Education
Field Trip FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time of year to visit?
Many school groups book visits in April and May; availability may be limited. Bring your class in the fall, early winter, or March, when it tends to be less crowded for programs and space.
What kinds of opportunities does Shedd offer for field trips?
Self-guided Field Trips
Visiting Shedd Aquarium on a field trip can be a wonderful experience for students, teachers and chaperones. Shedd always has something going on, whether it’s activities in our exhibit areas or chats with our staff.
Classroom and Lab Programs at Shedd Aquarium
Add depth to your field trip by including one of our interactive classroom or laboratory programs. Classroom programs are offered Tuesday thru Friday and lab programs are offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday. All programs are held in our Aquatic Education Center (AEC). Click here for more details about our classroom and lab programs.
What kinds of opportunities does Shedd offer at your school?
Shedd Aquarium Comes to You
Have a unique Shedd Aquarium experience brought to your school when you register for one of our auditorium programs for grades K–5. These special presentations can be taken only at your school. Click here for more details about bringing Shedd to you.
Does Shedd offer help with planning field trips?
Every fall we offer a special professional development opportunity for teachers who are looking for some extra help when planning their field trip. The workshop will help teachers with the planning of a focused and successful field trip. We will give you a detailed look at registration as well as programs and locations around the aquarium. There is also time to practice creating pre, during and post trip activities. Click here for a full list of our teacher professional development opportunities.
How do I schedule a field trip or a classroom, lab, or auditorium program?
Registration is closed for field trip and classroom or lab programs. For auditorium programs at your school, reservations can be made using the auditorium reservation form. After completing the form, fax it to:
John G. Shedd Aquarium
Group Sales Office
1200 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
Fax: 312.939.2195
When can I register for school programs?
Registration is now closed for on-site programs. Registration will open for the 2009-2010 school year on Aug. 1. Registraton for off-site programs is open year round.
How many chaperones do I need?
One chaperone is required for every 10 students, although one for every five is recommended. Teachers are counted in the chaperone-to-student ratio. Please note: Chaperones exceeding a 1:5 ratio will be required to pay the school rate.
Can I visit Shedd before my field trip to prepare my students for their visit?
Yes! We encourage teachers to visit before bringing their students. All teachers are admitted free with proper identification and may use the will call line instead of the general admission line. Please note that only teachers are admitted free and any guests will be required to pay the full admission price.
How long should I plan for my field trip?
There is a lot to see and do at Shedd, so we strongly suggest that you plan ahead and make a schedule for yourself and chaperones. If you are planning to see the main galleries, allow 45 to 60 minutes. If you are visiting the Oceanarium, allow 30 minutes to view the animals. If you would like to view the Wild Reef, plan 45 minutes for viewing. Classroom programs run 50 minutes, and the lab programs run 90 minutes in addition to any time spent viewing the exhibits. You may also want to allow 30 minutes for lunch.
Where do we go when we arrive at Shedd Aquarium?
All school groups should report to the bus drop-off, located directly off Solidarity Drive on the south side of the aquarium, and enter through the registered group entrance. The lead chaperone should report to the south entrance for further instructions. A map will be included with your reservation confirmation and you can click here to learn more about traffic updates for the museum campus area.
Where do buses park?
There is limited free parking for buses west of the aquarium on Canal Street south of Roosevelt Road. Buses might be able to park on a first-come basis in the Adler Planetarium parking lot for a fee. We suggest that you make contingency plans in case parking is not available on the Museum Campus. Visit http://www.soldierfieldparking.com/ or call Standard Parking at 312-235-7701 for more information and prices.
What are the lunch options?
If your group is brown-bagging it, lunchroom reservations are on a first-come/first-served basis.
Schooling fishes find safety in numbers. Zigzagging as one huge glittering organism, they confuse predators.
