Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium is a major public aquarium on Chicago’s Museum Campus, originally opened in 1930 as a gift from John G. Shedd. It is one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world and combines permanent habitat galleries with educational programmes and temporary exhibits.

Galleries recreate tropical reefs, river systems and open-ocean habitats; notable exhibits include the Caribbean Reef, Wild Reef and Amazon-themed displays, plus a large oceanarium for marine mammals and larger animals. The aquarium’s collections include freshwater and marine fish, invertebrates, reptiles and marine mammals.

The institution has grown through several major expansions and continues to operate as a leading public aquarium and research partner in aquatic conservation.

Located on the Museum Campus along Lake Michigan near the Field Museum and Adler Planetarium in downtown Chicago, the aquarium is easily accessible from the lakefront and city transit.

• Animals: Scale of collections
• Details: Houses tens of thousands of animals representing hundreds of species across freshwater and marine habitats, with both indoor galleries and outdoor exhibits.

What to See #

• Abbott Oceanarium: Abbott Oceanarium - large outdoor/indoor marine mammal habitat and viewing areas for aquatic species.
• Major galleries: Caribbean Reef, Wild Reef and Amazon Rising galleries that recreate tropical and coral habitats for fish and invertebrates.