Went here about 2 years ago now, but loved visiting here and cant wait to go again. I dragged my brothers with me and they ended up having a good time too. Lines were pretty long but they moved quickly and the staff was nice.A great place for kids to learn about lots of different reptiles, mammals, & sea life!

Wonderful experience to have come to this aquarium. It’s a place where you’ll see a lot of different species from all continents. It’s so beautiful to see how they have every single one of them living in a space that’s conditioned as their habitat. Very well maintained. You’ll also see friendly workers trying to help you with anything you need, as you walk through the building. I recommend it to everyone!

Clean and well aware of social distancing. Great bathroom and safe ways to open doors without touching them. Aquarium is an amazing site to see and is 100% worth the trip. Stingray touching exhibit was open surprisingly and I got splashed by them. Overall a very fun experience for the family and I.

Great place to visit, highly recommend if youve never been its worth the cost. The facilities, despite having distance restrictions is impressive. Millions of gallons of water being held behind glass and acrylic very awesome. Take your time going through, take it all in, many of the ecosystems in the world are being ravaged, and facilities such as Shedd are trying to keep them going through research and conservation.

Excellent Aquarium, everything you would hope for animal-wise with a healthy looking penguin habitat, some baby belugas, a stingray touch tank and incredible attention to detail put into the lighting and fixtures. I had a great time with my mom and my girlfriend, we only spent about 3.5 hours there but when the shows are running Im sure we could have spent the whole day!

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.

This is a great and Interactive place for a Family, Friends, Date outing. Im visiting from out of town and I appreciate all the necessary measures they are taking due to Covid-19. Just to make sure the aquarium experience was pleasant for guest as well the employees. The day i visited It wasnt pack at all and everyone kept to themselves and social distanced. Almost every corner had a sanitary station which i appreciate because youre gonna need it especially if youre touching the fish tank Glass. I appreciated the employees that consistently reminded the guest to keep their mask on. They werent rude about it just informed the guests its for their own safety.One of place i enjoyed was the Caribbean and Shark exhibit.

Great trip to Shedd. They did a great job with social distancing, and they fish were very well displayed. Was very impressed with the facility and people there. Due to COVID is was pretty deserted, so I guess it might not have been as much fun if there were thousands of people packed in.

Amazing aquarium with so many species! I did not realize how huge this place was until we went. You can easily spend hours here and have fun! Definitely check this aquarium out.

Wonderful time. Just beautiful inside!Such a great visit. I highly recommend...I went with my daughters, and my grandchildren...The shark exhibit, we all went in 3 times!Just loved the beauty there. Felt safe, & highly entertained. Learned about so many species. The colors, shapes, breath taking!

The place is very well organized during the covid-19 times. The employees make sure the masks are put on at all times for all visitors. The restrooms are super clean and sanitized. They have hand sanitizer all over the building with a no touch foot pedal. Employees keep sanitizing the high touch points. Only one family at a time in the elevators. Go during the week days, very less crowd. We loved watching the baby, mommy dolphin and the sting ray touch. The only dissatisfaction is that the aquatic shows are cancelled. But overall had a great time.

It was nice to get away without having to leave the city. Very enjoyable visit.

My step daughter had a blast despite some of the COVID19 restrictions. Due to the pandemic most of the main attractions were temporarily down. Stingrays, jelly fish, penguins, polar bears and beluga whales and so much more!

Amazing experience watching all the aqua life here. Very well maintained. You can get student discount with a valid student ID. Please give yourself a room of 3 hours at least to explore the whole aquarium as it is huge.

Everything and more that you can imagine at this aquarium! The sea life and Great Lakes exhibit was really cool, we even got to touch the stingrays. Friendly staff and comfortable environment, definitely recommend visiting!

Its been over 20 years since Ive last visited. I have to say I was fascinated with this return visit. The Carribean Reef was updated. That stone facade that they used to have around it is gone, and you get full view of everything. You dont have to look through various sized openings. The place seemed bigger...maybe its because only so many people are allowed during this pandemic. The Wild Reef was new to me, and I really enjoyed that. I decided to check out the Shark 4D film. That was pretty nice, and let me tell you. They start the film on time, so if youre straggling, youll miss the beginning of the show. It was very relaxing just walking through, and Im seriously contemplating on becoming a member. Its definitely worth checking out.

Quite amazing, i was thinking its going to be another aquarium like sea world aquarium but this one definitely has more to offer. Some amazing collection of fishes, turtles and sea creatures which I saw first time. I was using Citypass and one 4d show was included in it.

