We love to visit the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois as a family. Now that we have lost count of just how many times we have visited, here are our top 5 tips for visiting with your family.
The Location is Spectacular, But Make a Plan for How to Get There
The Shedd Aquarium is located on Chicago’s Museum Campus directly on the shores of Lake Michigan. The aquarium boasts views of both the lake and the city skyline, and they are spectacular and possibly worth the visit alone.
The other great thing about the Shedd Aquarium’s location is that it provides easy access to both the Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium, both are direct neighbors on the Museum Campus. We rarely have energy for another stop after a thorough visit to the Shedd Aquarium, but you can certainly double-up if you want!
Public Transportation to the Shedd Aquarium
Chicago has an extensive network of public transportation. We could list your options here, but of course it depends on your initial location. The easiest thing to do is to put your starting point and the Shedd Aquarium’s address (1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Chicago) into something like Google Maps. You can select for public transportation and your desired times and review the options that come up.
A walk through the Museum Campus is usually very pleasant, so even something that gets you close can be a good option.
Parking at the Shedd Aquarium
If you plan on driving, the cheapest options for parking are usually street parking on East Solidarity Drive or the Adler Planetarium Parking Lot BEFORE 9:30am.
You can pay for hourly parking along Solidarity Drive at self-pay parking kiosks along the sidewalk (what we have now instead of parking meters). These spots are pretty convenient to the Shedd Aquarium plus the nearby Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum. These spots fill up FAST.
Another option is the parking lot for Adler Planetarium on the south side of Solidarity Drive just before you get to Adler Planetarium. If you enter the parking lot before 9:30am, you can leave your car there all day for $12.
The Entrance for the Shedd Aquarium is Under Construction
Shedd Aquarium is currently undergoing a lot of construction. At the end of November 2024, we accessed the entrance by walking towards the “half-circle drive” on the south side of the building and following the signs from there. The main entrance to the Shedd Aquarium had just recently opened, but the area around it was still behind construction fences. Keep your eyes open and check the nearby signs.
Reserve Your Tickets for the Shedd Aquarium Online
Because of that construction around the Shedd Aquarium’s entrance, buying tickets on site is a hassle. We recommend buying your tickets and reserving your entry time before you head to the aquarium. Once there, you can show a printed copy of your tickets or pull-up your ticket QR code and quickly scan-in to the building.
You can purchase tickets at sheddaquarium.org, and there is also a page listing possible discounts. You can check that page to see if any discounts apply to you and your group.
Start Early & Low, Especially If You Are Visiting the Shedd Aquarium With Kids
You can see from the section on parking that arriving at the Shedd Aquarium close to opening time has the potential to save you some money. We also think it is the best way to enjoy the aquarium with low crowds. We like to reserve tickets for the first time slot and head into the Shedd Aquarium when it opens. From there, we start at one of two popular areas.
Best Place to Start with Kids: Polar Play Zone
If we are visiting with kids, we almost always start with the “Polar Play Zone” on Lower Level 2. This area has interactive exhibits and play areas for kids, and we think it is best to visit these before things get crowded and wild. There is kind of playground where young kids can pretend to be penguins and an “underwater” ice cave and play submarine with all kinds of buttons and switches for little hands. Our kids also love the spot where they can gently touch sea stars.
The backdrops for all of this fun are the tanks for the beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins, plus enclosures for sea otters and penguins. We love observing these fascinating animals while our kids have fun.
Another Excellent First Stop at the Shedd Aquarium: Wild Reef
The other place we sometimes start is the Wild Reef. This area is incredibly well-done and usually very popular, so we like to get there before the bulk of the crowds. Plus, Wild Reef is currently accessed only by an elevator which frequently always has a line, so it is best to try to beat the crowds there.
The exhibits on the Main Level of Shedd Aquarium like At Home on the Great Lakes, Oceans, and Amazon Rising are all fantastic, but the space here is more open than it is in Wild Reef or the Polar Play Zone. Because there is more open space, we find these exhibits easier to navigate, even with crowds, so we save them for later in the day.
Consider Bringing Your Own Food
The Shedd Aquarium will allow you to bring your own food into the building. We like to pack a lunch and eat it at Soundings Cafe on the Ground Level. Soundings Cafe takes full advantage of the beautiful view from the building. Rather than restricting outside food in the cafe, the Shedd Aquarium actually requires that you enjoy your food in designated dining areas. This is our favorite one of the bunch.
See a Show at the Abbot Oceanarium
The Shedd Aquarium makes frequent and wonderful presentations from the Abbott Oceanarium on Lower Level 1. These are incredibly well done and informative shows, and you can look out over the water of Lake Michigan as you wait for the presentation to start.
Thanks for reading this post with tips on visiting Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
This post is a departure from our other posts with advice on Disneyland, but the Shedd Aquarium is a destination we know well, and we are happy to share our tips with you. We hope you make your own visit to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois. If this post is popular, we will do more based in Chicago and other destinations. Please consider subscribing below. Thanks again for reading.