This week we visited the gorgeous new Wonder of Water exhibit at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago during a member preview. We are excited to share our experience with you as well as offer some tips for your visit.
Wonder of Water at Shedd Aquarium New in 2024
Shedd Aquarium’s Wonder of Water exhibit showcases intertwined fresh and saltwater tanks in the center of their historic 1930s rotunda. The stunning architectural details of the room compliment the natural beauty of the towering tanks. We circled the space again and again as we took in new details on each go-round.
Wonder of Water is Great for Everyone
Despite the palpable excitement in the air at the member preview we attended, we lost ourselves in the beauty of the two underwater landscapes. Whether you are interested in aquatic life, aquascaping or architecture, we believe you will find something to love at Wonder of Water.
Our kids particularly enjoyed the live video feeds they could watch through four periscope viewers. Controls cleverly set into the periscope’s sides allowed them to move the camera to look deeper into each tank. They could even select certain aquatic elements for more information. As parents, we also appreciated that we could easily adjust the height of the viewer for each person’s comfort (and to save our arms). Our kids could have spent hours at these viewers, and we loved them too.
Tips for Visiting Shedd Aquarium and Wonder of Water
Shedd Aquarium’s new Wonder of Water exhibit is scheduled to open to the general public on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. We expect that it will be popular. Fortunately, the circular space seems to accommodate crowds.
Still, we recommend checking the ticketing page on the Shedd Aquarium website (sheddaquarium.org) while planning your visit. Not only can you purchase timed tickets for the aquarium, but you can also preview estimated crowds for future dates. The ticketing page even warns you if a football game or concert is happening at nearby Soldier Field, so you can plan around traffic!
The Wonder of Water exhibit is just up from the newly re-opened main entrance. These are two of the most recently re-opened areas at the evolving Shedd Aquarium, so pay attention to signs as you navigate your way past some continuing construction.
In addition to Wonder of Water at Shedd Aquarium, we suggest visiting the neighboring Amazon Rising space. This exhibit has also been redone for 2024, and it is beautiful and engrossing. For all of our best tips for visiting the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, please see our article Top 5 Tips for Visiting Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. In that post, we cover things like where to park, what to do first and how to save money during your visit.
Thank you for reading this post on the new Wonder of Water exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
We hope you have found this information helpful, and we hope you get a chance to visit Wonder of Water and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago soon. Do not forgot to check-out our Top 5 Tips for Visiting Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. For another great Chicagoland attraction, we also suggest Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 5 Bright Tips for Visitors. And please, subscribe below to get future articles in your inbox. Thanks again for reading.