Sneak Peek of New Exhibits Coming This Year at Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium offers a rare preview of the two new, science-forward exhibits, Wonder of Water and Amazon Rising, and an enhanced entry, which – when finished – will serve as the first look at the aquarium’s ongoing Experience Evolution. Construction of these reimagined spaces began in September 2023 and will open to guests later this year with educational signage offered in both English and Spanish, as well as new interactives and programming designed to inspire wonder and bring people closer to aquatic animal behaviors and biology.

Shedd and partners began by mindfully deconstructing the previous habitats and preserving historic architectural elements from the galleries for storage or reuse. Since then, crews have poured new concrete foundations and installed massive new acrylic for the expanded and redesigned habitats that will provide new, more dynamic homes for the aquarium animals currently cared for behind the scenes.

The aquarium’s Experience Evolution is part of a broad and ambitious Centennial Commitment, a strategic plan that reinvigorates and accelerates investments in animal wellbeing, guest experience, community outreach, conservation science and more ahead of Shedd’s 100th anniversary in 2030. Throughout the process, Shedd remains open, and there are always new things to do and see while construction is ongoing.

Wonder of Water

In Wonder of Water, experience the beauty and diversity of aquatic life through two towering saltwater and freshwater habitats. Guests will walk between the habitats, observing vibrant and colorful corals living on one side and a lushly planted freshwater fish habitat on the other. Surrounded by aquatic life, guests can revel in the vastness of the blue planet’s biodiversity and deepen their affinity for nature amidst an urbanizing world.

At the beating heart of Shedd’s historic home, this gallery will set the tone for the awe-inspiring nature found throughout the aquarium. Over the near-century history of the aquarium, this rotunda space has served as the first exhibit guests see. First, in 1930, it opened as a 40-foot-diameter rock garden and sunken tropical pool filled with native fishes, turtles and frogs, and then in 1971, it was reimagined and transformed into a 90,000-gallon reef with tropical fish, stingrays and sharks. This year, guests uncover both the freshwater and saltwater biodiversity in one space and discover the unique colors, shapes, forms and biological adaptations of aquatic life that rely on the most vital resource on our blue planet – water.

Amazon Rising

In Amazon Rising, three 6-foot-long arapaima, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, and Beatrix an 11-foot-long green anaconda, a species considered one of the largest snakes in the world, will both get new expanded homes. Further, guests will discover how these animals have adapted to live amidst one of the world’s most dramatic seasonal changes. New interactive elements seeing animal care experts feed the arapaima will give guests a front row seat to hear the distinct clapping sound when this ancient fish eats, creating a vacuum and trapping food with a strong, bony tongue. Additionally, guests can uncover how electric eels use both low and high voltage electric discharges to explore their environment, communicate and hunt through a real-time LED output that tracks the eels’ discharge.

Enhanced, More Accessible Entry

Shedd is creating a completely new arrival experience that activates the surrounding gardens and incorporates aquatic imagery that hints at the wonder that awaits inside while making guest entry more welcoming and streamlined for all who visit the aquarium. This enhanced space includes a new ticketing pavilion and trellis thoughtfully designed to respond to the historic building. Newly interpreted nature exploration gardens will invite all guests to Museum Campus to explore what is above and beneath the surface, learning about the importance of pollinators like bees and butterflies, discovering what wildlife relies on the gardens to survive and exploring how the gardens feed the animals at Shedd. New entry and security technology will make guest entry quick and efficient, and a stunning new atrium will provide more choices than ever on where guests can start their visit.

The renaissance of the historic galleries is a deep investment in the aquariums’ future and serves as the largest capital project for the organization. Working within the footprint of the original aquarium building, the new larger habitats and exhibits reinvigorate these historic spaces for aquatic life and guests, bringing people and animals eye to eye in new and novel ways. Even more exciting transformations are planned for Shedd’s historic galleries and spaces as the aquarium approaches its centennial in 2030.

Transformational support for Shedd’s Centennial Commitment has been provided by The Harvey L. Miller Family Foundation, as well as the Mansueto Foundation and Builders Initiative. Most recently, lead contributions have also been generously provided by the Cynthia Parker Matthews Family Foundation, The Grainger Foundation, Kenneth C. Griffin, Mike and Lindy Keiser, Anna and Bob Livingston, The Regenstein Foundation, the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, and Mary and Stephen Byron Smith.

Lead project partners on the aquarium’s transformation and restoration include joint venture Chicago-based general contractor partners Pepper/BMI Construction LLC, architect Valerio Dewalt Train, project manager JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), Shedd’s Design and Exhibits team - supported by exhibit design partner Thinc Design, inclusive museum design and accessibility partner Institute for Human Centered Design, diversity, equity and inclusion partner Trinal Inc. and more.

Visit Shedd Aquarium’s website to learn more: https:/www.sheddaquarium.org/about-shedd/centennial-commitment/experience-evolution.

VISUALS: High resolution images and b-roll of the Experience Evolution in progress, as well as original renderings of the future spaces, available here: https://personal.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8e6f628e5966707c6b9a. Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium