- Tuesday, Nov. 17 — Robert Morris College
Explore the Amazon River and find out what Shedd is doing to help one of its smallest residents.
Plan a Visit
Extraordinary Experiences
Are you looking for a Shedd experience that’s a little more special, more personal, more in-depth? Whether it’s a guided tour behind the scenes or a fabulous sustainable seafood dinner, we’ve got experiences you’ll never forget.
Beluga Encounter
Meet the belugas where they live, in Shedd’s newest extraordinary experience! Your beluga encounter begins as Shedd’s animal experts lead you through an informative orientation about training and animal care, the beluga you’ll meet and the best way to have a safe and fun experience. Then you’ll pull on waders to enter the fully accessible Grainger Beluga Encounter Habitat. Standing side by side with a trainer on an underwater ledge, you’ll be face to face with a whale! You’ll touch the beluga’s skin, try a few training techniques and enjoy some surprises. At the conclusion, you’ll receive a framed photo to remember this experience – as if you could ever forget it!
$250 ($225 members) a person
Tuesdays 2:30–4 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Participants must be at least 10 years old and 60 inches tall. Children ages 10-15 must be accompanied by a participating paid adult. No photography or video recording.
Check out photos and videos of the experience. Send your family and friends a beluga encounter e-card.
Begin your reservation online or call 312-692-2730.
Trainer for a Day
Pull on a pair of our tall rubber boots and go behind the scenes to experience what it’s like to be a marine mammal trainer. You’ll assist a trainer with daily routines and experience several training and feeding sessions. From the Oceanarium kitchen, where meals for five dozen animals are prepared every day, to reserve areas, to poolside in a habitat, you’ll see what it takes to care for the belugas, dolphins, sea otters, sea lions and penguins. This behind-the-scenes opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Ages 12 and older. Children ages 12-15 must accompanied by a paying adult
Price: $350 ($325 members) a person for 4 hrs
Fridays and Saturdays
8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. or 1:30–5:30 p.m.
No photography or video recording. Inquire online or call 312-692-3224.
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Your guide will show you Shedd from the perspective of our animal care staff. You’ll tour the animal healthcare center, where preventive care keeps the collection healthy. Then you’ll go behind the galleries to view the animals from a new angle, learn about breeding programs, see nutritious meals prepared for a wide range of tastes and witness the aquarium at work. Must be 55 inches or taller.
General Behind-the-Scenes Tour Only
Price: $12 a person
Premium Behind-the-Scenes Tour and Admission Package
Includes Total Experience pass with a choice of a 4-D Experience, and 50-minute tour
Prices: $40.95 for adults, $33.95 for children
No photography or video recording. Inquire online or call 312-692-2723.
Right Bite Dinners
Enjoy extraordinary dinners at renowned Chicago-area restaurants and learn how your seafood choices can protect our environment. Indulge in sustainable seafood appetizers and entrées, dabble in desserts and hear from Shedd specialists about the latest happenings at the aquarium. Each restaurant will feature a unique environmentally friendly menu created just for this event.
Each dinner will begin at 6 p.m. Space is limited and will be offered by advance registration only. Each program includes appetizers, wine, dinner, dessert, a chat with a Shedd expert and a goodie bag.
Each dinner costs $75 a person, $65 for Shedd members.
Don't miss the final 2009 Right Bite dinner:
Special thanks to the Plitt Seafood Company for their seafood donations for each Right Bite dinner.
To register, please call 312-692-3123.
Overnights
Grab your sleeping bag and pillow and join us for an overnight adventure at Shedd. Before snuggling into your sleeping bag, immerse yourself in the many aquatic environments through special programs, games and hands-on activities. In the morning, enjoy a continental breakfast and visit with the animals once more before your journey comes to an end. These programs are geared for children in kindergarten to 6th grade.
Price: $55 per person (adult or child)
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