Shedd Aquarium Reviews

Went on the free day. No cost to enjoy this great attraction. $20 parking. Love this place

I was extremely disappointed with my experience at the aquarium. It was overpriced and overcrowded. Seeing the otters, whales and penguins in such small & dirty enclosures was heartbreaking and there was no effort to educate people on the animals wellbeing and conservation efforts. If they are doing any good, it s not advertised at all. I definitely would not recommend going here.

Beautiful. A relief to finally see an aquarium where animals are kept humanely. The beluga whales and sting ray petting area are standouts. Recommend arriving before noon to avoid crowd and to catch the aquatic show. Expect to spend 2.5 to 3 hours here.

Amazing aquarium! Lots of options, big, great service, excellent staff, good price. Beautiful! Kids loved it

There are so much awesome marine life to see!! Plus the staff are super knowledgeable!

This is a great place to go if you want to visit an aquarium. Top notch, loved the animals. Dolphin show was very nicely done.

Very nice aquarium experience. It's better to book your tickets in advance though. We went on a day when the entry for Chicago residents was much discounted so the queue was very long. Thank God we bought our online tickets and took the print out along so we could skip the queue.
Also the aquatic show at the Oceanarium is a must see. So Consult the timings first and reach early to book the show tickets from a kiosk inside. It's free but the seats are limited hence need to be booked in advance.
All the sections are actually nice. We especially enjoyed the Touch the Sting Ray experience too. The museum is very nice and has the lovely Beluga whales that are so rarely seen in aquariums anywhere. We watched the Belugas, mesmerized. They are such grand lovely creatures.
Do visit. It's one of the best place to see in Chicago.

If you are visiting Chicago, this aquarium is a must to see! It is totally worth it.
Be sure to reserve a spot for a dolphin show. It is included in the ticket price.
PS Their online site is a mess. It is not organized very well and impossible to purchase tickets, so you can't skip a long line!

Excellent experience. This is the most beautiful thing you'll see second to seeing these animals in their natural habitats. Ticket prices may seem a little high but it's well worth the money. You will see 4d movie, dolphin and whale show, many hands on experiences. We spent 5hrs there and could have done more! There is a food court... it's expensive for cafeteria food. The gift shop was cute and moderately priced.

Amazing Aquarium! So worth the money in my opinion. All employees are extremely nice and helpful.

Great experience! Kids loved the land and water show. Get there early to beat the lines. Line up early for the land and water show to get closer seats.

This was the site of my first date with my wife. Nearly 20 years later we are back in the area and were able to share this special place with our kids. They have done a wonderful job since re-opening post-COVID shutdown - complete surface cleaning twice per day, full recycling of indoor air throughout the day and limited access through appointments only. We felt safe and nearly had the place to ourselves. Made for the best visit, and my kids loved it.

Awesome. All about aquatic and non aquatic life. 4D experience, sting Ray, star fish, wild reef, live show - everything was great. Must visit .

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.

Good place for families if you have a a large family but the family year pass

Full disclosure: we went during a free day so it was very busy. The beluga and dolphins were super cool. The crowds were a bit overwhelming for my daughter but I'm sure it isn't always like that.

One of the best aquariums in the US that I've been to. It's right near Lake Michigan so it's beautiful inside and out. The facilities were clean and the kids loved it. I love going here.

One of the best places to visit in chicago.Dolphin show was amazing.

Always a great place to visit. Plenty of things to keep kids and everyone else entertained

One of the best aquariums in the country. Wonderful displays.

Had an awesome experience, looking forward to coming back. The dolphin show was wicked cool.

Very nice place, staff members put place neat and clean. There are hundreds of fish and other sea animals.

The dolphin presentation was cool, but not much else was that interesting. It would definitely be a fun family experience.

Great exhibits, lots of fun, pretty crowded. So get early to actually have the time to walk around the many halls and sit for the live shows. Extremely long lines to enter but once you make it inside it's just wonderful!

We got there nice and early. The best part of the aquarium was the two hours we had before the school groups arrived...

Always a great place too go , by yourself or with family

Really nicely put together but for a tourist trao they arent very congenial. I was very off putted by several employees. It was dreadful weather the day I went but that wasnt factored into how people were being treated. The only really nice people were custodians!

Cool place we go maybe once a year with all the kids, if you check the times before you go they do some free shows that are actually pretty fun.

The exhibits are amazing and with the ongoing research projects very interesting it is a pleasure for visiting anytime.

Aquariums are great. But I also feel guilty going there because it's like a prison for the creatures that live there. Sorry for maybe bumming you out a little bit? But yea it's an aquarium... Enjoy

Good. looks like they changed the way they charge you. You can now visit the entire place for a flat fee which is more convenient. Parking near this place can be tough.

A must see if you like sea life and are in Chicago. It s also a bargain of a price! The Shedd has a wide diversity of sea critters, amphibians, mammals, insects, and birds! My favorite exhibits were: the dolphin show, the sting ray touch pool, the sea otters, the penguins, and the Wild Reef. Also, the cafeteria was great because it offered so many choices.

Beautiful, fascinating and super interesting! Everyone who is interested in Sea life will have a good day here!

Great for kids, still worth it for adults. Clean, well organized, but expensive food. ABSOLUTELY buy tickets in advance online. It saved me a two hour wait. I just went to the express entrance and walked right in.

I got there with a free general admission (being part of an organization that does give you that privilege). I am not sure what's the deal with the huge line at the entrance (even on weekdays). If you just walk in you can stand in line for at least an hour. Fortunately I could skip some of the line because I had that free entrance thing, but they still make you "buy" a free ticket (are you serious?) so you gotta queue up for the "will call" line which is shorter but still a nuisance. They are surely super slow at the ticket desks even though there must be like a dozen clerks. I noticed that people with printed online tickets didn't have to wait as long - but who knows if some of them still get stuck in the main line.
So, what is called "general admission" gives you only access to the basic stuff, but you could pay upgrade to see more exhibits. I decided to check the first floor first, and then maybe upgrade after, which I didn't.
So, the actual fishes were interesting. I give them that. OK.
Well noted, I had free admission, so it was still worth the while. But paying between 30 and 70 bucks for their regular entrance fee? No way, it is not wort this.
What I liked best? Getting out of this dark crowded maze, enjoying the park and lakeside, and feeling the satisfaction that I had saved on the ridiculous entrance fee.

WOW!!! The staff works extremely hard and I see they have great compassion for the water-life and the environment.

Great aquarium with a cool viewing area of the beluga whales

What an amazing place! Worth every penny! The kids had a blast, and so did us parents. We drove about 7 1/2 hours to see this and the Brookfield zoo, and we are NOT disappointed.

This is one of the best aquariums in the country. It has one of the best animal shows that I've seen. The arena and pool for the animal show sit right on the edge of the lake. The seats look like they're made of stone so it feels like you are sitting on the edge of the lake to watch the show. there's a special part of the aquarium dedicated to the great lakes, Caribbean, rainforest there's even alligators. There's a small restaurant Cafe. Food look good and prices we're a little high but not out of line for being inside the aquarium. Food outside in the food stand was priced about the same. The aquarium sits right next to the field museum so you could park once and visit both venues in the same day. I'd recommend at least 4 hours to visit this beautiful aquarium.

Beautiful place to visit. Lots of interaction for kids.
Great informative show. They have on site restaurants, but be prepared to shell out serious cash if you'd like a snack. There's plenty of gift shops, and prices there are what's to be expected.
Admission is a shock at first, however you will spend so much time there it's well worth it.
4 starts due to over crowding which causes it to be stuffy and and hot.

Good. Took alot of pics and it was not overcrowded.

Lots of cool exhibits I really like how you can walk underneath the swirling ball of tiny fish that was really cool. I've been to a lot of aquariums and this one takes the cake is probably the best one I've seen yet. It was a little crowded but it is Chicago you know?

Awesome aquarium!! Totally worth it!! More fun than any other place if you like animals and of course Fish!

Love it i took 3 small childern after 3pm and it was perfect.

PLAN YOUR DAY - Make sure you see the beluga whales and the dolphin shows. Everything else is gravy. Well laid out and worth coming back to again and again.

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.

Aquarium was great, just rude visitors kind of spoiled the experience. To many strollers running into people, nobody wants to wait to see anything, everyone pushing there way by. Seems like some people where rushing to get through the building. Food was way overpriced and did not have any flavor. Don't waste your money eating here as it was very disappointing.

Enjoyed Jazz at the Shedd. Sat at the lake and totally enjoyed myself.

This place is fantastic. We became members after attending for the first time. The staff are great and it is obvious they really enjoy what they do and the enthusiasm is contagious. My son loves everything in the ocean life so I am happy to have such a great place near by. I highly recommend taking your family soon.

Very entertaining for kids and adults. The dolphin show is very cool. Good for at least a few hours. Its better to buy the city pass than buying a ticket separately.

Pretty fun place. Lots of stuff to see I had a good time. :)

Excellent exhibits and plenty to see and do. Spend the extra money and see the 4D movies.

Really beautiful place with hundreds of animals and exhibits, but sadly they have whales and dolphins :(

Good for entertaining kids and family . The dolphin show is for a shorter duration of 20 minutes. Otherwise good.

Loved the place, one of the Greatest creations of God. Beautiful world of underwater under one roof. Must for all.

Fun place with a diverse selection of aquatic animals. Beluga whales and dolphins are the best part of any visit. Otters are a joy to watch too. Some tanks seemed a bit dirty the last time I was there, but it might just be the way they should look naturally.