An excellent place to visit! Some minor adjustments to crowd flow to factor in for social distancing guidelines were in place and honestly made the visit that much more enjoyable. Go see the new baby dolphin!

Loved it! Love the variety of aquatic life they have there. Absolutely love that they have Beluga Whales and Dolphins! Penguins, Otters and Sea Lions! It was phenomenal!! Ill for sure visit again!!

Very lovely place to visit, varieties of aquatic species. Well organized and lovely staff.

This Aquarium is absolutely beautiful! I had the best time. I got to touch a Sting Ray. We saw sharks, whales, tortoises, penguins and so much more. We got to do a 4D experience. Just not a bad word about this wonderful place

One of the best aquariums in the country; spectacular variety of creatures to see, in a very well laid out facility. The geographic centric displays (Great Lakes fish, SE Asia fish, etc etc.) in the main rotunda surrounding the Coral fish tank is marvelous...Along with the sub-level MASSIVE shark tanks and. Just really cool overall place; great for couples or families.

Fun family trip to the Shedd Acquarium! All the safety measures in place. Totally worth it to see the Beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, penguins, Caribbean reef, sting ray touch, and all the beautiful fish! The Shedd architecture is absolutely beautiful! Unfortunately no shows with the sea animals currently offered; that was a disappointment as it was always a family favorite. All the kid play areas and experiences closed down, also a disappointment (penguin play place and touch a star fish). Otherwise a fun visit. I highly recommend a visit!

Still one of the best places to take the kids just to get out and have a good time! I love how there are lots of places to sit and relax when you get tired of walking, or want to have a bite to eat! That’s the best part, u get to bring your own lunch! Prices are high for food there if you’re taking a group of kids. Been having a great time here since I was a kid!

Wonderful experience to be here! We got tickets online at discounted price tickets general admission for Illinois residents which awesome! The aquarium is clean and well maintained with shops for souvenirs, food, beverages and more. They have special tickets for special show but having general admission is still great cause you can tour most part of aquarium like see the penguins, the adorable beluga whale and a lot of aquatic life!

I went there with my boyfriend it was great the exhibits are so amazing

A great place to go. Some areas and events are temporarily closed due to the pandemic. It takes 2-3 hours to look at all sections. The water looks a little cloudy at some sections (for example, the water tank of beluga whales). If you love taking photos using digital cameras and would like to take great animal photos here, I recommend using an apsc or full frame camera with f2 lens (or faster). A shutter speed of 1/200s or faster is highly recommended.

The aquarium is a wonderful place with with lots of species for us to observe.It can be a little confusing trying to find the belugas because the arena area is usually roped off.Be careful bringing children here because there are a lot of shops with toys in them right alongside the exhibits and so the kids might start associating the aquarium with materialism and excess. I wish the shopping aspect of the experience was better isolated from the learning aspect.

I went to the aquarium, pre-covid life, so I cannot speak to the adjustments that have been made, but when I did go, it was absolutely amazing! They have a large variety of displays and a multitude of animals. We also went to the dolphin show and it was amazing to see what the dolphins could do. This is the most expensive aquarium/zoo that I have ever been to, but considering how nice it is, its easy to understand why. Definitely put Shedd down as a must have for any trip.

Brilliant day out. Couldnt ask for more. Loads to see and do. Plus veiws from cafe where outstanding

Kids loved it, 4d ocean monsters show is awesome, must watch. 4d shark movie was lame I think.. dont bother. Aquarium has tons of types of fishes from around the world. We loved the beluga glass enclosure. Watched the seal/beluga show- Was good. Our family favourite was shark tank.. got awesome pictures there, also got to see two sharks fighting. And the SAW-Fish in shark tank is the largest and most awesome. I have posted its picture too. You can buy Beer in Cafe and walk with it in aquarium. Kids can also touch starfish and there are hand washing stations next to them.

They were so good at social distancing and allowing people to come in at the designated window. Only a couple of times I felt crowded but I was able to quickly get away and then circle back around to the parts I missed. I love the beluga whales and just watched them swim around for a long time. It is such a beautiful aquarium and we are lucky to have it in Chicago!

Love this place so much. Miss going all the time and I cant wait go back.

