 dolphins perform for us with 2 trainers!

After the show, we headed to the Oceania exhibit to see 🐳 white beluga whales—it was really cool because they swam right up to the glass with its belly facing us. We also loved seeing the white sided dolphins, otters, penguins, and other creatures in this area!

What really stood out to us was how active and lively all the animals were. Unlike other aquariums where many creatures are dormant or resting hidden, the animals here were always moving, swimming, jumping, often interacting with the spectators through the glass. I even saw exotic species I’ve never encountered before—like a tarantula looking vampire shrimp, perfectly camouflaged tree frog (we seriously couldn’t find it for the longest time even though it was right in front of us), piranhas (they were munching so we could see the teeth), leaf fish (swimming vertically up), snake, and some crazy looking fish!

The touch pools were another highlight! Not only were we able to touch starfish (which is more common in other aquariums), but we also got to touch sturgeons and stingrays. The sturgeon touching exhibit was my favorite—they swam around and around the perimeter and right up to you as if they enjoyed people petting it. My brother also enjoyed the stingray touching exhibit which was located outside (this one is seasonal).

At the end, we also purchased (very affordable, around $2-4/pp) tickets to watch one of the shark documentaries/film in 4D which was super cool! The seats moved/vibrated and water sprayed to mimic the splashes in the water from the film. It was a pretty cool experience!

The venue was also situated with parts of it looking out onto the water and on the Chicago city skyline. On a beautiful day with blue skies the views are truly stunning.

Before leaving, I stopped by the gift shop where they had cute plushies and even plushie slippers. They also had a massive stingray stuffed animal, but personally, I picked out a white beluga whale plushie as a souvenir.

Overall, this aquarium absolutely blew me away. If you’re visiting Chicago, I would definitely come out to this place—you...