If you're staying in town and plan to visit multiple attractions in the Chicago area (we’re looking at you, people with visiting relatives you’ll be squiring around town), it’s worth it to look into a Go City - Chicago  sightseeing pass to save money on entrance fees to attractions like the Navy Pier, Field Museum, the aquarium, and Adler Planetarium.

Here are our favorite features of the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago for kids and families.

 
The Caribbean Reef Tank in Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. Photo courtesy of the Shedd Aquarium

Main Floor Shedd Aquarium Attractions

As you enter the Shedd Aquarium, the first thing you'll notice is the giant Caribbean Reef tank. This giant underwater ecosystem is home to sharks, a giant green sea turtle, cownose rays, angelfish, butterfly fish, and more. The variety and action of the Caribbean Reef could easily take up the first half hour of your trip. You'll also often see a diver in the tank feeding or caring for the animals inside.

Around the tank are a series of galleries, each with a different theme. We recommend doing these first—they're darker and older, but still have a lot of interesting information and unique aquatic life. Many tanks have touch screens to help kids learn more about the creatures inside the tank.

The "At Home on the Great Lakes" area shows fish that you might see in Lake Michigan, just outside the aquarium's walls. This is interesting for those of us who have always wondered what zebra mussels and Asian carp look like after reading so much about them in the news. Our kids' favorite was the Amazon Rising exhibit, which shows how the waters of the Amazon rise and fall with the seasons and features animals like piranhas, tiger rays, emerald green tree boas, and Amazon milk frogs. 

The Oceans exhibit also features some of my favorites: the seahorses, whose tiny fins rotating and tails hanging on to seaweed always fascinate me, and the giant octopus with tentacles pressed against the glass, are fun to read and learn about. 

 
From the exhibit Underwater Beauty, photo courtesy of the Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium Attractions on the Ground Level and Wild Reef

Take the blue or green staircase from the main floor to enter the ground level, which currently sometimes holds special exhibits. During the summer months, you can also go outside to visit the stingray touch exhibit on the patio. 

Visitors can also discover another level of the aquarium by taking the elevator near the Amazon Rising exhibit to the Wild Reef. This feature explains how coral is a living thing that supports many other kids of wildlife. Larger scale tanks show off three different species of sharks, as well as wild-looking creatures like the humphead wrasse, crown of thorns sea star, and honeycomb moray. Adventurous kids will love to see spotted rays in a below-the-floor display where they can see the rays swim inches beneath their feet, while Pixar-lovers will enjoy the clownfish display with brightly colored Nemo fish.

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Photo by author Maureen Wilkey 

Best Exhibits on the Lower Level of Shedd Aquarium

If it was up to my four-year-old, we never would have left the lower levels of the museum. This is where you can see the biggest animals in the aquarium, like the beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, and sea lions.

The lowest level is primarily made up of underwater viewing for these animals, and my daugher loved dancing next to the beluga whales as they circled the tank. The playful sea otters were fun to see from both above and below. Remember the penguins that toured the empty Shedd Aquarium at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic? They now have their own picture book, and you can visit them on the second lower level. We even saw penguin keepers streaming a demonstration on penguin play while we perused the exhibit.

 
See the penguins on the lowest level of the Aquarium. Photo courtesy of the Shedd Aquarium

Kids also get a chance to touch the backs of starfish and pretend that they're penguins or submariners in the Polar Play Zone. The faux ice floes and many-buttoned submarine were big hits with my son, who prefers interactive play to looking at animals. The play area is best for kids five and under, but bigger kids may enjoy the chance to find all the starfish that light up or reading the many descriptions of polar enivronments in the lower level.

Another highlight of the trip was the Animal Spotlight in the Abbott Oceanarium. This show features a different animal every hour and keepers teach the audience more about the animal while showing off its special skills. We learned about beluga whales, including their echolocation and breath-holding abilities. At only ten minutes each, this is a great chance to get kids off their feet without losing the momentum of the trip. Seats fill up, so if your kids are picky about being in the front row, arrive early. 

Tips for Shedd Aquarium Chicago: Getting There, Food, Restrooms, and the Gift Shop Situation

• The best bet for public transit is to get on the #146 Museum Campus bus, which makes stops along Lakeshore Drive, Michigan Avenue, and State Street on its way to the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium. You can also walk from the Roosevelt L stop, but it's a long walk if you've got little kids.
• If you're driving, we recommend parking in the Adler Planetarium parking lot before 9:30 a.m. For the whole day, you'll pay $15. Park in the far northwest spots to get the closest to the aquarium.
• When you arrive, we suggest going in the main entrance, especially if you're not toting a stroller. The accessible entrance will be helpful if you can't navigate stairs, but you'll need to immediately get on the elevator to the main floor.
• You can bring in your own food to the Shedd Aquarium, but you'll have to eat it in one of the designated dining areas. There's a vending and table area near the accessible entrance, or you can visit Soundings Cafe for coffee shop items and sandwiches or the Bubble Net Food Court for an array of kid-friendly meal options. Kids meals run just over $8 and include a side and a drink. Our kids' favorite was the chicken fingers; we agreed that pizza may be the best deal for a grown-up meal at around $9. More expensive options run up to around $15.
• Go early for lunch—we waited in a one-in one-out line for about 10 minutes just before noon, but the line was probably closer to 20-30 minutes by the time we left.
• Each level has family friendly bathrooms, but on the main and lower levels they are at one end of the building, so plan ahead if you're venturing toward the opposite end. 
• The main gift shop is on the main level just north of the lobby, with a second fairly large gift shop near the exit of the Underwater Beauty exhibit. We managed to find fun trinkets for each kid for under $10, but be prepared to pay upward of $20 for a stuffed animal version of your child's favorite aquatic animal.

Shedd Aquarium Tickets

Shedd Aquarium recommends purchasing tickets in advance, and you can do so on their website. Children under 3 are always free. Chicago residents are admitted for 50% off throughout the year, and in addition, Illinois residents are admitted free on select days throughout the year. Proof of residency is required.

Related: Free Museums and Free Museum Days for Kids in Chicago

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