Shedd Aquarium Centennial Commitment

Shedd Aquarium unveiled today plans for the most significant physical transformation of its lakeside home in recent history – a reimagination of the aquarium’s historic galleries with new immersive, bilingual, and science-rich exhibits, an enhanced accessible and more seamless entry experience, greater space for conservation science research labs and modernized animal husbandry infrastructure, and robust investments in spaces and programs for environmental learning – all to be completed by 2027. 

"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." 

 Distinctive animal biology, behaviors and biodiversity will center at the core of the new Shedd experience, replacing the current geographical-based experience with new ways to observe and learn about aquatic life. Many of the new exhibits will allow guests to feel as if they are beneath the water’s surface, engaging their senses and bringing them closer than ever to the wonder of the aquatic animal world. Hands-on programs will invite guests to dive deeper into programs such as learning what kelp tastes like, examining how a hagfish uses slime to protect itself, or observing what lives in our local waters through a high-powered microscope. Additionally, new circulation pathways will significantly improve the historic building’s ability to meet guest accessibility needs, particularly for those with strollers or mobility devices. 

However, the most significant changes are not only for guests, but also the tens of thousands of animals under Shedd’s care. Amongst many changes will be the transformation of the aquarium’s North Gallery into an immersive tunnel exhibit, for example, to serve as the new home to one of the aquarium’s fan-favorites – rescued green sea turtle, Nickel. By providing double the amount of water volume and state-of-the art infrastructure to support a complex, warm saltwater environment, new spotted eagle rays will also join Nickel with over twice the space to swim and explore. 

Last year, Shedd unveiled its 2030 comprehensive strategic plan aimed at ensuring a more equitable, sustainable, and thriving future for people and aquatic life. Leading to the organization’s 100th anniversary, the multi-faceted Centennial Commitment is a $500 million transformational investment in Chicago communities and aquatic ecosystems around the world, requiring half a billion dollars and eight years to accomplish. The experience evolution construction project accounts for approximately half of the total investment, and will take place across multiple years, and four phases to complete. Shedd will remain open throughout the project duration, with new galleries, programs and experiences opening on a rolling basis. 

“For nearly a century, Shedd Aquarium has drawn visitors of all ages to the Land of Lincoln thanks to their state-of-the-art exhibits and nation-leading educational opportunities,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “This latest transformation won’t just accelerate climate action leadership and environmental protection throughout our state—it will also generate significant economic impact, job creation and tourism revenues. I congratulate Shedd. 

Aquarium on this milestone and look forward to visiting the aquarium over the next several years to witness their evolution firsthand.” 

Part of the aquarium’s accessibility commitments include fully bilingual (English and Spanish) exhibits. Shedd recently unveiled its first bilingual exhibit, Plankton Revealed – an interactive experience that highlights the importance of tiny organisms that could be overlooked but have a significant impact on the health and balance of aquatic ecosystems. 

Earlier this year, the aquarium began construction on new Integrated Aquatic Science Labs – a state-of-the-art space for conservation research, water chemistry, molecular ecology, pathology and animal clinical care behind the scenes. 

Four Years, Four Phases

Summer 2023- Summer 2024

Welcome Plaza: Shedd’s current Accessible Entrance will be enhanced to create a greater sense of arrival for guests, school buses, and groups as they approach the building. A new entry experience and exterior ticketing pavilion will offer a more seamless, quick and streamlined start to a visit.

Gardens: The four acres of green space surrounding Shedd’s historic lakefront building, including the Smith Family Gardens and Sick Family Gardens, will be mobilized into a living classroom that celebrates and activates nature play and learning for all without admission, in addition to serving as a vibrant habitat for local species and migrating bird and insect populations. Garden activities will include seeing how Shedd produces hundreds of pounds of honey while supporting many pollinators species.

Atrium: New ticketing and security scanning technology will seamlessly sweep guests quickly into a bright and bold atrium. Once inside, new circulation pathways will create more choice in where to start a journey. Ramping throughout the aquarium will also significantly reduce the number of level changes at Shedd, improving physical mobility for guests.

Gallery - Wonder of Water: The historic rotunda will soon be home to a dual-habitat system, one fresh water and saltwater, serving as the beating heart of the aquarium. Guests will walk through the middle, observing vibrant corals on one side and a lushly planted freshwater fish habitat on the other. New periscopes and towering viewing windows will give guests peaks into fish nests, anemones and more.

Gallery - Amazon Rising: Several improvements to Amazon Rising, a compelling story of life in the Amazon River basin, will bring new energy to the exhibit. Renovations to the habitats of the arapaima and anaconda will explore how animals have adapted to life in some of the planet’s most unique and challenging environments. Exhibits will encourage behaviors like foraging, hunting, diving, mating, and interactives like an electric eel voltage meter will bring guests even closer to unique biology.

Lakeside Learning Studio: A technologically savvy, flexible launchpad for learning, the Lakeside Learning Studio will bring Shedd’s education spaces up from the basement and into the core of the aquarium experience. This new, central home for learning will be available to all guests and contribute to a wider solution to address disparities in access to nature and educational opportunities – especially for historically disinvested communities on Chicago’s south and west sides. Animal pop-ins and hands-on science experiments will give Chicago communities the chance to explore hagfish slime or taste sea kelp – making learning a multi-sensory experience. Shedd scientists will stop by or satellite in from the field to talk about the aquarium’s ongoing conservation and research efforts both here and around the world. This new space will also greatly increase Shedd’s capacity for facilitated learning experiences, increasing the number of students Shedd engage from 180,000 to beyond 230,000 annually.

North Terrace: Shedd will restore the North Terrace, and in the process, extend it by 10 feet, giving guests more space to spread out and enjoy the view of the lake and the city skyline. Underneath, this additional space will house new life support systems that will power many of Shedd’s new exhibits and galleries.

Summer 2026 – Winter 2026

Gallery - River Wonders: The fully renovated Rivers experience will showcase river systems and interactive habitats that explore the biology and behavior of life in and around an Illinois stream. Guests will be enveloped by the sounds and sensations of moving water as it crashes and splashes through the habitats and explore how human impacts can have rippling effects on wildlife like Blanding’s turtles, mudpuppies, and wood frogs.

Gallery - Living Lakes: Highlighting freshwater fishes as a vital resource for human communities, the updated Lakes gallery will offer new opportunities for guests to connect with uniquely evolved animals like cichlids from around the world, as well as popular interactives like the lake sturgeon touch habitat.

Grand Hall: Shedd’s historic foyer will be restored to enhance the historical splendor and architectural details, while creating a more welcoming atmosphere. This room will become a gathering place, which will feature animal encounters, learning programs and interactives that call out historical depictions of aquatic life and cultural connections to water from around the world.

Through it all, Shedd will continue to steward and honor the building’s historic integrity and Beaux-Arts beauty. This will be done by mindfully restoring masonry, unblocking original windows providing views of the lake and the city and giving guests more opportunity to admire the limestone, Georgian marble and Chicago bricks that provide the foundation to this portal beneath the waves. Shedd’s experience evolution was developed over several years with voices and insights from the community gathered through listening sessions, pilot programs, external consultants, and experience studies to truly understand how Shedd can better serve guests and foster moments of connection to each other, to aquatic animals and to nature.