Shedd Aquarium
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John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago in the United States is the largest indoor aquarium in the world. The aquarium is surrounded by Museum Campus Chicago, which it shares with Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum of Natural History. The aquarium gets 2 million annual visits. It contains 8,000 animals of 650 species including fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians and insects.
Shedd Aquarium was the gift of retail leader John G. Shedd, a protege of Marshall Field, to the city of Chicago. Construction was completed on December 19, 1929; the first exhibits were opened in 1930. As one of the first inland aquariums in the world, Shedd had to rely on a custom-made railroad car, the Nautillus, for the transport of fish and seawater. The Nautillus lasted until 1959.
In 1933, Chicago hosted its second world's fair, the Century of Progress. The fair was held very close to the aquarium, so it gained exposure to a large international crowd.
In 1971, Shedd Aquarium added one of its most popular exhibits, a massive 90,000-gallon tank reproducing a Caribbean coral reef. That same year, the aquarium acquired its first research vessel, a 75-foot boat for exploring the Caribbean, manned by a diving crew to collect specimens. In 1985 this boat was replaced with the aquarium's current vessel, the Coral Reef II.
The biggest event in Shedd's recent history was the opening of its "Oceanarium" in 1991. This is a large addition to the aquarium that features many marine mammals, including Pacific white-sided dolpins and belugas. The aquarium also boasts a number of sea otters; the core of this collection was a group rescued from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.
The Shedd's newest exhibit is "Wild Reef - Sharks at the Shedd." Under construction from 2000 until its opening in 2003, "Wild Reef" attempts to recreate a Philippine coral reef complete with living coral, multiple species of fish and rays, and a collection of sharks. The main draw of this attraction is a 400,000 gallon shark tank with twelve foot high curved windows, allowing visitors a "divers-eye view."
The aquarium received awards for best exhibit from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association for Seahorse Symphony in 1999, Amazon Rising in 2001 and Wild Reef in 2004.
Shedd Aquarium is also notable for its architecture. The basic design is taken from classical Greek architecture to match the other structures of the Museum Campus. The central aquarium building is octagonal, fronted by Doric columns and a formal staircase and topped by a dome. Aquatic motifs are worked in at every opportunity; tortoise shells, dolphins, octopi, waves, and even the Trident of Poseidon can be found all over the aquarium's exterior and interior. The Oceanarium is done in a more modern style represented the Pacific Northwest, but one that blends with the older part of the building. The Oceanarium's 2 million gallon main tank is backed by a wall of windows that look out onto Lake Michigan.
External link
- Aquarium web site (http://www.sheddaquarium.org)