Shedd Aquarium Invests $250 Million in Modernization
Photo: Courtesy of Shedd Aquarium
(eap) Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Shedd Aquarium is one of the oldest museum aquatic facilities in the world. The museum is now scheduled to undergo extensive modernization by 2027, while preserving the building’s distinctive Beaux-Arts style. A total of about USD 250 million (approx. EUR 227 million) will be invested in the “Experience Evolution” construction project, which is part of a total investment of USD 500 million (some EUR 455 million) that will be spent on various projects in anticipation of the museum’s 100th anniversary in 2030. Many of the new exhibits will allow guests to feel as if they are under the water’s surface and engage their senses. Hands-on programs will invite guests to delve deeper, such as learning what kelp tastes like, investigating how a hagfish protects itself with mucus, or observing what lives in native waters through a high-powered microscope. In addition, accessibility is to be significantly improved particularly for those with strollers or mobility devices.
Photo: Courtesy of Shedd Aquarium
One of the significant changes at the Aquarium is the transformation of the North Gallery into an immersive tunnel exhibit that will serve as the new home for one of the Aquarium’s fan favourites – the rescued green sea turtle “Nickel”. In the future, visitors can enjoy a walk through a 40-foot (twelve-meter)-long tunnel while sea animals swim around and above them. For the animals, the conversion doubles the water volume of the aquarium. Modernization work is taking place in four phases, from the entrance, exterior, through all the aquariums. Among them is a completely new exhibit called “Changing Oceans”, where visitors can follow a path that takes them from the top of a living ocean to the depths of the water column. As they traverse different biomes, guests learn how animals and environments are changing in response to the changing climate.
Photo: Courtesy of Shedd Aquarium
“We know that when people can truly connect with animals, it motivates an emotional, empathetic response that shifts attitudes and fosters a personal sense of responsibility for local waters, global oceans, and wildlife,” said Bridget Coughlin, PhD, President and CEO at Shedd Aquarium. “People cannot care about something they do not know or understand, and it is only when we care about something, we are motivated to act – to love it, to protect it, to save it. In this age of increased urbanization and disconnection from nature, there is greater urgency to ensure more resilient, sustainable, and thriving communities and ecosystems for the future. As such, greater opportunity must exist to nurture care and understanding for our shared blue planet. Shedd Aquarium’s experience evolution aims to do just that.”
Partners in the four-year modernization project include Pepper- and BMI Construction, architect Valerio Dewalt Train, project manager Jones Lang LaSalle, and Shedd’s own design and exhibition team, supported by Thinc Design. During the works the museum will remain open for visitors. ■
