New Shedd Aquarium store offers immersive experience

Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium completed a centennial-centered project that is engaging more visitors in the store’s curated products that give back.

The iconic Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is one of the country’s oldest and a Windy City that cares for a notably diverse aquatic collection of more than 32,000 animals. Now, it’s more guest-friendly and the Shedd Aquarium Store is designed to capture in-and-out traffic following a major redesign.

Guests are engaged in an immersive and place-centered experience in the renovated store, from lively pop-up programming and garden space in the Welcome Plaza to an atrium entry that encourages visits to the shop. Importantly, the reimagined Shedd Aquarium Store is positioned at what is now the only entrance/exit, which opened in November 2024.

The Shedd Aquarium Store’s new location within the institution offers an expanded footprint and fresh take on displays with new, locally inspired and sustainably minded products.

The project is part of a grander plan: a $500-million Centennial Commitment program prior to its 100th birthday in 2030 that involved a transformed Welcome Plaza, external ticketing pavilion, gift store and permanent art installation in the new atrium lobby titled, “The Once and Forever Lake Michigan,” by artist David Franklin.

Connectivity to the lake and the aquarium’s dynamic exhibits carries into the new store through custom displays, curated products and improved flow that encourages exploration and has increased sales, and as a result, upped proceeds that support Shedd.

While the shop is larger, impact is the focus, says Rebecca Larsen, store director of the Event Network-operated gift shop. “Every section tells its own story and flows guests through the store in a more natural way than before,” she explains.

A store that tells stories

The previous Shedd Aquarium Store was known for its characteristic octopus ceiling, a nod to the Pacific octopus named Sawyer and the focus of a 4-D experience within the museum. The new store is “very experiential,” says Larsen, drawing in more aquatic themes with custom-designed displays by Good Wood Nashville, which creates artisanal pieces. Specifically, the company created nesting tables in various shapes to pull together nature scenes and elevate products.

The new guest-friendly store at Shedd Aquarium is designed to make a huge impact on vistors on their way in and out of the attraction.

Display pillars 3-D printed with marble designs are a nod to the institution’s architecture. “They hold shark teeth and were custom made for Shedd,” says Larsen.

Other pillars were treated with 3-D printed facades that look like underwater rock. “Every detail in the store was extremely planned and thoughtful, and Event Network worked closely with Shedd to capture this under-the-sea grotto feel so when you walk into the store, it’s a true extension of Shedd,” Larsen says.

Uniquely Shedd

Upon entering the new atrium, a graphic collage with the Shedd store logo and a video loop of underwater aquatic scenes captures attention. “This has been a huge point of interest for guests and it draws them into the store,” Larsen says. “Whenever we look out, we see visitors taking pictures in front of it.”

In many ways, it’s a robust selfie backdrop that builds excitement for taking home Shedd memories from the store, which expanded popular categories including sustainable products and exclusively Shedd.

Local print artmaker Brain Freeze Press creates Shedd, Lake Michigan and Windy City themed apparel, canvas bags, stickers, drinkware and other souvenir items. Best sellers include plush made from 100-percent recycled materials, and every purchase gives visitors an option to round up or make a donation of their choice that supports Shedd.

“From our packaging to how our vendors source materials and manufacture products, these initiatives align with Shedd,” says Larsen.