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All 635 Chicago Attractions »

Shedd Aquarium

1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
312-939-2438
Ranked #52 of 323 attractions in Chicago
4.0 of 5 stars 662 Reviews
Type: Aquariums
Owner description: The recreated environments of the Amazon River and Philippine coral reefs at the Shedd Aquarium are only outdone by its newest exhibit, "Wild Reef -...... more » Owner description: The recreated environments of the Amazon River and Philippine coral reefs at the Shedd Aquarium are only outdone by its newest exhibit, "Wild Reef - Sharks at Shedd," one of the largest and most diverse shark exhibits in North America. « less
Useful Information: Activities for young children, Activities for older children
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662 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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Date Rating
Oxford, Michigan
Top Contributor
57 reviews 57 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2012 NEW

It costs $137 to take 2 adults and two children to Shedd. Plus, $19 to park! There are some very cool exhibits at the aquarium, but it was over-shadowed by the extreme cost! You can see everything in 2-3 hours and I'm not certian we will go back. I mean...it's fish! More

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See 10 more reviews by dvmharris for Chicago
Grand Rapids MI
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2012 NEW

We visted Shedd on a Sunday. Overall we thought the aquarium was nice. The best advice I can give is to print your tickets online ahead of time. We went on Mother's day, and I don't think too many people were visiting, and it was a great day to go. We arrived about 9:45am. Since we had printed our tickets... More

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See 5 more reviews by jballtraveler for Chicago
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2012 NEW

I grew up in Chicago, but I hadn't been to the aquarium for a long time. The general admission ticket is inexpensive, although it doesn't let you in to see the special exhibits. But if you just want to see the sea life, it's a real bargain. Be prepared for crowds of excited school groups and a fair amount of... More

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See 2 more reviews by Davanden for Chicago
Orfordville, WI
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 8, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This is the place to go in Chicago! The habitats and quality of care the animals get is amazing. We went on the Behind the Scenes Tour and got to see the labs where water quality is tested and other interesting stuff. Including other animals not on display. We were able to interact with the dolphins through the glass, and... More

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swansea
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2012

My husband and I visited Chicago at the end of April 2012. On one day we decided to do the planetarium, aquarium and Field museum in one day as they are all very close together. The aquarium is brilliant. There are lots of different species from around the world. We were very impressed with the Anaconda, jellyfish, seahorses, sharks, spider... More

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See 9 more reviews by kt1979 for Chicago
Chicago
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2012

What a variety of fish. I've fished and snorkeled all over the world and its great to see these animals up close and in one place. Not the same as seeing them in the wild but it always brings back memeories. More

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See 7 more reviews by Bob S for Chicago
1 review
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2012

If you see a hawk, don't expect anything to come of it. More

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Chicago, Illinois
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 6, 2012

Went to visit one day in February. Love all the fish tanks and especially the jellyfish exhibit. Want to go back! More

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See 13 more reviews by HappyinChicago45 for Chicago
Fort Wayne, IN
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 5, 2012

The aquarium is a fantastic mix of fish and water animals from all over the world. The aquarium is very clean with many benches to sit and rest or just to take it all in. Instead of waiting in the long (2 hour line on Saturday morning), we went in and bought a membership. Now we can go back and... More

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See 4 more reviews by Greenfrog86 for Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 4, 2012

We went specifically to see the Jellies exhibit. In order to see the special exhibit, you have to pay extra for the "full experience," which also includes the Aquatics Show and the 4D movie. Our tickets were $50 each! The Jellies exhibit was astoundingly small, the Aquatics Show was dull and disappointing, and the museum was so crowded you could... More

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See 2 more reviews by ConstantTravel for Chicago

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