Shedd Aquarium
add photosFun aquarium in downtown Chicago. The Polar Play Zone is a playarea where kids can explore icy caves or dress like a penguin. If your kid's like the song "Baby Beluga", they'll love the beluga whale encounter experience.
65 Reviews for Shedd Aquarium
6
70 families found this helpful
"Expensive, but worth it"
Yes, it's expensive, because it takes a lot of money to keep up these amazing animals. I paid $80 for an individual membership, and went twice in the week I was in Chicago. My preschooler was my free guest, and my 1.5 year old was free. Avoid free/discount days, which I think only apply to Illinois residents anyway. To get membership you skip the hour+ line that forms by the afternoon, and all the best stuff you have to pay for anyway. To go once for me was $61, so to go twice the membership was clearly worth it. A bus takes you to the aquarium, and the food court downstairs was very reasonably priced and food ok. And everything is indoors and warm. We got around fine with a stroller, but I asked the staff frequently how to get places. Not every elevator takes you to every floor.
The Polar Play Zone is a great playground for little kids. So good that my kids weren't interested in the penguins, beautiful beluga whales, and playful sea otters. The Wild Reef to see the sharks and stand on top of the sting ray tank is also a must. My preschooler liked the dolphin show, but there is very little dolphin jumping, and a lot of explaining how they train the dolphins. My 1.5 year old was NOT interested. They do show a live video feed displayed in the background so you can see what's going on close up no matter where you're sitting. The 4-D movies don't spray water, which I takes away from the 4-D effect, and the Happy Feet movie has a fairly scary moment when killer whales almost kill the penguins. I thought it was going to be a happier movie. Good thing there are three movies to choose from. The website doesn't say, but members pay $3 per movie. Luckily when we went it was buy one get one ticket free. I would skip the Jellies exhibit if I had to pay separately for it. It's better than the Camden Aquarium (but can't equal their shark tunnel), and far far better than the New York Aquarium.
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0 families found this helpful
"Amazing, but expensive & crowded"
My advice: go on a week day if at all possible! We had a hard time moving around inside because it was so crowded. It was very expensive, but worth it in my opinion. I'm a huge marine life lover! I recommend buying tickets in advance.
Best feature: the abundance of exhibits
Cons: no nursing area/station, expensive
1 family found this helpful
"Great for kids young and old"
If you live in Chicago, a membership is more than worth it. If you're visiting, this is a must see for your kids. My son and I are there at least once a week. He just turned 2 and he absolutely loves it. There are lots of exhibits where the glass goes all the way to the floor, so little kids can really get close to the action. There's also a play area for kids by the penguins along with booths where you can have lunch. You can either bring your own food or buy at the cafeteria - I recommend bringing your own as the cafeteria food is pricey and not so good. There's a new place with better food but its also pricey and only open on weekends. Spring for the Fanatasea tickets, its totally worth it.
The staff at the Shedd are really helpful and super friendly. I could not recommend this more for families with young kids.
0 families found this helpful
"Lots to see!!"
We had a really great time at the Shedd Aquarium!! Their is so much to see there! So many amazing creatures everywhere you look. Right when you walk in you are greeted by an enormous salt water aquarium with shark, sting rays, etc. If you have time check out the Fantasia Show. The Baluga whales were our favorite part!!
0 families found this helpful
"Fishy!"
This is the nicest Aquarium I've ever been to. I went in high school for an all day field trip and it was so wonderful. The tanks are huge and full of interesting creatures. There are usually shows that you can sit and watch; they're usually pretty interactive. I highly recommend visiting here is you're in Chicago and have time.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun for all ages"
The Shedd Aquarium is such a beautiful and fun place to take your family. There are so many different exhibits to see with such a variety of creatures. There really is something for everyone. We took our son when he was a year and a half old and he just loved watching all of the fish swim around. It is also great for older children, they really can learn a lot about different environments and learn about all of the neat creatures they have there. With any downtown attraction it can get expensive quickly with drinks, snacks, and souvenirs.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun place for the kiddos"
We took our daughter here when she was 1 yr old and again when she turned 3. She had a lovely time here on both occasions. We always buy the all access pass to see the dolphins and penguins. The admission is a bit on the expensive side so it may be worth looking into family membership if you plan to visit often within the same year. The second time we went on a free day. General admission is free on free days. You only need to pay a little bit extra for an all access pass. It is a great deal but the crowds on free days are crazy. It took us an hour to get to the ticket counters. However, the weather was good so our daughter did not complain.
