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+1
One of the best aquariums we have ever been to! So clean!!! Absolutely beautiful! We did the sharks 4D film. The touch tank was so cute. Saw the beluga whales. Really great experience
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Date of experience: October 2020
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+1
Although temporarily closed as I write in January 2021 due to Chicago Covid restrictions, it was open at reduced capacity during November . Tickets at $40 for adults and $30 for kids aged 3 to 11 can be had for half price if you can show Chicago residency (hey! that's us! yippee!). It would be an expensive day trip for a family with kids coming into the city. We caught a local bus on State Street that stops at the Museum Campus but there is ample paid parking available.. We chose tickets for 12 noon admission and there were only 4 people ahead of us when we entered. Mask wearing was an enforced 100% which was reassuring and social distancing encouraged. Hand sanitizer stations were plenty. We hadn't been here in 20 years so the most disappointing( but understandable ) feature-the giant deep water pool on the ground floor, wasn't featuring the usual tiered crowds watching trainers put dolphins thorough their aquatic gymnastics to rapturous applause. We decided to start at the lowest level which is the bottom of that huge pool where dolphins and Beluga whales swim around in circles and can be seen up close. The glass isn't clean enough to get crisp photos alas and the creatures swim too fast. Photographers may have a hard time getting their shots. Kids (many of those) will be delighted! Penguins are a plenty and always entertaining. As are the otters, swimming on their backs. There are elevators to take you from one floor to another or you can use the stairs. One family group per elevator. Stay in your bubble! My favorite section as I wanted to take some colorful photos was in the Coral reef area where there were colorful fish and jellyfish in small, clean glass tanks. The cafes, some of which afford great views out to Lake Michigan were roped-off per the no indoor dining restrictions. I was impressed by the number of helpful staff around the facility to guide you or answer questions on the sea creatures. We only stayed 90 minutes including a stop at the well-stocked gift shop but felt very Covid-safe during our time there. We passed on the 4D movies to save time. They cost $5 pp. Next time! We will return once Covid protocols are relaxed, hopefully have lunch there and spend more time enjoying the exhibits.…
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Date of experience: November 2020
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Although the inside experience was very good, waiting outside with 100 people in line ALL WITH THE SAME TIMED ENTRY was terrible. Then the scanning of ticket process was confused between city pass entrants and shedd online tickets. Very disappointing.
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Date of experience: October 2020
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
I took two elementary aged kids on a Saturday. It was a great experience from start to finish. We started with a 4D movie. It was excellent in quality and kept the kids intrigued. We enjoyed every exhibit from the seahorses to dolphins. Social distancing was enforced and masks. The staff that’s placed strategically throughout Shedd aren’t afraid to give gentle remainders. Hand hygiene stations throughout. Although, it was a typical busy day in Chicago I felt safe and protected. It’s worth packing a lunch with a beverage due to limited options at the cafe. I also was impressed with staff members throughout aquarium to help with way finding. Worth the money. We forked out $30 for Valet because parking is difficult for a novice in Chicagoland. 2 thumbs up to the StingRay exhibit. Definitely a place for the young and old. …
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Date of experience: October 2020
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
We spent almost a whole day at Shedd, could watch the otters, penguins and dolphins for hours. We learned that the aquarium is offering free admission to Illinois residents during October on Mondays through Wednesdays. That did not apply to us so we went on Thursday and we practically had the place to ourselves. Very easy to social distance and everyone was masked. One cafe was open, my sandwich was marginal, but I did take it downstairs and ate in front of the dolphin tank which was very relaxing. There were lots of docents available to give additional info, just ask them! We've been following Shedd's penguins and other animals on Instagram since shutdown began, and it was really fun to see them in person. Tip: We used the SpotHero app and found discounted parking right across Michigan Ave, a short walk away.…
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Date of experience: September 2020
1 Helpful vote
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