Aquarium unveils renderings for Great Lakes 360 facility

Robert Creenan, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
·2 min read

May 25—The Aquarium of Niagara has unveiled renderings for new exhibits that will be inside its new living museum.

Called Great Lakes 360, the $5 million project it will feature 15 brand new exhibits showcasing wildlife of the Niagara River and the larger Great Lakes ecosystem. They will incorporate turtles, amphibians, insects, and many fish species.

It will be the biggest expansion project in the aquarium's 57-year history, increasing the number of exhibits by 40%.

"Visitors will have the opportunity to feel the mist coming off the falls, take to the trails to explore the unique areas of the Niagara Gorge, then come to Great Lakes 360 and really get to know the animals they may have just encountered outside though hands-on experiences and compelling interpretation," said Aquarium of Niagara President & CEO Gary Siddall.

In a video detailing the expansion, Siddall said the exhibits would include opportunities for crawling, exploring, walking around and putting hands in some exhibits. Christine Streich, the director of communications, said they work with organizations accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums to bring in the animals to be displayed, either though extras some facilities have or by taking them from the natural environment so that it would not impact their habitat.

Buffalo-based Turner Construction was chosen to be project manager for this expansion. It has previously worked on a $3.8 million renovation to the Penguin Coast exhibit in 2018 and worked with Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, the New England Aquarium in Boston and the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn.

Construction is start in June and be completed by Spring 2024 and is expected to welcome more than 200,000 visitors annually.

Great Lakes 360 was announced in December 2022 when the Aquarium acquired the former Niagara Gorge Discovery Center, a geological museum that operated from 1971 to the COVID-19 pandemic, located 500 feet southwest of it on Niagara Falls State Park land.

The aquarium previously received $1 million in funding from Empire State Development to help fund programming and promotion for the new center. The state Assembly, Niagara County, and National Grid also contributed funding for this expansion.