Shedd Aquarium Reviews

The animals were nice and neat to see but I had reserved seats to see a show and I had to sit in the back because they over booked which is a nuance to me but a still pretty fun experience

A very lovely place. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and very friendly and happy to help. They have a lot of unique fish and attractions such as the sea turtle and beluga whale. My only complaint is the place is a little pricey, but aquarium maintenance is expensive so it doesn't surprise me.

Great place. They do a great job building living ecosystems. I do have concern when it comes to the dolphin and beluga whale exhibits. Ethical clarity was not great though education seems to be an intention.

The dolphins show was pretty good but everything else is interesting for about the first 5min.

Beautiful building with so many varieties of sea creatures inside. You can see sharks, jelly fish, whales dolphins, etc. Also can do extraordinary experiences like feeding sharks behind the scenes, touching a penguin, and more. A must stop location anytime you are in the city!

Pros, Cons, Tips, Skip the Long Lines!

The Shedd Aquarium is the largest indoor aquarium in the world with over 32,000 aquatic animals. You can touch stingrays, watch divers, see feedings, and hear sea lions. See the turtles, sharks, whales, penguins, dolphins, and piranhas. For an upgrade you can go behind the scenes for animal encounters and even help with the feedings. Rated by US News as a top attraction. Do not miss the Shedd.

Tips: Fun for kids! In a half-day you can see a few exhibits but to explore all the exhibits takes at least a day. You can get in for only $30 but you will miss all the fun. Full adult Admission is $40 and the Express Pass is $55 so consider CityPASS at about $100 to skip the lines here and at the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Art Institute, Sears Tower Skydeck Chicago, and John Hancock 360 CHICAGO.

Asleep with the Fish: For about $100 you can spend an amazing night! Bring your sleeping bag at 6:30 PM and stay up to 8:30 the next morning. Or for $40 just spend the evening. Kids love this. The Shedd is a totally different experience after dark.

The Behind the Scenes Tour is $55 each but only $20 if you get a CityPass. It is 50 minutes and so worth it. Also, from here, you can walk along Lake Michigan to the Adler Planetarium or Field Museum.

Cons: The Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and Field Museum share parking but from November through April it can be long, windy, and cold walk. Also, this is incredibly popular. Lines can be over an hour. Get there when they open to avoid the lines if you don t get a CityPASS. Finally, it can be loud with all the happy kids.

We were recommended to Shedd Aquarium for some down time we had in Chicago and it makes total sense!! It's close to other landmarks which makes it incredibly convenient to visit. We had such a good time here! We watched the show, which was fantastic! It had a little bit of everything, which made our whole experience so enjoyable!!

Great place for fun with kids and family . Lot of animals

Had a lot of fun. Learned some stuff. All around a great experience.

It is a very nice aquarium. They have many different fish species. Good family fun.

Great place to visit with family and friends! Luv it!!!

I love this place.

That being said, I'm a little disappointed at some of the petty Google reviews I've read. You people do realize that the admission helps critically endangered species, some of which pretty much only exist in aquariums like these right?

The long lines are just a fact of life in Chicago. Come early and you won't have a problem. Don't expect to just show up at 11 or so and get right in. You need to be here at 8:45 or have a membership.

Some of you are saying there isn't much to see. Well you people are just plain wrong. Either you have too short of an attention span or can't appreciate the beauty of nature. Important work is being done here behind the scenes.

Okay. Rant over. I wasn't expecting such negativity when I came here to write a review.

A must to visit in Chicago, architecture of the building is stunning, and the view is beyond amazing! Lakefront and buildings are very unique, love the belugas show and the stingray touch in summer...

This is still one of my favorite attractions in Chicago. I've been here twice before but it never gets old so I always make sure to include this in my itinerary whenever I visit Chicago. I just think it's a very calming place to spend the day exploring and watching all kinds of water creatures floating around. This enormous facility has hundreds if not thousands of live species on display and each aquarium has its own description of every creature. In addition to the aquariums, this attraction also has rare amphibians, adorable penguins, cute otters, and mesmerizing beluga whales and dolphins plus an immersive 4D Theater.

