The John G. Shedd Aquarium is an awesome place to visit. I hadn’t been there in years before we visited this past weekend.
But when you go to Shedd Aquarium as a child, there’s something you don’t remember so much:
This is what we saw as we were leaving. That’s the admission line. My recommendation would be to get to Shedd early. Also — if you don’t have kids — either have some of your own before you go or borrow someone else’s, and take a stroller. A stroller will get you in the side door.
Second recommendation: Rather than sit in the stands for the dolphin show, go down to the level below the stands and watch the show from there. There’s an underwater viewing area where you can watch the dolphins swim, which is vastly more interesting that watching them hop out of water, wave, or spin around on the surface.
Third recommendation: Penguins. Go see the penguins. I’ve seen a lot of penguins in zoos, but these Shedd penguins are real hams.
Lastly, buy tickets online if you know you’re going to go. Really. You don’t want to wait outside on the shores of Lake Michigan in November for 60 minutes.