Shedd Aquarium

Makes you want to get on a plane and travel to see the amazing places these species come from! We paid $40 for an adult and $30 for a child which I feel is reasonable. The exhibits are very well labeled and educational, many are organized based on regions of the world. Some of the shows aren’t happening now (July 2021) due to a COVID related pause. There are also some things that are an additional charge such as 4D movies or a virtual Humpback whale dive. There’s several gift shops and a cafeteria, the food is priced high but you should expect that. Great place for any age, I’ve been many times and it’s always fun to go back. On a nice day the views of the Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline are beautiful! There was a taco place, shave ice and hot dog stands just outside the entrance. We were there about 2 1/2 hours which seemed to be plenty of time to see all the general admission exhibits.

Such a great aquarium. Such a grand entrance and well laid out sections. I kinda liked having each section circling the carousel. It seemed to make things easily accessible and make it so it didn't feel so crowded. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Cafeteria area had a great selection with outdoor seating and cool views. The dolphins and beluga whales were definitely the hit for everyone. Will definitely make time to visit next time we're in Chicago!

I had an amazing experience. Made some great memories with my family. I love the view in the cafeteria area. The food can be a bit pricey, paid $20 for some chicken tenders and two drinks, but that’s cool. The restrooms were definitely clean. Barely anyone wore a mask. Overall I had a great time and it’s worth going. One thing I didn’t like was that once you buy the tickets you can’t get a refund but you can switch times and as a “refund” they just give you a ticket that you can use anytime you want to go back.

Overall I enjoyed the experience. Very nice displays of sea life.

However, beware, there are a lot of stairs along with some ramps. Elevators small for accommodating strollers and passengers. Masks not mandatory for vaccinated but no process in place for checking to verify. I wore my mask the entire time.

The food court was very crowded with one line. Food staff did an excellent job trying to keep up. At this time not enough staff. Also, no gluten free items readily available on the grill menu. The line leader kindly requested a cheeseburger for me ,without bun, and indicated to workers it was an allergy. Burger was very good! He was very kind to do this since he and others were very very busy taking care of others.