I prefer exploring on my own without the guided tour but they do offer amazing "behind the scenes" or "interactive" packages for extra $$. They also provide a complimentary map to help plan your visit but I strongly suggest to come early to make sure you have enough time to see everything. I had a City Pass so admission was included plus a bonus pass to one of the 4D shows.

I normally start at the Caribbean Reef which is a 360-degree display of an underwater reef community. It's fascinating and relaxing at the same time to watch all kinds of fishes, sting rays and even sharks circling around. I can sit here for hours just staring at this gigantic aquarium. The other must see exhibit is the Polar Play Zone where guests can watch the Beluga whales and dolphins swim from the bottom of the tank. This section also has the adorable penguins' display which the kids love. You can also see the Belugas and dolphins at the top including several sea lions by visiting the Abbott Oceanarium which also features the live Aquatic Show. Just make sure to reserve your spot early especially if you came with a group.

There's definitely a lot to see at this attraction and it's well maintained. The staff and security are also very helpful and professional. Highly recommend for first time visitors.

An incredible aquarium for sea creatures in a fresh water area. The staff here was knowledgeable and helpful and it's really not that expensive. We paid the extra cost to see the movie (kind of a waste) and the whale/dolphin show (this was a lot of fun). The animals are invited to participate in the show, but not forced, so you can tell the animals love doing their tricks. The rest of the aquarium is great too with a lot of sea creatures to see!

Although the attractions are nice. Pricing is horrendous! 4 slices of pizza, a apple,2 sodas, 2 beers equaled $80!!! For that cost, I could have gone to a better establishment and had better tasting food

Not just for kids. Adults will really enjoy the Shedd as well. It's easy to miss the exit as it is not marked as well as you might expect.

Hands down my favorite aquarium! Loved the belugas and got lucky to see the baby belugs only a week old. Lots to see and do. Spread out perfectly so you could see everything without feeling crammed or rushed. Went on Sunday july 8th. Expect to spend 4+ hours here with plenty to do. Lockers to store stuff as well.

Great museum with lots of marine creatures to see and learning activities for the kids. Good one to go to when there are other things you want to do in the city. We didn't see any of the extra exhibits, so we made it through the whole thing in a couple hours. A 20 minute dolphin show is included.Food in the food court is overpriced and so-so, which is par for places like this where you can't leave to eat and come back.
Shedd is also involved with animal rescue and rehab, so all-in-all it's well worth the trip .

Nice aquarium. A bit cramped, but lots of variety. Food at the cafe was really good also. 4d movie was fun and short. Good for kids I'm sure.

Best aquarium in down town Chicago..there is a 4d theatre inside ..also some aquatic shows which will definitely entertain the visitors. Also there is food counters which will be good for visitors since the visit need one whole day to complete

Got engaged here, it was pretty cool. They even set us up a candle light dinner over looking the otters with some great tasting champagne.

Brought the kids here on a free day. I suffer from social anxiety but the crowds weren't nearly as bad as I expected. Their variety of species is amazing. Great place to visit!!!

It's a great experience but it's not worth the cost unless you have a significant discount. I love what it offers but not at it's price tag

Great aquarium. You should plan on spending a whole day here to see everything.

Good place to visit... spend a lot to discover what is in the ocean.

Large, expansive Aquarium. I love marine life, and spent the whole day exploring the exhibits. The outdoor exhibits felt a tad underwhelming.

Had a good time here with my girlfriend. She loves this place. Hope you enjoy long waits though as this place had a line out the door and down the steps. We ended up ordering tickets online while waiting to skip the line.

What a place! The best place for an aquarium to be in the city! The Architecture is historic yet magnetic for me.

This is a great place to spend a day looking at fish and animals from the world over

We enjoyed a full day of family fun. Lots to see and do.

Amazing place. I was overwhelmed by the size of this place. The facade itself is magnificent. This you must see here - The dolphin show that happen every hour or so, the aquarium, the penguin area. It was a $30 ticket when I went there and was worth the money. Right on the shore of and overlooking Lake Michigan, this is a nice-to-visit place if you are coming to Chicago for the first time, especially if you are an animal lover.

