Shedd Aquarium

John G. Shedd Aquarium was largest indoor aquarium in the world with 5 million gallons (19 million liters) of water and 22,000 fish (the largest indoor aquarium is now in Atlanta, Georgia). It belongs to the most visited aquariums in the United States, with about 2 million visitors a year. It contains 1500 species including fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, and insects.

Shedd Aquarium is a part of Museum Campus in Chicago, Illinois, together with the Field Museum of Natural History and Adler Planetarium. It is named after Marshall Field’s protégé John G. Shedd who gave the aquarium to the city of Chicago.

The construction was finished on December 19, 1929 and the aquarium was officially opened in 1930. The transport of fish as well as seawater was provided by custom-made railroad car called the Nautillus (until 1959).

As far as the “inhabitants” of the aquarium are concerned, the oldest one is the fish known as “Granddad”. It is Queensland Lungfish that was given to the aquarium during the second Chicago’s world fair in 1933. Since 1971 there has been a massive 90,000 gallon tank reproducing a Caribbean coral reef placed to the aquarium. It has immediately become one of the most famous attractions. And in 1991 "Oceanarium" was added. It is home for many marine mammals, including Pacific white-sided dolphins and belugas. One of the Beluga whales was born here on 3 August 1999 – its name is Kayavak. And finally, the newest attraction is “Wild Reef” – a Philippine coral reef with the 400,000 gallon (1.5 million liter) shark tank.

Other interesting thing about the Shedd aquarium is the architecture of the building. The basic design is taken from classical Greek architecture in order the building would 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. The Oceanarium is done in a more modern style representing the Pacific Northwest, but still it blends with the older part of the building. Of course there are aquatic motifs everywhere, in both exterior and interior.