Like many big cities, Chicago has a large share of tourist destinations like museums, monuments and landmarks. How do you choose which ones to visit when you’re in the city? Well, if you ask our gourmet popcorn company, the Shedd Aquarium is one of Chicago’s most interesting and iconic attractions– and a great place to start. The Shedd is the second biggest aquarium in the country, and it shouldn’t be missed if you live in or are visiting Chicago!
Shedd’s Main Exhibits
Shedd features five permanent exhibits which you visit all year round. Each one represents a distinct kind of marine life, educating you about a huge variety of plants and animals. Amazon Rising lets you experience the river world of rain forest-dwelling plants and animals– you’ll find fierce and fearsome fauna like piranhas, crocodiles and anacondas hidden in the beautiful jungle flora. Caribbean Reef takes you to the tropics to explore life underwater through a 90,000 gallon circular habitat that gives you 360 degree view of a reef community. Waters of the World includes 80 habitats that show you everything from frogs to octopi. The Oceanarium is a large scale ocean habitat which houses many of Shedd’s most famous inhabitants like its Beluga whales. And finally, the Aquarium’s newest exhibit is Wild Reef, which lets you get a diver’s eye view of over 500 ocean species including its most popular inhabitants– sharks!
Shedd’s Summer Events
This summer, you can also get to know the animals of the Shedd Aquarium through an interactive aquatic show called Fantasea. Adult and baby Beluga whales, sea lions, dolphins, penguins and a red tail hawk perform alongside knowledgeable trainers in the show, which occurs at the Oceanarium amphitheater. Audience members get to touch penguins, watch the red tail hawk fly and see the oceanic mammals interact with their human trainers. Learn more about showtimes and tickets here.
Shedd’s Famous Surroundings
Finally, Shedd Aquarium located in one of Chicago’s most recognizable areas–the Museum Campus. After you’ve had your fill of aquatic life at the Aquarium, you can walk to the Field Museum or the Adler Planetarium for equally engaging experiences learning about our earth or about outer space.
Whether you are an animal lover, want a touch of the ocean in the Midwest or just don’t want to miss one of Chicago’s best attractions, our Chicago popcorn company highly recommends checking out at least one of the famous Shedd exhibits!
Tags: chicago attractions, chicago museum campus, fantasea, Gourmet Popcorn, shedd aquarium