We did it! We finally made it to the Shedd Aquarium and I’m glad we waited as long as we did because it was a gorgeous day! Getting there was a bit tricky however since most streets connecting Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Dr. were blocked, and the museum campus can be confusing. I can’t imagine how the poor tourists handle it when us Chi-town natives get turned around! But eventually we made it and best yet, we secured free parking by the Adler Planetarium which is walking distance from both the Shedd and the Museum of Natural History. Usually you have to feed the meters, but not on Sundays.
When we got to the aquarium there was no line whatsoever. They ask for your zip code when you’re buying tickets and we always give my parents’ (not sure why), which unbeknown to us got us a 25% discount. Score! I guess they should check I.D. or something. We got the All-Access pass which included a 3D SpongeBob Squarepants movie but we skipped that because it’s the same exact movie we saw three years ago at King’s Island in Ohio.
We spent most of our visit on the lower-level of the Oceanarium watching the beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and penguins. Those penguins are hilarious! I could sit and watch them for hours. We also saw the infamous Komodo Dragon as well as a bunch of lizards which are easy to photograph since they barely move.
Eventually we made it through the entire aquarium in about three hours. We even took our time, but the place isn’t that big. It wasn’t too crowded, though, which was very nice. There were hardly any incidents where someone got in the way while I was trying to take a picture.
As we left, there was line out the door and down the stairs. It was incredible! I guess that’s what you get when you arrive late. I always like to get to museums when they open to avoid that craziness.
We were going to have lunch in the aquarium but I couldn’t stomach the thought of paying $7 for a hot dog, so we walked over to a concession stand outside and got food there. We just relaxed for a bit and enjoyed the people and seagull watching.
After lunch we walked around the lakefront getting photos of the skyline and the other museums nearby. We also got ice cream before we left. In all, a fantastic day.
I think our next trip to the city will be to visit the Adler Planetarium. I haven’t been there since before Joe and I got together and Joe hasn’t been there since he was a kid.
More photos from our day can be viewed here.
It’s funny because Katie and I were just talking yesterday about finally going to Shedd. I can’t remember the last time I was there and she’s pretty sure she’s never been there at all.
The Shedd is great! I visited it last time I was in Chicago and really enjoyed myself.