Shedd Aquarium FAQs

Shedd staff will be stationed throughout the aquarium to help you see all 32,000 animals while maintaining a safe distance. If you have concerns about social distancing, please let a staff member know.

Yes, there are many hand sanitizing stations present throughout the aquarium.

Online reservations are required for all guests including members to manage capacity limits and minimize touchpoints at the entrance. If you are unable to purchase online, please call 312-939-2438.

To facilitate social distancing, a limited number of tickets are available per hour. Please arrive during the time frame you select during your ticket purchase. If you need to change your arrival time after your purchase, please call 312-939-2438 and we’ll make every effort to accommodate.

Select areas of the aquarium will be operating with a one-way flow. Follow directional signage throughout the aquarium to see all 32,000 animals at a safe distance from others. Download the map here. 

We have placed cues on the floor to stay 6-feet away from guests to maintain social distancing best practices.

Do you have a fever, cough or feel short of breath? Have you been exposed to someone with these symptoms? Join us at a later date! 

Already have tickets? Call 312-939-2438 or email [email protected] and we’ll gladly reschedule your visit.

Bags, strollers, backpacks and packages are subject to inspection. We have installed physical barriers for interactions like bag checks where social distancing might not be possible. Click here for the list of prohibited items.

In accordance with safety protocols outlined by the Center for Disease Control, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois, all staff and guests are required to wear a face covering or masks on-site at Shedd Aquarium and keep a 6-foot distance throughout your visit. Masks covering your mouth and nose are required for those over 2 years old. Masks will be available for purchase in the Shedd Store. 

Yes. Even after someone has been vaccinated the individual should continue to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. While we know the vaccines protect the individual from contracting COVID, but we do not know if it prevents spreading COVID. As more people receive the vaccine, we may be able to dial back these measures. These guidelines align with Chicago's COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs, learn more here.

Recommended masks

• Non-medical disposable masks
• Masks that fit properly (snugly around the nose and chin with no large gaps around the sides of the face)
• Masks made with breathable fabric (such as cotton)
• Masks made with tightly woven fabric (i.e., fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source)
• Masks with two or three layers and with inner filter pockets

Masks not recommended

• Masks that do not fit properly (large gaps, too loose or too tight)
  
• Masks made from materials that are hard to breathe through (such as plastic or leather)
• Masks made from loosely woven fabric or that are knitted, i.e., fabrics that let light pass through
• Masks with one layer
• Masks with exhalation valves or vents
• Wearing a scarf/ski mask as a mask

We are using information provided by the CDC to create and will update as new information is available.

Our hours can change based on the day of week. For the most up-to-date schedule please visit our calendar page. 

All guests will enter through the Accessible  Entrance at the entry time on your tickets. Look for the  Man with Fish  sculpture. 

Parking information for guests

All Museum Campus parking is owned by the Chicago Park District and managed by Standard Parking. Parking rates typically are higher during special events, and access may be restricted to special event ticketholders.

Street parking
Please note, until further notice, there will only be garage parking on the Museum Campus, no street parking on Solidarity Drive. If you choose to visit Shedd Aquarium, we strongly recommend arriving via public transportation.

Lot parking
The Museum Campus also has several lots where you can park. Current rates, which can change without notice are:

Soldier Field north garage
Up to 4 hours, $25
4 to 12 hours, $30
12 to 24 hours, $50
Special event, pay on the way in, $30

East museum lot
$30

Adler lot
Early bird, before 9:30 a.m., $12
Daily, $25
Night rate, after 4:30 p.m., $15

For more information, visit soldierfieldparking.com.

Valet parking
Available most weekends for aquarium guests for $30 a vehicle, subject to limited availability. Take advantage of this service at the guest drop-off area on the south side of the aquarium, off Solidarity Drive. Please note that we cannot offer valet parking on certain Bears home-game days.

Reserve a space with SpotHero
We recommend booking parking in advance through SpotHero. You can visit the Shedd Aquarium SpotHero parking page and book a spot with rates up to 50% off drive-up. New to SpotHero? Download the SpotHero app and enter code SHEDDCHI for 5% off your first spot!

Groups are limited to 10-people.

You can still support Shedd Aquarium in a variety of ways by making a donation, becoming a member, symbolically adopting an animal, or shopping our online store. You can also sign up for one of our programs like our virtual animal encounters.

Yes, Shedd’s dedicated caretakers and veterinarians have continued to provide the highest standards of professional care and welfare for all animals at Shedd while the aquarium remained closed to the public. There is no evidence that COVID-19 is transmissible from humans to aquatic animals. Despite this, the animal care staff at Shedd use every available precaution, including social distancing, masks, daily wellness checks and more when interacting and caring for the animals at the aquarium.

• Members: Free admission. Please book tickets in advance, online reservations are required.
  
• General Admission: $39.95 adults / $29.95 children
• Chicago Residents: $19.95 adults / $14.95 children
• Discounts: Please visit our Discounts and Free Days page to see if you qualify.

Shedd is pleased to continue offering select community access opportunities. However, due to limited capacity, advance reservations will be required. Details on how to reserve.

Yes, save 49% off Chicago’s top 5 attractions with CityPASS! First, purchase CityPASS online for immediate, paperless delivery to your mobile device. Next, use the Shedd Aquarium reservation system to make your timed-entry reservation. Bring your CityPASS and timed-entry ticket to Shedd for admission.

We are happy to help! Please call us at 312-939-2438.

Guests will be asked to make a reservation for a specific date and time, then validate their pre-paid tickets onsite. Click here to reserve your ticket. 

Our October Free Days have ended, thank you so much for visiting Shedd. Check back on this page for information on when more days are announced.

A limited number of free and discounted tickets are available through Museums for All. However, online reservations in advance are required due to limited capacity and to align with Chicago COVID regulations. Details on how to reserve. 

Members will continue to receive free admission. However, online reservations in advance are required due to limited capacity and to align with Chicago COVID regulations.

We look forward to welcoming you back when you are ready but in the meantime you can join us online! Here's some of our current online programs you can explore with your membership and receive a discount!

1. Virtual Penguin Encounter
2. Virtual Sea Otter Encounter
   
3. Virtual Sea Lion Encounter
   
4. Virtual Aquarium Mini Camp for Kids
   
5. Zzz's Under the Seas Virtual Slumber Party
   
6. Learn Online with Shedd

Yes, wheelchairs will be available on a first come, first-served basis and will be sanitized between each use. More details on Shedd’s accessibility offerings.

Select interactives will remain available. We are regularly cleaning surfaces you might need to touch from handrails to elevator buttons. Help us keep surfaces clean by using one of the many hand washing and sanitization stations present throughout the aquarium. Need help finding one? Let us know!

Yes, they will be available on a first come, first-served basis and will be sanitized between each use.

Yes, they will be available on a first come, first-served basis and will be sanitized between each use.

While the Northern Trust Suite will not be staffed, we can unlock the suite upon requests so guests can access the quiet room on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please note there may be times the room is unavailable for use. 

Yes, accessible restrooms will be available. However, all restrooms will be periodically closed for cleaning. Please see a team member to be directed to the nearest accessible restroom. 

Effective Friday, October 30, 2020, there will be no indoor dining allowed in the city of Chicago. Weather-permitting, Shedd's outdoor terraces will be open for seating with tables spaced 6-feet apart for guests who bring their own food. However, due to the possibility of inclement weather, we recommend eating before or after your visit. No food will be available for purchase. To support social distancing, please wait until you are seated outside with food ready before removing your mask to eat. If you would like to leave Shedd to eat, please connect with a Shedd team member and they will help you with re-entry.

Our 4-D theater is open for movies, you can view our daily schedule here. As for aquatic presentations and other dive chats, they will not be available until further notice.

Bubble Net food court will be open with limited capacity daily, from 10:30 am until 2 hours before the building closes. Soundings Café will be open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am until 2 hours before the building closes. Any food or drink you bring with you or purchase machines must be consumed in designated areas. Capacity is limited and tables are spaced in accordance with Chicago regulations. Please do not move tables or chairs.

Shedd will be offering compostable, single-use cutlery when our restaurants reopen.

Yes, weather permitting, the terraces will be open with limited capacity for guests who purchase food from Shedd's restaurants. Capacity is limited and tables are spaced in accordance with Chicago regulations. Please do not move tables or chairs.

Yes. Any food or drink you bring must be consumed in designated dining areas. Capacity is limited and tables are spaced in accordance with Chicago regulations. Please do not move tables or chairs.

Corporate partners with valid ID will continue to receive free admission. However, online reservations in advance are required due to limited capacity and to align with Chicago COVID regulations. Click here to reserve tickets. 

All guests will enter through the Accessible Entrance at the entry time on your tickets. Look for the Man with Fish sculpture. Please keep to the left as you enter. A team member will validate your corporate ID or pre-paid tickets at the Accessible sales desk before you enter.

We are following guidelines listed on Chicago's Emergency Travel Order page. Please comply with those guidelines before your visit.

We are following guidelines listed on Chicago's Emergency Travel Order page. Please comply with those guidelines before your visit.

In response to increased and high rates of COVID-19 transmission in certain states within the United States, and to add to Chicago’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, the City is issuing an order applicable to anyone coming into the City from designated states that have a significant degree of community-wide spread of COVID-19. This includes both Chicago residents returning from travel to a designated state, and travelers arriving in Chicago from a designated state. Anyone traveling from a designated state is directed to self-quarantine for a 14-day period or the duration of their time in Chicago, whichever is shorter, from the time of last contact within the designated state, subject to the limited exceptions outlined in the ‘Exceptions tab’. Visit Chicago's Emergency Travel Order page to view the list of exceptions.

This Order went into effect on Monday July 6, 2020, at 12:01AM.

Visit Chicago's Emergency Travel Order page to view the list of exceptions.

Visit Chicago's Emergency Travel Order page to view the list of states.

The Order will be in effect until further notice, and any changes will be based on applicable public health guidance. Shedd Aquarium will check Chicago's Emergency Travel Order page regularly for updates.

The Order applies to individuals arriving in the City of Chicago, while they are in the city. The city limits are defined in this interactive map.