A glorious spring day in Chicago - even Lake Michigan seemed to sparkle more than usual! And that weather really bought people out in their thousands to enjoy the Shedd aquarium and other foreshore attractions.
A day like today helped me understand why the Shedd attracts >2 million visitiors per year.. or >5,000/day on average... today must have been double that!
And as much as that speaks to the influence of nice weather and spring breaks, that high level of visitation is also a testament to the enduring attractiveness of this amazing national institution. One of the first major public aquariums in the US -- the Shedd opened in 1930 -- the aquarium has undergone some major renovations and is again in the middle of a major capital campaign to ugrade the oceanarium.
It was a pleasure to walk around and absorb the power of aquaria to reach such large numbers of people from all walks of life in ways that are truly inspiring. I stood next to a child mesmerized by penguins flying underwater mere inches from their hands. I watched crowds watching divers watching animals. I listened to mothers admonishing belugas for swimming too fast to photograph and fathers cheering the antics of sea otters.
It was particularly interesting for me to see how Shedd blends media and experiences from the very traditional to the cutting edge (4D!) - that diversity clearly adds vibrancy to the institution and helps the bottom line stay buoyant.
Clearly the Shedd lives up to its mission:
At Shedd Aquarium, animals connect you to the living world, inspiring you to make a difference (http://www.sheddaquarium.org/) .
Lots of lessons for me to bring back to the SeaLife Center - I'll present additional observations at the next Senior Management Team and Board meetings.
Oh... and why was I there? I stopped by at Shedd to meet with their President, Ted Beattie and senior staff to discuss further collaboration under the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center network under which we are developing proposals to link our education and research efforts - stay tuned for further news on that nascent partnership...
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