No matter you're visiting Chicago for the first time or a Chicagoan who needs one-day city escape, the John G. Shedd Aquarium truly deserves your visit to have some pleasant time there, and get much more than fun!

This nonprofit institution is one of the world's largest indoor aquariums with a history dating back to 1930. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, the building itself, a grand architecture in Greek style is its own work of art.

History of Shedd Aquarium

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shedd_Aquarium

This aquatic wonderland goes out of its unique way to educate visitors through 32,600 aquatic animals representing around 1,500 species of fishes, amphibians, birds, mammals and insects from waters all over the world.

You will be marveled at watching dolphins jump while staring out at a view of Lake Michigan. And the exhibitions like Caribbean Reef, Amazon Rising's Flooded Forest, the Oceanarium's Pacific Northwest Coast and Wild Reef's Indo-Pacific Reef will make your feel surrounded by intense humidity and almost can smell the flavor of soil and water.

Can't wait to start your visit, right? Be cool! Here comes more great news for you. The aquarium offers 52 designated discount days for visitors each year. That means, you can visit the original galleries including the Waters of the World, Amazon Rising, and the Caribbean Reef for totally free.

Maybe you're still trying to figure out the benefits with these free days. We will make you realize the huge savings instantly through telling you the steep regular admission prices. Presently, the Shedd Aquarium has three types of pass:

(1) The admission for Shedd Pass is $26.95 for adults and $19.95 for children at 3 to 11 years old. For the Shedd's aquatic show, you need to pay 2 extra dollars per person.

(2) Total Experience Pass allows you to have access to all the exhibits and a 4-D experience. The price is $30.95 for adults, while $23.95 for children. Also the Shedd's aquatic show charging $2 per person is excluded.

(3) Fantasea Pass enables you to experience everything in the aquarium. You need to pay $32.95 for adults and $25.95 for children.

Note: the last two passes are only available at the Shedd box office, not available online.

Ticket Info from Homepage

http://www.sheddaquarium.org/ticketprices.html

Now let's get back to the free days which will benefit your trip for sure. In 2011, the upcoming free days of January and February are still on Mondays and Tuesdays like 2010.

In January, you can enjoy free days after the second weekends. The concrete dates are 10(Mon), 11(Tue), 24(Mon), 25(Tue) and 31(Mon).

Except for February 21 and 22, you can have your free visiting on any other Mondays and Tuesdays of this month, including 1(Tue), 7(Mon), 8(Tue), 14(Mon), 15(Tue) and 28(Mon).

And the Community Discount Weeks of the two months are Jan 16-21 and Feb 20-24.

How to save more on your visit? The Shedd Aquarium is situated in the Grant Park's Museum Campus. There you can also visit other two natural science museums - Adler Planetarium and Field Museum of Natural History. The free days of the three museums are often overlapped. You can take advantage of one same free day for two or even three museums, then have a whole-day visiting.

2011 Community Discount Days of Shedd Aquatium

http://www.sheddaquarium.org/discounts.html

Field Museum Free Days in 2011

http://www.fieldmuseum.org/plan_visit/free_days.htm

Discounts of Adler Planetarium

http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/plan/discounts

We will keep the free day info updated with the announcement on the official sites of these museums. Remember to check back soon!