The museum was not as good as I was expecting a lot of stuff was blocked off because of Covid-19 and what would could see wasnt as good as we were anticipating. Also navigating the facility with a stroller was more complicated than it should have been

Lots of space to roam around. I like how oragnized this Aquarium is. Only downfall I would say is, I paid extra for the 4D Shark movie & they dont tell you that all the effects {water, air, bubbles, etc} arent being used. So it was just a 3D movie.

A nice, socially distant visit to the Shedd. Very little interaction with others there and tons of time seeing new, beautiful creatures with my daughter. She definitely enjoyed it!

This is a must visit place in downtown Chicago for aquarium lovers. Huge aquarium hosting lots of variety of fishes and animals from all around the world. Kids can experience the sea life at the 5D shows. Also lots of other attractions to enjoy the aquarium. Plan minimum one day visit to Shedd Aquarium. Last but not least, there some special price passes for our Chicago residents during certain days of winter.

This Aquarium is gorgeous! Not only was it great to see all of the fish and animals, but the staff did an incredible job during this pandemic. There were multiple workers sanitizing surfaces during our visit and there was hand sanitizer available at multiple locations. Make sure to wear a mask over your mouth and nose at all times (employees are enforcing their rule ) and make a reservation before you arrive.

Fun for kids, the feeding of the fish was fun to watch. I was hoping the turtle has a place to get out of the water sometimes. I think its name was nickel. Interesting types of fish, frogs and a couple of snakes. Liked the spitting fish. Watched the aquatic show. They had a baby with mom u can go watch after the show. Area for touching fish and one to touch other creatures.

It was Amazing and I really enjoyed spending time with my wife and children. We had so much fun and Im so glad we went. I cant wait to go again !

The shedd aquarium is a world class aquarium. Great for kids and adults! They are doing great with social distancing and keeping the exhibits open and clean. Seeing all the fish and other creatures is a lot of fun and exciting to see.

Awesome place to get some type of normality to life right now. Not at all packed able to see all the exhibits without wait. CDC guidelines on plane so your fine no worries go have fun.

Great view ,nice sea life and daily dolphin shows. Currently closed due to COVID

Loved the museum. Took 4 1/2 hours to see everything. Offers valet parking for $30 which is a steal. Only $5 more than parking yourself.Free complimentary wheel chairs to borrow. Elevators in multiple convenient locations.

Shedd Aquarium was delightful. No food is available but a quick bite of snacks from home on the patio outside was tolerable. It was not crowded and fun to visit without crowds!

Covid has really changed the dynamic of the museum. I will not be returning until things change

Absolutely loved this place. Had a lot of different sections covering a wide variety of species.Prefer taking the city pass if you are trying to cover the museums as it is cheaper and you don’t have to wait in the long queue

Very good covid rules....just some attendees arent clued in to social distancing. Great displays and learnind opportunitities. And take time to get pictures of the skyline from the north side of the shedd. We rode divvy bikes there. A rack right outside.

Visited with my 7 year old. Pretty magical! Spent three hours here, could have easily spent another hour. Loved the sea and land show, and seeing the beluga whales. The dolphins were awesome, they are so smart and curious and stopped to check out my daughters stuffed monkey. I wish we could have done the Touch a Stingray but its only opened seasonally. Its $8 to rent a big locker. The 4-D movie was short but neat and worth the $4 something it was to watch. They have a neat penguin play area for younger kids!

The dolphins and sharks were amazing to see so up close.

This place is so amazing to go with family.We really have fun great for children

Large aquarium with large pools with beluga whales, penguins, dolphins, and otters. They also have over 100 other smaller pools/ exhibits. Two things I didnt like: 1 there is no clear path to follow to see everything. In places, they have arrows in the floor but not everywhere. 2 When we were ready to leave, we didnt want to take the stairs in front. We were sent to go out the back towards the mantaray petting area. That meant we had to walk a lot to get there. No consideration for people that have bad knees!

Always a great place and the Beluga whales are amazing.

Fantastic aquarium! Very safe, cool and comfortable while walking around with your mask on.

There was enough space for everyone to meander freely. Guides and helpers all had great attitudes. Ill definatly make it back soon!

Amazing place, a lot to see, we couldnt touch the stingrays but did the rest of it. The pinguins are adorable and the belugas breathtaking. Definitely come back when my daughter is older.

Amazing place, my pictures says it all.

Had such a good time. Sea horses, penguins, dolphins, all kinds of fish.There is a great exhibit about life in the amazon .The beluga were not about but the dolphins put on a great show.I havent been in a few years and the improvements were definitely noticed.Unfortunately two negatives. One is there was a purple type of hair like algae in with some of the salt water tanks that is not good, its deadly. I only know this from my own experience with my own tanks. Its not good and destroys coral. Under the circumstances in nature today, if your just going to put something in a tank to die then you should leave it in its natural habitat.Second, I am from New York. Its tradition for us to go to aquariums every place we visit. Its important to support the positive work they do. But I have not paid $40./per person. And that because I live out of state. $25. For residents.I get they need the funds but gouging the the out of state people is crazy. Not to mention the amount is absurd. The idea is to get people involved with museums, art, conservation., not push them away. Thats a big ticket for a family. And Im sorry to say this, as much as I enjoyed the day, it was not worth that much money. I have been to far better and did not pay that.Anyway, if you do go learn about whats going on in the world. Dont just walk around aimlessly. If your gonna spend the money you should get all you can out of it

Very fun to see beluga whales, dolphins, sea horses, sharks and more. However, it doesnt take too long to go through the whole aquarium, probably 90 minutes.

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.

Omg it was wonderful. They made sure we had on are masks.. it was clean the fish and ducks and sting rays was everywhere it was so beautiful.. you can take so many beautiful pictures.. I had a ball and can’t wait to go back

Shedd Aquarium has a great variety of of aquatic species from around the world. This place includes a beluga whale exhibit, otter exhibit and penguin exhibit aside from the usual fish tanks youd see at an aquarium. Reptile exhibits can be found throughout the other tanks as well. It is strongly recommended to purchase your admission tickets online to bypass the line which can take a while. All bags are searched at the entrance.

Fantastic aquarium. It is is very best place. A aquarium is very big. It is many big and small fish. Aquarium fish is very beautiful.I am visiting in America is before pendemic with my family and friends. America is a beautiful place and very enjoy my family.

The 4D experience is definitely not worth it. Don’t waste your money! They didn’t have any shows going on while we were there and some of the exhibit glass was very filthy.

#FAMILY TIME!!#PRICELESS!

I left it in his place because it was a awesome place to go with my kids by the way I gave her a four-star and a half

I definitely loved coming to this aquarium! It is such an awesome experience for anyone of all ages. Seeing these beautiful creatures makes me appreciate life even more. There are lots of exhibits everyone can enjoy but my favorite is the dolphin exhibit! I am such a lover of dolphins. I would definitely come back here when everything is back to normal.

The exhibits were great. Some people were talking their masks of but the staff were pretty good about asking them to keep them on. I do wish there was better flow control as people did seem to bunch up. All in all though pretty fun. Took about three hours to walk it.

Took our son for his 2nd birthday and it was a good experience. The dolphins werent available due them being pregnant so that was a bit of a bummer. The 4d shark movie was awesome! Everyone had a mask and kept their distance and the aquarium is kept clean and has a lot of sanitation areas. And its pretty empty now that they have times for people to go!!

Great place to take your kids or spend a cold day in the city. They have a wide assortment of fish species from all over the world thats logically laid out. Personal favorites were the Carribean Reef and the Shark tank. The Dolphin Show was nice, but only lasted about 15 minutes and lots of talking throughout, so if you arrive and the available times are later in the day, I wouldnt recommend waiting to go. Nice aquarium overall!

Great place to visit. Amazing clean and conscientious about social distancing!

Good aquarium. Not overwhelming. Easy to digest in an afternoon. Have some good in depth exhibits and the show that is included in admission is very informative and entertaining. Organized, clean and well-kept. Professional, knowledgeable and courteous staff. Wasnt too crowded when attended on a snowy weekend day.

A fun family visit. Often has free days, but they tend to be very busy. This building is smaller than other museums, so pace yourself and enjoy every window. You can speed through the Sheds Aquarium in an hour or casually stroll through in a few hours. Extra exhibits/shows require tickets. Supports a great cause and positive research.

Amazing experience! Fun for all ages.

I will visit again when they have a full staff and able to keep up with the husbandry of aquatic life. Amazing layout and beautiful exhibits. Some algae bloom is to be expected... But the cyanobacteria and dirty tanks. Not at all acceptable

It was good to visit the Shedd Aquarium during this pandemic as most of the usual exhibits were open for viewing and experiencing. This is completely opposite of what we found when we visited Brookfield Zoo a few weeks ago, where very few exhibits were open for viewing/experiencing. Most of the zoo was closed due to the virus situation. It wasnt really worth the time to go there. It is worthwhile going to the Aquarium though!