They have as much open as possible and good directions and precautions. Had a great day and the baby dolphin was a big hit!

Shedd is a beautiful aquarium informing the public about aquatic geography and animals. Large but can be crowded. Can be a little pricey; buy tickets online to skip the line, especially in the summer season. Eat before you come as the food is expensive and is just okay.

I love the touch tank for the pike (Great Lakes), and of course the pengiuns, otters, & Arctic animals. I skip the whale/dolphin show because it makes me sad (and is extra). Younger children may like it. There's also a seasonal stingray touch tank outside.

I love the Shedd Aquarium! It holds most of my favorite creatures. Prices can be a bit high but it's well worth it, no matter if your taking the kids on a day trip to the city or your taking that special someone on a date you cant go wrong, plenty of amazing aquatic creatures to look at and learn about, I recommend going when they first open so you beat any of the field trips that are scheduled for the day.

Great place for a 4 and 7 year old. The show is fun for kids. Lockers are all day (can be opened multiple times, $5/small, $8/large.) Parking on street is cheaper, but hard to get (between Shedd and Adler planetarium.) Valet was full, only a few bucks more than soldier field structure.

Very good variety of fish but not very fun for small children

Great place to enjoy with family or friends
Jazz night is a great night to visit

A great museum from the City, but with City caveats. Great exhibits, cleanliness, and information services, but off site (yet close) parking at City rates. Make a day of it and visit here and Adler or Field and it'd be a fantastic day.

Great aquarium in the downtown vicinity. Plenty to see. Very child friendly.

Excellent exhibits and a stunning range of not only exotic but native animals give us a broad view of the natural aquatic habitat all over the world. Personally inspired me to fight for the protection of the Marine environment.

The is the most amazing aquarium I have ever been to!! I would highly recommend bringing the family here!!!

Such a fun way to spend the day with your entire family!! Word of advise... Sneak snacks and drinks in your purse!

Fun place. Loved the dolphin show.it was excellent. And the staff is super helpful.i accidentally booked my ticket for the next month and they changed it instantly without any extra charge.thank you guys.

The Aquarium is a good place to visit with kids. It has a good collection of fish and other species. There are two different tickets, general admission and admission that include more exhibitions. Parking lot is payed so maybe it makes sense to visit the Planetarium which is close as well.

Good attraction for kids and adults. Look for Illinois Residents Free days to visit for free. Aquarium has lot of viewing options and varieties of fishes and other sea animals.

Acceptable quality especially for small children but not informative and/or impressive experience for adults. 80% of the exhibits are small sized aquariums with various fish, only a few larger tanks and no immersive glass tunnels - very different from modern aquariums internationally (Dubai, Japan etc) I would recommend it for a rainy day but with the lowest priority to visit of all other Chicago tourist attractions (Field, Science Museum, Adler Planetarium, Art Institute).

Absolutely love this place. I visited for jazzin' at the shedd, which is a summer event held on Wednesdays where you come in after hours to listen to jazz, have a few drinks and food and enjoy the scenery. All while you have an up close view of the exhibits without the big crowds.

Expensive. It was nice, but not worth the $39.95 we paid. A bit disappointed.

Amazing museum. Great exhibits. I loved the exhibit about the Amazon as well as the dolphin show. I highly recommend this museum. Good food in the cafe here. The tarragon chicken salad was tasty.

Superb aquarium! Beluga was definitely the highlight!

Just kidding this place is awesome.
This is a fantastic place to go to. A great place to be with your family or children. Make sure you check out Groupon to see if they have any deals. If you're planning to go here try and look up deals online beforehand.
The 4D movie about sharks is pretty subpar compared to all the AMC Dolby and 3D experiences you can have these days.
Make sure to get some good parking nearby we've been here on a windy cold day and man we paid the price for walking a lot.

The undersea adventure never ends. The John G Shedd Aquarium has many fish, amphibian and aquatic animals to study and view. Kids of all ages will love finding their favorite creature. Catch a 4D movie, Land and Sea show or wander through well thought tanks and displays. Bring snacks and drinks and plan to spend a good 4 hours to see it all.

