Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium and its collection

Shedd Aquarium (formally the John G. Shedd Aquarium ) is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago , Illinois , in the United States . Opened on May 30, 1930, the 5 million US gal (19,000,000 l; 4,200,000 imp gal) aquarium was for some time the largest indoor facility in the world. Today it holds about 32,000 animals. Shedd Aquarium was the first inland aquarium with a permanent saltwater fish collection. It is located on Lake Michigan , on the Museum Campus Chicago , along with the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum of Natural History . In 2015, the aquarium had 2.02 million visitors. It was the most visited aquarium in the U.S. in 2005, and in 2007, it surpassed the Field Museum as the most popular cultural attraction in Chicago. The aquarium contains 1,500 species, including fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, and insects. The aquarium received awards for "best exhibit" from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for Seahorse Symphony in 1999, Amazon Rising in 2001, and Wild Reef in 2004. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.