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Shedd Aquarium
Wild Reef: The Shark Sanctuary
It’s no surprise Thomas, aka Dad, made a beeline for the Wild Reef exhibit. This award-winning space transports you 8,000 miles away to a coral reef in the Philippines. It’s home to more than 20 sharks, including sandbar, zebra, and blacktip reef sharks. The curved, floor-to-ceiling windows are designed to make you feel like you're standing right on the ocean floor. That "Jaws" moment featuring Dad captured a Shedd tradition—there’s nothing quite like the thrill of a massive sandbar shark gliding directly toward the glass while you’re safely on the other side!
From the Amazon to the Arctic
While the sharks were a highlight, the Shedd offers a "passport" to the world's waters. Abbott Oceanarium is where you see the Pacific white-sided dolphins and the famous beluga whales. The massive wall of windows overlooking Lake Michigan makes it feel like the aquarium merges directly with the lake outside. Amazon Rising is an 8,600-square-foot exhibit that recreates a "flooded forest." We loved seeing the arapaimas (huge Amazonian fish) and the green anaconda. It’s amazing how they mimic the rise and fall of the river's water levels. Between the penguin encounters and the starfish touch pools, it’s the best place for younger explorers to burn off some energy.
Fun Fact: Saltwater in the Cornfields
One of the most interesting things we learned is that back in the 1930s, the Shedd had to be incredibly creative to get saltwater to landlocked Chicago. They used custom-made railroad cars (the "Nautilus") to transport 1 million gallons of seawater all the way from the Florida Keys! Today, they use a special "Shedd Sea Salt" mix, but that original feat of engineering is still legendary.
A Legacy of Rescue: Nickel the Sea Turtle
Nickel is a rescued green sea turtle. She’s a fan favorite who was found with a gash in her shell from a boat propeller (which caused her to float lopsided, hence the name "Nickel"). Seeing her thrive in the Wonder of Water gallery is a great reminder of the aquarium's massive conservation and rescue efforts. The Shedd isn't just a building with fish; it's a historic landmark that makes you feel the scale and beauty of the ocean right in the heart of the Midwest.
