Summer in Chicago. View from the Shedd Aquarium terrace during Jazzin’ at the Shedd.
“My feet are killing me. I want to sit down with a cold adult beverage, watch fish swim by, listen to music, and do nothing else.”
Wish granted.
On a family vacation to Chicago, we’d been walking and walking and walking on our city explorations during the day. This was great for seeing a lot (and losing a little weight – four pounds for me by the end of the trip – yay!) but it was hell on the feet.
In an effort to find something cool and soothing, I’d booked us tickets to hear live music at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.
It’s called Jazzin’ at the Shedd, and it’s on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer.
You book in advance – plan ahead because they do sell out – and for the normal US$40 adult admission fee (US$20 for Chicago residents) you get a special nighttime experience at the Aquarium.
Music and Chicago memories at Jazzin’ at the Shedd (photo courtesy the Shedd Aquarium)
Picture this: live music on both the outdoor terrace (a jazz and R&B band) and indoors in the Main Lobby (a mellow trio) with cash bars set up in convenient places, allowing you to wander the aquarium with cocktail or other preferred beverage in hand, looking at ocean, lake, and river creatures until late closing at 10 p.m.
This short video gives you a feel for Jazzin’ at the Shedd…
It’s no surprise that Chicago locals have figured out what a great event this is, and they show up early to claim the first-come-first-served tables and group seats on the Shedd terrace, with its spectacular views of the harbor and city.
We found it easier to grab seats around a table indoors near the Caribbean Reef tank just off of the Main Lobby where the trio was playing. You could still hear music from there, but it’s a quieter vibe, and the Amazon, Islands and Lakes, and Rivers tanks were right nearby for our perusal.
During this trip, I was trying really hard to stay off of my phone and be in the moment with my family, which meant that I didn’t even plan to write about the Shedd for Perceptive Travel and hardly took any photos or video.
So, imagine the Caribbean Reef tank below, but with tables and chairs all around it and a bar in the corner…
This, but with tables and chairs and mellow music playing nearby, is the indoor part of Jazzin’ at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. (photo courtesy SHYCITYNikon on Flickr Creative Commons)
My family took turns exploring nearby exhibits including stingray touch encounters and other interactive events, or simply looking into tanks at the incredible variety of aquatic creatures, as one or more of us watched our purses and backpacks.
Whoever was left hanging out at the table (OK, it was usually me) watched mesmerized as queen angelfish, rays, sea turtles, and parrotfish swam lazily past a few feet away.
Look up! Art Deco light fixtures with sea creatures in the Shedd Aquarium Chicago main lobby.
At sunset, we shifted to the Shedd terrace for the views.
I loved seeing the diverse mix of folks all out there enjoying the music and the breeze, and watching the sky glow orange as sailboats and motorized watercraft buzzed in and out of the harbor.
See the view, listen to music, wander the aquarium, all with the Chicago skyline as your backdrop.
Although there was food available for sale, we basically forgot to eat while looking at otters and beluga whales. That was resolved much later that night at a pizza place in River North near our hotel.
One of the draws of Jazzin’ at the Shedd is seeing the nearby Navy Pier summer fireworks from the Shedd terrace.
We almost missed them because we were busy watching penguins and dolphins, but it turned out that you could see the fireworks through the windows at the dolphin tank.
The dolphins decided to give us a bit of an unplanned, spontaneous leaping show at the same time…
What a perfect experience – live music with local bands, attractive and interesting surroundings at an historic Chicago attraction, a fun mix of enthusiastic locals and travelers like us, plus the endcap of fireworks and dolphins.
Do you have a favorite live music event like this at a local museum or aquarium? Tell us about it in the comments.
All photos by the author except as noted.
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