Shedd Aquarium FAQs

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

For the best possible experience, advance online reservations are required for all guests including members. If you are unable to purchase online, please call 312-939-2438.

We will continue to offer timed tickets. 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. Download the map here. 

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. Click here for the list of prohibited items.

Beginning July 31, in accordance with the CDC, state and city recommendations, masks are required for all staff and visitors over the age of 2 regardless of vaccination status.

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!

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 was closed to the public and beyond.

• 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 50% off Chicago’s top 5 attractions with CityPASS! First, purchase CityPASS online for immediate, paperless delivery to your mobile device. Next, click the link on your mobile CityPASS ticket to reserve your visit date and time on the CityPASS Travel Guide. 

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.

If you purchased a CityPASS, click the link on your mobile CityPASS ticket to reserve your visit date and time on the CityPASS Travel Guide.

Check our Illinois Resident Free Daypage for information on when Free Days are announced.

A limited number of free and discounted tickets are available through Museums for All. For the best experience, online reservations in advance are required. Details on how to reserve. 

Members will continue to receive free admission. For the best experience, online reservations in advance are required.

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. In-person Penguin Encounter
2. Virtual Penguin Encounter
3. Virtual Sea Otter Encounter
4. Virtual Shark Feeding Tours
5. 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. 

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 and Soundings Café will be open from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily. Any food or drink you bring with you or purchase from machines must be consumed in designated areas. If you are unvaccinated, please wait until you are seated to remove your mask before eating. 

Shedd is offering compostable, single-use cutlery.

Yes, weather permitting, the terraces are open for guests who purchase food from Shedd's restaurants.

Yes. Any food or drink you bring must be consumed in designated dining areas. 

Corporate partners with valid ID will continue to receive free admission. For the best experience, online reservations in advance are required. Click here to reserve tickets. 

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 issued 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.