The tide is turning at Birch Aquarium — the longtime “Hall of Fishes” is being replaced with a new, immersive exhibition dubbed “Living Seas,” set to open in summer 2025.
According to the aquarium, “Living Seas” will take guests into the Pacific Ocean via the West Coast — from the Pacific Northwest to the California Coast and Tropic Pacific. Guests can expect bigger viewing windows, digital displays, and projections as they learn about Giant Pacific Octopus, jellyfish, giant kelp, corals, reefs + more.
To that end, the aquarium has already started rolling up its sleeves.
The facility’s Animal Care Team is in the process of relocating the 4,000 animals inside the “Hall of Fishes” ahead of renovations. Birch Aquarium will be closed to guests from Monday, Sept. 30 to Thursday, Oct. 3 so crews can begin working on the exhibition space.
The rest of the aquarium will reopen on Friday, Oct. 4 with a few new experiences for the fall season including Riveropolis, a hands-on water-play experience located on Blue Beach. Visitors will also find “Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen,” a new exhibition that blends art + science featuring the works of 18 artists across 10 projects.
According to Birch Aquarium, the “Living Seas” overhaul will be the largest capital improvement to its facility since it was built in 1992.
Over the past 30 years, 12+ million guests have walked through the “Hall of Fishes.” If you visit now through Sunday, Sept. 29, the aquarium may ask you to share your memories of the space — for old times’ sake.
