Delight in a Spring Break Staycation at Shedd Aquarium

Few spring break destinations allow families to explore both tropical coral reefs and arctic waters in the same day. At Shedd Aquarium, guests come face-to-face with aquatic life from across the globe to tap into their curiosity and compassion, all from the comforts of Chicago.

This year, Shedd offers even more opportunities for families and adults to make the most of spring break with new exhibit features, unique animal sightings, extended aquarium hours and more.

ENGAGE DEEPER WITH UPDATED ANIMAL SPOTLIGHTS

Whether it’s a sea lion or beluga whales, it’s always a surprise who shows up for Shedd’s Animal Spotlights. Now, these presentations have brand-new features that strengthen guests’ connections to these animals and their incredible adaptations. Why are the dolphins at Shedd black and white? What noise do beluga whales make? These answers and more live at Shedd Aquarium.

Guests will uncover unique natural behaviors and anatomy that allows these animals to thrive, potential threats these animals face in their natural environment and how everyone can play a part in protecting our blue planet. Animal Spotlights are free with admission in the Abbott Oceanarium and times vary throughout the day.

COME EYE-TO-EYE WITH NEW FACES AND EXPLORE EXHIBIT CHANGES

Just like the natural world, things are always changing and growing at Shedd, and there are a few new faces around the aquarium. The rescued sea otter pup recently made his debut on exhibit in the Abbott Oceanarium, marking a huge milestone in the pup’s development. Catch a glimpse of this pup’s energetic and vocal nature as he continues to explore his habitat. Additionally, guests visiting the Rivers gallery can spot recently-arrived young paddlefish as they continue to grow, swimming along with mouths open wide to filter feed.

As the annual breeding season begins, Shedd’s Magellanic and rockhopper penguins have started building their nests with rocks, sticks and other materials. Guests can come face-to-face with the penguins during this unique time of year, and children can embody the penguin spirit as they waddle and hop around the nearby Polar Play Zone.

ASK QUESTIONS DURING DAILY ANIMAL CHATS

Available throughout the day, guests are encouraged to nurture their curiosity and learn about the animals that call the aquarium home at one, or more, of the daily Animal Chats. These experiences, free with admission, create the chance to hear directly from Shedd experts, ask questions and discover how to protect kelp forests, sharks, penguins and more. Times and locations for these chats are posted daily on Shedd’s website.

ENCOUNTER ANIMALS WITH EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES

For those looking for an extra-special staycation, guests can embark on the Must See Tour behind the scenes with an enthusiastic guide and stop by all the highlights of Shedd in just 75 minutes. The tour offers exclusive exhibit views, chats with animal experts and even the opportunity to touch a jellyfish. Shedd also offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet animals up close with Animal Encounters.

LATE CLOSE AND FREE EVENING

Visitors can take advantage of the aquarium’s extended hours for spring break as Shedd stays open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week of March 24-30. On Tuesday, March 26, Illinois residents can visit for free during the evening from 5-9 p.m.

DIVE DEEPER DAILY

Every day at the aquarium is unique with over 32,000 animals, from spiny lobsters to weedy seadragons. Guests are invited to dive deeper with Shedd’s other daily offerings.

• Touch Experiences: Connect with the aquatic world by feeling the varying textures of starfish or the leathery skin of a sturgeon with Touch Experiences, which are free with admission.
• 4-D Experiences Add-On: Engage all your senses as you travel to the frozen arctic with penguin parents or underwater with an octopus or shark during 4-D Experiences. These shows demonstrate the fascinating behaviors of aquatic life with a multi-sensory experience of bubbles, wind, vibrating chairs, smells and other surprises.
• Virtual Reality Add-On: Immerse yourself among aquatic creatures with a 360-degree, 3-D live-action journey into virtual reality. Float with the majestic manta rays of Mozambique, dive with tiger and hammerhead sharks in The Bahamas, or swim with a humpback whale and her calf in Antarctica.

VISUALS: Find high-resolution photos here: https://personal.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8e6f628c60656eb3b26a

Photo Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium