New Exhibit Merges Play, Learning, Splash at Great Lakes Aquarium

Photos courtesy of Great Lakes Aquarium

Summer is a splash all over the state of Minnesota. This year, that includes the newest must-see exhibit at Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth. Since it’s opening in late 2021, H20: Watersheds at Work has welcomed record crowds to the Aquarium vying for a chance for some good, clean fun!

But H2O is more than just a place to play.

The colorful exhibit, which transformed the Aquarium’s main gallery, explores the physical properties of water, methods of keeping it clean, the ways water moves through a community, and how it connects us to the world.

H2O’s main attraction is the reimagined Great Lakes water table. Families who plan annual Aquarium trips just to visit the water table—don’t worry. The H2O table is a new and improved version of the old, with a lower profile for smaller hands to reach, more accessibility for people using mobility devices, and more fun features. It still has the boats, the reproduction of the Great Lakes, and the same locks and dams system for endless enjoyment.

Three new, standalone interactives in H2O showcase properties of water—adhesion, cohesion, and hydrostatic pressure. This is where junior scientists can engage in some seriously fun, focused experimentation.

Parental warning: This is also the splashiest, wettest part of the exhibit experience. Aquarium staff often recommends packing a change of clothes for the younger visitors.

Water on the Move is a walk-through, three room playscape within H2O which traces the path water takes through our local community and ecosystem. Children and adults love to move from playhouse-sized room to room trying out a multitude of hands-on elements including leaf plinko, marble pump lifts, spin wheels, and water treatment mazes.

In short, the Aquarium keeps finding new ways to make learning fun. And by the sounds of the squeals of laughter on the exhibit floor, they’re helping make lifelong family memories as well.

“Our mission is to connect people to the water and wildlife of Lake Superior and beyond. We’re always looking for ways to improve on that,” said Jay Walker, executive director. “We hit a record attendance in 2021 and secured our spot as the most visited paid attraction in Duluth. But we’re looking forward and I can’t wait to see what our team does next.”

Great Lakes Aquarium is located along the harbor in Duluth nestled between Bayfront Festival Park and Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.