One of the best aquariums I've ever been to. Beluga whales, sea lions, sharks, jellyfish, eels, dogfish, birds, dolphins, clownfish, angel fish, among others, and sting rays and sea stars to touch.

They even had a good food court/cafeteria with not exorbitant prices. I did, however, see when we left, an enormously long line to get in. So maybe get there early to avoid that?

Love this place! If you haven t been you are definitely missing out! Our summers always end with s trip to shedd.

Not worth the money. I was in and out in less than an hour. Exhibitions are outdated and the enclosed whales remind me of Shamu at SeaWorld. Will not go back. Not recommendable for tourist. Should be removed from the 'must-see city attraction' lists. Very disappointing.

Great place to be! Food is a little stale and overpriced but other than that experience is great!

They need to have a better system for entry. 2hrs is too long waiting to get into the facility.

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!

Entry fees is too high and not that big aquarium. Worthless

Amazing experience and establishment well taken care of, we loved the entire experience! The displays are made of things found in the water, e.g. fish made of plastic bottles and caps. They provide a stingray petting area, dolphin show and more!!!

Love everything here except the food prices/quality. Pack some snacks and plan for a full day of walking and exploring, many different shows too. Many interactive displays with good info. Never turn down a chance to visit as things do get updated!

A wonderful travel near sea & river creatures all around the world. You must visit it!

Was FREE for residents this month and I love how they allow you to also see the dolphin show at no additional costs either.

Ive been to better aquariums but this one was large and had a lot to,do

A lot of fun, very educational and entertaining. Also very expensive. Go see one of the four d movie's if you can, it's a very unique experience. We we're able to touch sturgeon, star fish, and sting Ray's which also splashed us. We watched the dolphin show, trainers with the beluga whales, and listened to several other informational programs.

Worth the price of membership if you have kids under 10 for sure.

This place is a good educational experience for children. Defenatly worth it to go on Friday or Saterday.

A great venue to relax, study and have fun especially with your loved ones!

One of my favorite places to visit. I always enjoy my time here. We purchased season passes this year. This will ensure we return many more times this year. We met some great staff today. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Everyone should visit the aquarium at least once.

Great place for kids and tourists, just get a membership or come on an Illinois free day to help with the budget because the tickets can get expensive quick.

Cute stingrays and AMAZING show
Land&water

Never a let down, always excited whenever I get the chance to go

Great assortment of fish and other aquatic life. Expect food and beverages to be pricey (it's downtown after all). You'll definitely want to take public transit or a ride share to get there (parking is pretty much non-existent). My favorite time to go is for Jazzin' at the Shedd, which is only twenty dollars (even for non-residents of the city). It lets you visit from 5-10pm, and there is an option for a boat ride to see the fireworks during the summer.

Fun place, lots of really neat things to see. But, everything is very overpriced. Bought 2 pops and a lemonade and it was $13. I definitely recommend packing a lunch and renting a locker.

Not as expansive as expected, and staff could have been nicer.

My toddler just wanted to see a dolphin for 4 second while you cleaned up the seats for the show. We said we weren t staying. Just wanted to say I saw dolphins

Still not nice to kick us out of the only spot to see them..

Great place for kids of all ages and adults alike! Aside from displays from around the world, there are several shows and hands on experiences.

Personally, I find it to be boring to view fish at the aquarium but everyone else in my family seemed to enjoy it. The only problem was that a person managing one of the snack stands, was noticeably annoyed and did not want to be there.

I love because we can learn how the acquatic animals living in the ocean, so for me is very interesting

Great place to spend a captivating few hours when it rains in Chicago. 9 year old loved it, especially the hands-on exhibits and the aquatic show.

Great place for kids ... lots of exibits and live shows ... coupled with 4d movies. Can spend half a day.. the trainers and the staff is helpful and can answer any questions you have.

Loved every minute at the Shedd. Sea lions, dolphins, otters, what more could you ask for? Be sure to schedule a ticket when you get there and stay for the show, so worth it!!!