Two “Flippers” Up for discount days at the Shedd, Fantasea and $3 parking!

October 21, 2009 by Cindy

DSC00619 300x173 Two Flippers Up for discount days at the Shedd, Fantasea and $3 parking!
After five years in Chicago, I had still never visited the famous Shedd Aquarium.  I guess that is a testament to how many wonderful things there are to do in Chicago.

I recently made a new friend who has a son the same age as my daughter.  As a LA transplant, I am still in awe at how easy it is to make friends here in Chicago.

My new friend has a yearly membership to the Shedd, so we decided that Fantasea (the Shedd’s new aquatic show) would make the perfect first play date.  She recommended we meet early to avoid the crowds and commandeer one of the highly sought after metered parking spots.  What a find those are.  I paid $3 for three hours of parking!

We also happened to go on one of the Shedd’s many Community Discount Days.  General admission was free, but I had to pay a pretty hefty upgrade fee if I wanted to get into all the attractions including Fantasea.  I was happy to not pay full price, but the Aquarium is not an inexpensive outing!

The Shedd offers attractions and exhibits that will appeal to kids of all ages (babies to teenagers).  They have hourly animal encounters where you can get up close and personal with the animals and animal chats several times a day.

Our toddlers’ favorite activities included the hands-on Polar Play Zone with the submarine and touch pools, the HUGE Beluga Whales, sharks and giant turtles.  Although there was a lot to see, I wish the hands-on area was a bit more extensive. What they have is very entertaining, but more to “do” versus look at is always better with toddlers.

Our kids may have been a bit too small for Fantasea.  Two year olds have a pretty short attention span.  They were mesmerized by the dancing and jumping whales and dolphins, but they lost interest in the theatrical portions of the show.  Luckily we had raisins and gold fish to keep them busy!

The Shedd also offers “Extrodinary Experiences” which look amazing:

  • Beluga Encounter (touch and train whales)
  • Trainer for a Day
  • Behind-the-Scenes Tours
  • Overnights

All and all I would give the aquarium “two flippers up”, especially if you go on a discount day and get there early enough to snag a metered spot (we arrived at 9am).

Here’s the skinny on the Shedd

  • Location: 1200 South Lake Shore Drive
  • Hours: weekdays 9am-5pm, weekends 9am-6pm
  • Admission: adult $24.95, kids 3-11 $17.95
  • Chicago residence get $3 discount
  • Yearly Family Membership: $115
  • Slowest Days: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
pixel Two Flippers Up for discount days at the Shedd, Fantasea and $3 parking!
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