Simply saying that the John G. Shedd Aquarium is the world’s largest indoor aquarium doesn’t really prepare you for the Shedd. Imagine walking along the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest, stopping to gaze into tidal pools filled with sea anemones and starfish. The Shedd captures that experience, right down to the moist sea air. Then move on to the tropics. Observe life in the Caribbean Sea in the Shedd’s 90,000-gallon reef habitat. Watch divers swim among tarpons, sharks, and parrotfish, all the while giving a Darth Vader-esque narrative through microphones in their dive masks. Experience the flooding of the Amazon River, where you’ll see the fish (yes, including piranhas), but also snakes, giant river turtles, bird-eating spiders, and other creatures of this rainforest region. Then head for a colder climate and visit the beluga whales in the Oceanarium. And with all of this, you haven’t even begun looking at the historic galleries, where more than 300 species of fish from around the world are on display. The Shedd Aquarium was opened in 1929, though it has been expanded considerably since then—and the building itself is worth noting, from the classic design of the original structure to the wall of windows that makes it appear as though the Shedd flows into Lake Michigan.