Amazing. I LOVED this place! Next time Ill have to bring my kids. Only thing i think they should do is list EVERYTHING they have in each tank on a sign. I saw a lot of things that I couldnt find names for.

My family and I LOVE the Shedd. From exploring the reef display (stingrays and sharks) to seeing the dolphins to touching the stingrays! Its such a great place. As with any tourist attraction, the Shedd Aquarium is expensive. You have to save a few dollars to experience a great time. However, when we visit, there is never a dull or boring moment. We love it!

Four stars only because this place is a bit pricey when you consider that parking comes at a premium! However, my daughter and wife loved this place. So for that reason this place gets 4 out of 5 stars. The exhibits were phenomenal! There is lots to see! Three hours was no where near enough! You also get free tickets to a water show and active military get in free!!! Good stuff!!! So although a bit on the expensive side especially for a family of 4 its still good to go and check out.

Amazing feeling ... like summer never ends!

It is a nice place to visit with family and friends but due to covid some things are closed. But overall a nice experience my little one loved it.

Very nice museum , it has many kind of fish , take ur kids with they will enjoy it . They have free days every Monday Tuesday Wednesday in October.

The Shedd is leading the game in terms of accessibility! I was treated to a very lovely dolphin/wild life show that was sensory friendly. Wish more museums were on the same level.They also house a great variety of animals in this building with tons of info available if youre curious. The layout is very convenient and the staff is very helpful. Highly recommend if youre looking to explore one of Chicagos many museums.

Had an excellent time well worth the price.

Great field trip for the family... even with masks and social distancing.

I definitely recommend coming here! I visited on Friday and loved every second of it! They have a baby dolphin and baby beluga whale that were adorable!

Big variety of fish. Special exhibits. Dolphin shows available. Beluga whales are there too. Very spacious. Kids love it. In the summer time you can touch stingrays. Big cafeteria. There are Illinois residents free days too. Places to park your strollers. Wheelchair entrance available. Separate place to touch fish.

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.

Amazing aquarium the best I’ve been to. So many things to see and explore! Had so much fun and I loved that it’s free for military and their spouses plus an extra guest! Seriously love when museums and companies support our troops! I hope to come here again some day soon!

Another aquarium in another city. Nothing special about it except the sharks. The city pass gets you to aquariums, this was one of them. The only reason I went to get a good look for the city skyline which excites more. Great location, I must say.If weather permits, bikes are available to get back to city through Lakefront Trail which has amazing views.

This is a great place to visit. Very clean and well worth the admission price. There is plenty to do for younger kids. It will also bring a smile to us older kids as well. Do yourself a favor and purchase the tickets in advance. The line to buy tickets there was the longest part.

Very clean and organized, but a bummer some stuff was closed due to Covid. Staff was polite, tanks were well kept. $30 for parking, but was relatively close to the aquarium. Love Shedd Aquarium!

Beautiful aquarium with all kinds of beautiful fish. Its kind of pricey, but for what you get, its totally worth it. So much fun!

Went to the shedd with family yesterday. It was a free event for residents of IL. Parking was jacked up to $30 thou. Its humongous and amazing !! Do get ready for crowds on the busy holidays and weekends. Enjoy the pics and do visit !! There are cafes in the aquarium for snacks and food.

Beluga whales were cool and the penguins seemed pretty relaxed. Lots of people on here complaining of them having whales here yet its an aquarium? Of course theres gonna be whales?

A must see in Chicago is the Shedd aquarium. A learning center for children and adults. The variety of marine species is amazing. Belugas are the favorites for their size and beauty!

I’m sure under normal circumstances, this Aquarium is a great place to visit. However, if you’re on the fence on deciding whether to visit or not because of COVID, I would recommend against it. Due to needing to book tickets in advance for a particular time, and based on what I was told on the phone, I thought that they would have reduced capacity (like the Field Museum at 25% capacity) in the facility. We viewed the exhibits from afar because of how packed it was. We were still able to see everything, but we weren’t comfortable enough to stay longer than 30 minutes.Obviously we understand that we’re in the middle of a pandemic—we were just led to believe that capacity would be much more limited and would make it easier to keep our distance from others. We visited other attractions and felt incredibly safe while following their procedures.

Its fun here and I wish I had more time to explore every part of the aquarium. A little expensive though for out of county visitors. You would expect there to be a huge fee difference with out of state visitors as opposed to just out of county.

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

Excellent service from staff, very friendly! The marine life and animals looked well taken care of and happy!