Field Museum

Shedd Aquarium tickets sell out Monday after closing for NASCAR weekend

NBC Universal, Inc.

Crowds of people lined up Monday morning to get into the Shedd Aquarium, which reopened July 3 after closing Saturday and Sunday for NASCAR's Chicago Street Race.

The Shedd was so popular that tickets sold out well before the attraction's 4 p.m. close and 2 p.m. last-entry day.

A video on Twitter showed a massive line of people at 10:30 a.m., a half-hour after the Shedd opened Monday following its two-day NASCAR closure.

"Shedd Aquarium tickets are SOLD OUT for today, Monday, July 3," the aquarium wrote on its website. "Please select another day."

The good news is the Shedd opens its doors again from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 4.

This isn't the first time the aquarium sold out due to demand. Its pre-planned free-admission day on Jan. 16, which let Illinois residents spend a day at the museum for free, drew so many guests it sold out of tickets before closure.

NASCAR's inaugural race through the streets of downtown Chicago resulted in multiple road closures and altered hours for some city museums and attractions.

Not everyone was thrilled with disruptions from the race, which caused excitement, challenges and thrill among NASCAR racers and fans as history was made in more ways than one.

Shane Van Gisbergen won the highly anticipated race on Sunday despite turbulent weather conditions forcing several delays, capping off an incredible debut performance.

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