Coming face-to-face with sharks, wandering through oceanic gardens teeming with coral and watching stingrays glide beneath your feet may lead you to believe you’re underwater. But inside Chicago’s awe-inspiring Shed Aquarium, you can experience the wonders of marine life right in the Midwest, without ever setting foot in the sea.
As one of America’s most captivating aquariums, Shedd captures the magic of aquatic life with exhibits that showcase everything from Amazonian anacondas and piranhas to a Caribbean Reef exhibit teeming with moray eels and green sea turtles. The Aquarium also does its part to educate visitors with activities such as the high school lake ecology program, which introduces students to the underwater habitats of Lake Michigan.
While aquariums have long been a great source of entertainment for Americans, these days there’s oceans more to see than animal trainers dancing with killer whales. A number of sophisticated aquariums have developed programs and exhibits that cater to eco-conscious travelers.
