Shedd Aquarium - Chicago, IL Review

Okay, so I  love museums. And, hence, my kids go to LOTS of them-- and now they love them too... wink!

Because we are entering winter season, I stocked up on our museum memberships. It gives us a lot of variety for the winter (when it is too cold to walk outside) and it gives us a quilt-free lifestyle. What I mean is this...we pay the $100 upfront and then we visit at our leisure. If we visit for a 1/2 hour, I dont care. If we pop in for 10 minutes, I dont care. We are members. I dont feel the quilt of spending $60 to get in, and then leave immediately after! (it happens when you have little ones!)

I recently joined the Shedd Aquarium. I like it, but dont love it. Here's why...

What I like about the Shedd Aquarium...

• My kids love the elevator in the museum. It is the biggest elevator you have ever seen. You can fit at least 20 people in it with a lot of room to spare. The kids are shocked by it every time. In fact, I think we can just end our trip there! 
• When you first walk into the museum there is the center tank. It is super cool. It is a huge tank made to look like a real habitat. There is a diver, that goes in and gives a tour. Really fun, but obviously very crowded.
• The dolphin area/whale area is also really cool to visit. However, the show itself is too formal in my opinion. It is less focused on tricks and more focused on science. I get what they are going for, but people do expect to see some tricks!! 
• The Reef area (accessed only by the elevator) is a must-see. They have a huge shark tank, lots of colorful fish and amazing jellies and sea anemones. A must-see in my book-- and perhaps the best exhibit there.
• It is a great location, with breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. In fact, I typically pack a picnic, sit outside with the kids, take in the beautiful scenery and then head in. It is also important to note that it is right on the museum campus-- easy to get to the planetarium and the Field museum.
• They also have a good nicer dining option with decent (but not great) food. They do serve goldfish on all the tables, which is a huge plus with the kids.
• Sea horses. Be certain to check them out. They are awesome!!
• It is appealing to kids of all ages. You will be shocked to see how into it your 6 month old child gets!

What I DONT like about the Shedd Aquarium...

• It is expensive to get in, really expensive. Plan on paying about $25 to see everything. For a family, this is really cost-prohibitive. You are nearly forced to become a member.
• As a member,  you dont get any discount on parking. Kinda stinks.
• The dolphin exhibit is no fun. Yes, it's educational, but it isnt fun at all. They focus so much on the techniques of how they teach the dolphins that they barely get around to showing you WHAT they teach them. I definitely dont recommend going with little ones.
• Some of the exhibits seem outdated and the special exhibits arent all that special (except for the Komono dragon-- totally cool!!). I just feel a little underwhelmed when I am there. The Reef exhibit is great, the dolphin area is beautiful, but honestly, most of it doesnt make a lasting impression on me.

Overall, I like the Shedd Aquarium. I dont love it, but I like it. And, my kids love fish and "pools" so it is definitely worthy of afternoon visits in the winter (or picnics in the summer!). If you are coming to Chicago on a quick visit and have to make decisions about where to go, I probably would not put it on the MUST DO list. (I much prefer the Art Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry) However, if you dont have an aquarium in your town and/or you have a Chicago museum city pass, you should definitely pop in to see some of the breathtaking views and a few of the cool exhibits. And dont forget to check out the sea horses. They are soooo cool.....

11/13/07 Update: I took my kids again this past weekend and they just opened the Beluga Whale exhibit. It was really cool! We got to see some baby belugas swimming with their parents. We also spent a bunch of time with the komodo dragon. (first time ever having one in Chicago) We spent about 5 hours at the museum this time-- my kids really love it and the sharks, belugas and whales are pretty amazing!