Looking to get close and personal with some aquatic life without hauling the kids to the Shedd Aquarium? Check out the floor to ceiling fish, along with sharks and stingrays fed by hand, at the Living Sea Aquarium in Park Ridge.
More than 8,000 gallons of water fill the marine livestock section alone, along with a wide variety of tropical fish tanks lining the walls. And, for parents of smaller children, many of the tanks are at just the right height for toddlers to peer into.
Two of the biggest draws in the aquarium are the shark and stingray tanks. Watch the stingray feedings at 2 p.m. Monday-Friday or at 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Shark feedings take place on the weekends at 2 p.m. as well and typically draw a crowd. It’s free to watch and the staff always enlists a few lucky children to help out. The indoor koi pond and the"touch tank” are also popular stops for families.
Guided store tours and birthday parties are available for a fee.
The Living Sea Aquarium is located at 811 W. Devon Ave. and opens at 11:30 a.m. daily, closing at 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Fridays the store is open until 9 p.m., Saturdays until 6 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. For more information, call (847) 698-7258 or visit www.livingseaaquarium.com.
