The biggest advise I can give anyone is to buy your tickets online. If you know you are going to go, buy and print your tickets at home. You will not have to wait in the extremely long line. Also, spring for the valet parking. It's only $10 more and again, you walk right in. We did both and did not have to wait in line for hours with a 3 & 1 year-old. Pictures...the company that they have taking pictures, which you can view online later...they stink. SharpShooters is the name of the company. We visited at the end of November and it's now the middle of December and they still don't have the photos posted. It has been more than two weeks post visit. I have been to other events and venues and the photo company has photos posted within 24-48 hours. The dolphins and whales where gone because of renovation...which we did not know before we went. Make sure to log onto their website and see what exhibits may be out of commission before visiting, you could be disappointed. My husband had talked so much about the aquarium and how awesome it was supposed to be. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed and expected a little more. I think if we would have see the dolphins and whales it would have been better. But overall I was let down by the "world class aquarium."

I just wanted to post this to people who might be interested in coming to the Shedd Aquarium and might be discouraged by some reviews. These are some things to take into consideration: 1.) the Shedd Aquarium is the MOST visited cultural attraction in Chicago. Point blank. So, if you are planning on coming on a popular travel holiday (i.e. 4th July weekend, Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, etc.), thousands of other people have the same idea, so plan on waiting in line, unless you've prepaid for tickets, bought a CityPass, bought a Chicago Go Card, etc, then you will proceed to the Will Call line. 2.) the line wait is long and time consuming for a reason, for your safety and to enhance your visit. If every single person, child, stroller, etc. were in the building, at the same time, you would not be able to move! If there was an emergency and everyone had to evacuate the building, there would be serious problems. Therefore, the line is regulated so there are NOT too many in the building and you can enjoy your experience, instead of being extremely uncomfortable. Also, the cashiers can only move so fast! Think about it, every single person that comes through the door has a question and the cashiers do their best to answer them, so it takes time. Have some patience with them. 3.) the dolphin show is the most popular exhibit at the aquarium for a reason, the educational value! Keep in mind, this is an aquarium, NOT a theme park (names will go unmentioned). Therefore, the purpose of the show is to educate you about training and animals, not to see dolphins fly through fire hoops. 4.) the Shedd's price is comparable to pretty much all the other large museums or attractions in Chicago, believe it or not! There are LOTS of discount days throughout the year (check out their website for the listing of dates). It takes a lot of revenue resources for this type of institution to function and grow, but LOTS of discounts are given through this institution. 5.) perception is reality for most people, but that doesn't mean that has to be your perception. Find out for yourself if visiting an aquarium is boring or not worth the money. Find out for yourself what is interesting about the dolphin show, or the "small" aquarium tanks. 6.) the Oceanarium (dolphins, whales, sea otters, penquins, lizards) are OFF EXHIBIT until June 2009 to upgrade and renovate their habitats. It's a multimillion dollar project and it takes time, but the rest of the aquarium is open and the price is discounted due to the renovation. 7.) educate yourself by visiting the website (www.sheddaqarium.org). But this principle goes for ANY museum or cultural instituation in any city. Don't always depend of 2nd hand websites for accurate information because it's not always correct. Go to the source first!

It's good but we were expecting more for a world class Aquarium. We've been to the aquarium in Beijing, China a year ago. It's way better than the Chicago one on everything - the layout, the atmosphere, the shows, the price etc. My 2.5 years son then could follow the the dophin show from beginning to the end and got very excited. At 3.5 years old he was lost early on in the dophin show at Chicago. 80% of the show is the talking they only leave 20% to the dophine and it's not exciting at all. They need to do a better job to claim it the world's No. 1 Aquarium. A mother of 2

The aquarium was a good way to spend time in the city, but wasn't worth the ticket price.

Very well maintained museum--lots to see. Our 2.5 year old daughter loved it but she did not love the SpongeBob 4D show--not for little ones. We were a bit disappointed in the dolphin show and the high cost of admission.

We are from California and have been to quite a few aquariums. However my husband and I took our 10 year and we were still extremely impressed! Bus routes take you directly to the main entrance. We purchased a CityPass and it was well worth the investment. We did not have to wait in line for tickets. We were there on weekend in July and I did not find that it was extremely crowded. They have quite the collection of small sea creatures and some MASSIVE crabs that are definitely worth the look! We also got to watch the Oceanarium performances which were not only entertaining but quite educational. This was definitely our favorite attraction on Museum Campus.

The shows featuring the animals are awesome, but packed. The only negative was that the penguin display was fogged because of the temperature differential. Allow a lot of time to see the displays, Staff if knowledgable and helpful

Don't get me wrong, It was very nice and the kids will love it, but having been to Sea world in Orlando in the past, I would rate it a notch below Sea World.

Amazing exhibits, including a part where you walk above sting rays. The amount of animals you get to see is unbeleivable. The Dolphin shows are incredible. If you like animals and love the water, this place is for you.

I have been to a few different aquariums in life and this wasnt one of my favorites. Admission was $23.00 and I dont feel I got my bang for my buck. Be sure if you go to go downstairs. Upstairs is fish and little creatures that you can find in almost any pet store nowadays. If you do go check out the sea dragons and the spider crab! Amazing...worth $23.00 that depends on you!