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Zoo & aquarium · Chicago · Illinois

Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium (formally the John G. Shedd Aquarium) is a public aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Photo: Madeleine_H, CC BY 2.0
Visitors in 2015
1.9M
Wikidata
Where
In Chicago
382 places to stay
Open since
1930
In brief

A zoo & aquarium inside Chicago

Winters are cold

January nights drop to 18°. When to go ↓

You can stay in Chicago

Shedd Aquarium is inside Chicago, which has 382 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓

Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct

May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 63–84°. When to go ↓

An airport 9 miles away

Chicago Midway (MDW) has airline service, about 9 miles from Shedd Aquarium.

Established in 1930

Shedd Aquarium dates from 1930. About ↓

Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.

When to go

Weather, month by month

Typical highs and lows in Chicago. Green months are the mild ones.

Jan32° / 18°
Feb36° / 21°
Mar47° / 30°
Apr58° / 39°
May70° / 49°
Jun80° / 59°
Jul84° / 65°
Aug82° / 64°
Sep75° / 56°
Oct63° / 44°
Nov49° / 33°
Dec37° / 24°
Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Chicago. Chicago’s full climate →
About

Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium (formally the John G. Shedd Aquarium) is a public aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is one of the oldest continually operating non-governmental aquariums in the U.S.

Opened on May 30, 1930, the 5 million US gal (19,000,000 L; 4,200,000 imp gal) aquarium holds about 32,000 animals. It is the fourth largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere (after L'Oceanogràfic, the Georgia Aquarium and The Seas at Epcot) and the 11th-largest aquarium in the world.

Type
Zoo & aquarium
Animals
32 animals · 1 species
Established
1930
Listed
National Historic Landmark (1987) · National Register of Historic Places (1987)
Wikipedia readers
37K a year
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.
Where to stay

Where to stay near Shedd Aquarium

The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Chicago (382) and Leyden Township (36).

Shedd Aquarium12345678Chicago382Leyden Township36York Township52Thornton Township46Stickney Township12Lyons Township18Rosemont22Maine Township24Soldier FieldWrigley FieldBarack Obama Presidential CenterRate FieldArt Institute of ChicagoUnited Center10 mi
Shedd Aquarium12Places to stay in town
  1. 1Soldier Field
  2. 2Wrigley Field
  3. 3Barack Obama Presidential Center
  4. 4Rate Field
  5. 5Art Institute of Chicago
  6. 6United Center
  7. 7Field Museum of Natural History
  8. 8Hull House
In town

Chicago

382 places to stay · 320 hotels · 20 motels · 20 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 8 hostels · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks

You’re already here.

2,731,585 people

20 min drive

Leyden Township

36 places to stay · 29 hotels · 7 motels

90,402 people

14 mi west of Shedd Aquarium

30 min drive

York Township

52 places to stay · 45 hotels · 2 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds

128,137 people

19 mi west of Shedd Aquarium

30 min drive

Thornton Township

46 places to stay · 32 hotels · 9 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds

152,667 people

18 mi south of Shedd Aquarium

Compare 8 towns
TownFrom Shedd AquariumDrivePlaces to stayPeopleTypical homeSafety
Chicagoin town—382 320 hotels · 20 motels · 20 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 8 hostels · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks2,731,585$334KD
Leyden Township14 mi west20 min36 29 hotels · 7 motels90,402$288K—
York Township19 mi west30 min52 45 hotels · 2 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds128,137$397K—
Thornton Township18 mi south30 min46 32 hotels · 9 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds152,667$157K—
Stickney Township11 mi southwest15 min12 11 hotels · 1 motel40,266$269K—
Lyons Township14 mi southwest20 min18 11 hotels · 6 motels · 1 lodge or cabins112,345$364K—
Rosemont16 mi northwest25 min22 22 hotels3,815$345KD−
Maine Township17 mi northwest25 min24 20 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 campgrounds136,611$375K—

Day trip from

Straight-line miles.

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service

MDWChicago Midway · major hub9 mi
ORDChicago O'Hare · major hub17 mi
GYYGary/Chicago20 mi
Places to stay: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · Safety: TownRatings Safety grade · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from Shedd Aquarium’s main visitor area; drive times are estimates.
Make a day of it

Also near Shedd Aquarium

Other well-known places within 6 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · Barack Obama Presidential Center: AlphaBeta135, CC0 · Rate Field: User Enoch Lai on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Art Institute of Chicago: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Field Museum of Natural History: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hull House: User talk:Hied5, Public domain

Common questions

Visiting Shedd Aquarium

Is Shedd Aquarium in Chicago?

Yes. It’s inside Chicago, IL.

When is the best time to visit Shedd Aquarium?

May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 63–84°.

How many people visit Shedd Aquarium each year?

1,948,395 in 2015, according to Wikidata.

What is the closest airport to Shedd Aquarium?

Chicago Midway (MDW), about 9 miles away.

Where should I stay near Shedd Aquarium?

Chicago (in town, 382 places to stay), Leyden Township (14 mi, 36 places to stay) and York Township (19 mi, 52 places to stay).

From locals

Tips from people in Chicago

No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Chicago’s Town Square.

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.