0 families found this helpful
"Beautiful fishies and sea creatures"
My family took some out of town guests to see the Shedd Aquariam. We initially purchased just the general pass and began looking around at the different aqariums. The first several were beautiful, but quickly got redundant. If you are planning on spending some time there, I suggest purchasing the all-access pass which allows you to see the dolphins, penguins, etc. The building is beautiful and the location is fabulous, but fish are only exciting for a brief period of time. We enjoyed the aquatic show and the kids got into the 4D movie.
1 family found this helpful
"The Shedd Aquarium"
The Shedd Aquarium is a fun trip for all ages! We even took our daughter when she was just a year old and she loved watching all of the fish. Older kids will appreciate the informative exhibits and hands-on activities. The aquarium is easy to get to, not a bad drive from the Chicagoland suburbs. The only downside is that the aquarium is one of the more expensive family attractions in Chicago, and I know that it gets very busy on free days!
1 family found this helpful
"BEST AQUARIUM"
This is the best aquarium that I have ever been to. It has so many activities for young kids to get their hands on. The exhibits are easy for little ones to see and get close. They even have dolphin shows. if you don't want to get wet don't sit up front. :-) The layout of the place is very easy to get around and find bathrooms. It is also kept up very well and clean. Be prepared tp spend a lot of time there.
'11
0 families found this helpful
"Amazing, but pricey"
The Shedd Aquarium is RIGHT on Lake Shore Drive, in the heart of Chicago. It's a great aquarium with some really amazing animals, but it is very pricey. I'd recommend looking for discount or free days, but it's very crowded on those days, so be prepared. The dolphins were our favorite part!! And it's hard to resist a cute stuffed orca whale from the gift shop.
0 families found this helpful
"Go Fish"
We love the Shedd! What a great place to spend family time. It is pretty pricey but I did some research and found that in January and February of 2011 they have over 20 free days...including all next week! We are going to try to go again during a free day. Though the place gets packed we are just patient and enjoy a cheap outing!
0 families found this helpful
"fish lover"
Shedd aquarium is great especially if you live in IL. We have family in Chicago so we go to keep the kids entertained they have free days which is a great time to go if you have never been I believe they still have a military discount. If you go on a day that is really rainy it will be pretty empty and you will get more 1 on 1 attention since alot of families wont come out in the rain. This is great for anybody who loves marine life. Its great for all ages
0 families found this helpful
"such a good memory"
we had such a great time here - my 5 year old was able to touch a dolphin!!! It was great - practically empty the day we went and we got tons of attention from the staff. We had our baby with us too and I felt really comfortable finding places to feed and change him - we really enjoyed our day here
0 families found this helpful
"Awesome!"
This place is great! I love going here! The workers are great! If you get in on a Free Day, it's a whole lot better! The gift shops are really cute & the resturants are good too! I had a blast being here. The admission doesn't cost too much either. I can't wait to go back!
0 families found this helpful
"Great place for families"
The Shedd is a huge aquarium that I had been to a few times with friends and family in the past. My husband and I went with our 16-month-old son, my husband's sister and her husband. I love the Shedd because there is such a wide variety of animals there and it is broken up into different regions (Asia, Australia, South America, etc). Our son had a good time, but I think it was a little bit too big for his attention span. He liked looking at some of the animals, but it was very busy and crowded. Would definitely go again now that he's a little older! Food is a little expensive here also.
0 families found this helpful
"amazing!"
Growing up in Chicago I had alot of field trips to this aquarium and its absolutley wonderful! Its big so make sure you wear comfortable shoes and bring the camera! Food and drinks can be pricey so have some on hand in the car for after your trip! A membership is the way to go here so you can come back all year long.
0 families found this helpful
"Love the Aquarium!"
I love going to the Shedd Aquarium. It's not the cheapest, but you can stay there for hours and hours looking at all of the amazing animals. Kids are fascinated by it and it's a great learning experience. If you're in Chicago, definitely go to the Shedd Aquarium.
0 families found this helpful
"Great family fun"
This is a great place to take the family. The Shedd Aquarium is not huge, but there is plenty for your family to do. There is everything from itty bitty fish to massive dolphins and whales that can be seen in this beautiful aquarium right off of Lake Michigan. The aquarium can be a bit pricey, so keep an eye on thier website for free days or discount days throughout the year.
0 families found this helpful
"If you love fish you will love this!!!"
Talk about a neat aquarium!!! There are so many things here to do that you're kids will be busy for hours!!! This museum will take you the whole day so be prepared to enjoy many different species of sea life from around the world! My favorite thing at the aquarium was the Beluga Whale exhibit. It is a tank where you can go below and see them swimming in the water and then go on top and see them coming up for air. It was very neat!!
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