Very nice. I enjoyed all of the exhibits and the dolphin show and animal demonstrations were so beautiful

This is an amazing aquarium with lots of exhibits and things to see. There is things for both adults and kids and it well worth the price of admission. It is a bit on the pricier side but once you experience it, it is money well spent. Plus you can always check online for discounts and illinois resident free days!

Very informational! You must watch the dolohin show!

To be completely honest, I wasn't that impressed. I have been to the Ripleys aquarium in South Carolina and that was an awesome place; a lot cooler and nicer than this one. Maybe I had too high of expectations but I just was not impressed. Also not a fan of dolphins and a whale being there after watching the documentary Black Fish which shows how horrible it is for these types of animals to be kept in captivity.

We had a great time, formerly know as the largest aquarium's in the world yet it doesn't fall short of that title when you visit today! I took my family and they had a wonderful time, plenty of updates to existing exhibits and a lot of new features as well. The makeup of the staff is as diverse as the city which I was really happy to witness. Crowd control was decent if you take today's day in age into account. The pricing isn't at a point where low-income folks could swing it without putting themselves out if I'm being honest, which is important in order to set the proper expectations. Had a great time as I mentioned, didn't encounter a bad attitude or less than desired customer service...but we did pay for it at the same time! - totally recommend you check it out as this is one of the few places you can visit to see some of the world's aquatic wonders you only get to experience through shows like blue plant or plant earth. The She'd Aquarium is well worth it for the experience, especially if you are taking the family...highly recommended!

Simply the best aquarium I ve visited...and yes, better than Monterey Bay.

I grew up going to the shed aquarium but hadn t been back in over 20 years. This time was my chance to take my two kids under two and honestly didn t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that they had a lot of different options for kids and ways to keep them engaged in the various showcases.

The only downside was the price of admissions and the fact that it didn t include all of the fun activities that the aquarium had to offer. Tickets were about $40 bucks a person, and at that price, I would rather you just charge me $10 more upfront than trying to nickel and dime for extra shows and activities.

I have been to 15 different Aquariums and this was the Worst Aquarium that I have been to! After paying $40 to get in and purchasing a Snow Globe for $37 they wouldn't give me a bag to put the Snow Globe in unless I bought it for $5 Lol!!! So needless to say I did not purchase a Bag! Plus the Selection of Marine life was Very Subpar!!!

Awesome aquarium. I used the City Pass to get it. Totally worth it if you are visiting multiple attractions of Chicago.

One of my favourite places to visit in Chicago. An incredibly detailed and inviting aquarium full of all sorts of vivid and abstract creatures.

The exhibits were amazing and plentiful, I had fun learning about the different fishes and their names. I didn't see any penguins however, don't know if they had them.

The only downside to the aquarium is the parking. Other than that everything is great. The entire family can enjoy themselves.

Tbh I am a huuuuge fish nerd. This aquarium ticks all of my boxes. Not only do they have great collection of rare fish, they have great info to go with it. It s a reasonable price too for what you get. If I m being picky my complaint is that the arapaima exhibit was way to small for those fish. Overall I recommend adding this to your to do list in Chicago.

Excellent aquarium with all range of aquatic life. Exciting activities for all ages. Highly recommend.

My most favorite place in Chicago - well maintained and informative. Choose a right day to get easy admission to all shows

Took my girlfriend and her kid to visit here. It was really fun and the kiddo had a blast. The employees were amazing to her and very thoughtful. If you have a kid, I would recommend going here for sure. As for adults, it isn't much different from other aquariums I have been in in my lifetime and is a bit expensive at $40~ a head for adults. (I think the exact price was 38-39?) That being said, there is a nice selection of fish and is still a fun visit. Do yourself a favor, if there is a taco stand outside when you visit, eat there! The guy there makes AMAZING burritos and is so friendly.

We got the general admission pass for $8. The main attraction was OK. There was one display right at the front that was really cool, but the rest of the displays were just so so. The building is beautiful.
It was also extremely busy. The regular line was a 2 hour wait to get tickets. We were in the handicapped access/stroller line which was still 45 minutes long.
Parking was easy but cost $19 for 4 hours.
I might go back if it weren't so busy.

Lots of amazing stuff to see here, including underwater creatures you never knew existed. The shows are pretty entertaining, but probably even more so if you have children. Food options are limited and pretty pricey, but I suspect they know you don't really have another choice once you're there. Worth a visit.

A lot of great exhibits and shows. Great rainy day or any day activity.

It can be pricey but it is a great family activity. If buying tickets online, be careful if comparing tickets to membership prices. You can be double charged, but can get ticket price refunded. Can not the membership

The dolphin show was amazing. There were a lot of people there so it was very frustrating because I was tripping over people and it was very crowded

To be honest, I really believe it's overpriced. However, it is a very nice aquarium with a lot of great exhibits. We got there early and got to watch a lot of animals being fed which was a nice treat.
Just be aware, you are paying the ticket price, PLUS $25 to park as well.