Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium is a neoclassical temple of white Georgia marble, capped with a glass dome featuring a trident at its peak. Built on an octagonal footprint, the structure is decorated with aquatic motifs like turtles and shells, all modeled from life and carved directly into the stone and terra cotta. It occupies a prominent place on the lakefront, intended by its benefactor, retail executive John G. Shedd, to provide Chicago with a world-class institution of aquatic life.