Driving Directions
From Lake Shore Drive, exit at 18th Street. Follow Museum Campus Drive around Soldier Field. Signs will indicate Visitor Parking. Shedd is just to the north of the parking garage.
Ongoing: Construction of a pedestrian and bicycle underpass for Solidarity Drive near the aquarium. Additional roadwork will create a direct link to Shedd’s turnaround from Museum Campus Drive. Through December, expect lane closures, delays and restricted parking on Solidarity. The project will make it safer and easier for everyone to get around in this area.
Sunday, May 18, approximately 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Cure Autism Walk. Museum Campus Drive will be open, but expect slowdowns as traffic controllers alternately direct cars and 18,000 walk participants. Also, the Walk and Roll event will impact pedestrian traffic around the aquarium in the morning.
Sunday, May 25, 5 to 10:30 a.m.: Bike the Drive. Northbound and southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive will be closed between Bryn Mawr and 57th Street for cyclists. Get to the Museum Campus from I-55 or Roosevelt Road.
Sunday, June 8, 7 p.m.: Mexico plays Peru in international soccer at Soldier Field. Garage parking rates will increase at 3 p.m. Expect heavy traffic on and around the Museum Campus from midafternoon on.
Thurday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.: Bears game. Expect the Soldier Field garage to close early, with heavy traffic in early evening as you exit the campus.
The parking rates and hours are subject to change without notice. All Museum Campus parking is owned by the Chicago Park District and managed by Standard Parking. For up-to-date parking fees, go to http://www.soldierfieldparking.com/
On weekends, valet service is available to aquarium guests for $25. Take advantage of this service at the guest drop-off area on the south side of the aquarium, off Solidarity Drive. Subject to limited availability.
Parking for Buses
School, tour and charter buses should park in the Adler Planetarium parking lot. The fee for bus parking is $26. Buses can also park free on Canal Street at Roosevelt Road, approximately one mile due west of the Museum Campus. Canal Street offers several restaurants and coffee shops where drivers can wait until called back for pickup. Buses cannot stage on Solidarity Drive or in the museum drop-off areas.
Cleaner air = cleaner water. For people and for fish, please turn off your engine. Illinois law limits idle times to 10 minutes for stationary diesel vehicles of more than 8,000 pounds.
For all transit information, go to http://www.yourcta.com/or call 312-836-7000.
From State Street downtown, North Michigan Avenue or the north side of Chicago:
Board the south-bound CTA bus #146 Marine-Michigan to the Museum Campus (daily) or
Board the red or orange line CTA train towards the loop and exit at the Roosevelt Road/Museum Campus station, where you can grab a Museum Campus trolley or transfer to the CTA bus #12.
From O'Hare Airport:
Get on board the blue line CTA train and exit at Washington, where you can grab CTA bus #146 on State Street. The Chicago Cultural Center, host to a tourism information center, is two blocks away on Michigan and Washington. You might want to stop by before you board the #146 bus.
From the south side of Chicago or from Midway Airport:
Board CTA bus #6 Jeffery Express (daily) and exit across from the Museum Campus or Board the orange line CTA train towards the loop and exit at the Roosevelt Road/Museum Campus station, where you can grab a Museum Campus trolley or transfer to the CTA bus #12.
From Ogilvie Transportation Center (formerly Northwestern Station) or Union (Amtrak) stations:
Board CTA bus #130 Grant Park Treasures (weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day).
