Shedd Aquarium Unveils Transformed Entry and Awe-Inspiring Hanging Sculpture

Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium recently announced the opening of an enhanced entry experience that greatly improves the physical accessibility of the historic building, while providing guests with more choice on how to begin their journey to the aquatic world. The transformed entry is part of a new Welcome Plaza that will include more activated garden space, pop-up programming for Museum Campus visitors and a new external ticketing pavilion. A dynamic hanging sculpture punctuates Shedd’s new atrium, featuring 1,600 fish representing native species found in Lake Michigan.

The enhanced entrance was previously known as Shedd’s Accessible Entrance.  It  has been significantly widened to improve guest flow, as this will serve as the primary entry and exit for the nearly 2 million guests that visit the aquarium each year. State-of-the-art ticket scanning and security screening technology will help expedite the entry experience. Materials were chosen to help blend new additions with the restored historic Beaux-Arts architecture.

“Our new enhanced entry experience is an outstretched hand, inviting guests to gather, explore and commune with biodiversity,” said Meghan Curran, chief marketing and experience officer at Shedd Aquarium. “This is a space where technology, architecture and green space collide to help make the aquarium and nature more accessible, safe and welcoming to all.”

Upon entering, guests will have more choice on where to start their visit. Where all guests used to begin their journey at the historic gallery level, new ramping will now allow guests to walk directly into the Abbott Oceanarium, and elevators will soon be able to take guests immediately down to the Wild Reef exhibit. Guests who still want to start in the historic galleries can still use the elevators, but they can also access them by traveling up the newly installed stairs and escalators, which spill out into the aquarium’s Grand Hall. This will all help improve guest flow throughout the building while making it easier for guests to move from exhibit to exhibit more intuitively and organically.

In addition to the infrastructure changes, the Aquarium unveiled a new, permanent art installation that hangs inside the new atrium lobby. Created out of vitreous china, the hanging sculpture features 1,600 individual fish representing Lake Michigan species, including longnose gar, lake trout, walleye, cisco, northern pike and lake sturgeon. Commissioned by the Shedd and designed by artist David Franklin, in partnership with Kohler, the piece – titled “The Once and Forever Lake Michigan” – celebrates the ancient aquatic species that have thrived in this region for thousands of years, while inspiring their continued protection for generations to come.   

“Shedd Aquarium has a critically important place in our community — positioned right where the vast wilderness of the Great Lakes meets the vibrant city of Chicago – a fitting place to celebrate the fish of lake Michigan,” said Sarah Hezel, vice president of design and exhibits at Shedd Aquarium.  

The installation took 30 days to complete, with Franklin, his wife Joanne Franklin, and his team hanging each individual fish. “My hope is that this sculpture will transport visitors entering Shedd into a dynamic scene beneath the surface of Lake Michigan as a preview of all the wonders that await them inside the aquarium,” said Franklin. “It was made at Kohler, near the shore of the lake, by the kind and hardworking people of the region. It is also intended to showcase the natural treasures swimming in Chicago’s home waters.”

The aquarium’s entry enhancements are part of a broad and sweeping strategic plan – Shedd’s Centennial Commitment – which is accelerating the aquarium’s mission ahead of its centennial year in 2030 and preparing the Shedd for the next 100 years of service. The new entry experience is the latest space to be transformed as part of the aquarium’s multi-year Experience Evolution, following the reopening of Amazon Rising in September. The aquarium will also be launching a brand-new exhibit – Wonder of Water – in Shedd’s iconic rotunda space later this year.

Shedd Aquarium is a recognized leader in animal care, education, conservation and science, serving as a portal for millions of guests, bringing them eye-to-eye with belugas and bluegills, stingrays and sturgeons, coral reefs, kelp forests and countless other species from around the world. 

For additional information see sheddaquarium.org.