Shedd Aquarium

General
Events
News
Comments & Reviews

Caribbean Reef Presentations

Talk to one of our divers while he or she is underwater feeding more than 300 reef animals. A sea turtle, rays, sharks and a rainbow of schooling fishes all call the Caribbean Reef home. Times: 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m. Location: Rotunda.

View all events

The World's Aquarium

Opening in 1930, the John G. Shedd Aquarium is one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world. Situated along Chicago's Lake Shore Drive the Shedd Aquarium shares the area with Chicago's other educational exhibits Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum of Natural History.

The Shedd Aquarium is busiest during the summer, but parking can be an issue when the Chicago Bears take the field in fall and winter. Overall, it's best to plan ahead when making a visit to Shedd Aquarium. Plus, a savvy consumer can often find discounts when buying for multiple attractions in Chicago.

The Shedd Aquarium contains 2100 species including fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, and insects.

Shedd Aquarium Exhibits

Amazon Rising
Shedd Aquarium’s Amazon Rising: Seasons of the River traces this great river — the world’s largest freshwater system— and the people who live along its shores through a normal year of heavy rains and receding floodwaters.

Caribbean Reef
Dive into the depths of the tropics at Shedd Aquarium’s 90,000-gallon Caribbean Reef, one of Shedd’s most popular exhibits. Check out the more than 70 species of animals that inhabit this reef, including butterflyfishes, stingrays and sharks.

Oceanarium
The 3-million-gallon saltwater Oceanarium at Shedd Aquarium is the largest indoor marine mammal habitat in the world. Beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Alaska sea otters and harbor seals thrive in a dramatic re-creation of a Pacific Northwest coastal environment.

Wild Reef
Be transported to a world hidden in the sea, a place imbued with allure and wonder. There is no other place in the world’s oceans as diverse as a reef in the Philippines, and guests to Shedd Aquarium’s Wild Reef will get a diver’s-eye view of this lush ecosystem.

Shedd Aquarium Special Events

Shedd Aquarium Ongoing Events

Tots on Tuesdays

Every Tuesday Shedd offers activities created especially for the preschool set. "Tots on Tuesdays" includes story times, crafts, animal touch programs, videos, costumed characters, dancing and singing. Times: Vary throughout day Location: Look for information posted about activity locations in the Kovler Family Hall (main foyer).

Shedd Aquarium Daily Events

Animal Encounters

Meet an animal closeup. Explore your connections to animals such as cockroaches, frogs, turtles, snakes and more during a live-animal program. Times: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Location: Look for information posted about the program locations in the Kovler Family Hall (Main Foyer).

Caribbean Reef Presentations

Marine Mammal Presentations

Go on a dolphin- and whale-watching trip. See some of the amazing natural behaviors of dolphins and whales such as diving, spyhopping and tail walking. Times: 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. (weekends and holidays) 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. (weekdays) Location: Oceanarium Based on registered group occupancy, seating availability will vary.

NOAA honors Shedd Aquarium
NOAA’s Fisheries Service announced that the John G. Shedd Aquarium will receive the Public Education, Community Service, and Media Award for educating and equipping consumers to make good personal decisions about seafood consumption, and educating the public about Great Lakes fisheries.
Nov 10, 2007 :