Aquarium of the Pacific Celebrates the Grand Opening of New Pacific Visions

After several years of construction, the new Pacific Visions is officially open at the Aquarium of the Pacific! The Grand Opening Ceremony on last Friday was a blast. We can’t wait to journey inside the Aquarium of the future, witness the new stunning glass building, experience a state-of–the-art immersive theater, interactive art installations, engaging multimedia displays, and live animal exhibits. It is also really exciting to explore underwater realms, future possibilities, and help create a new planet right here on Earth.

All of these amazing new features are all under one roof at the brand new Pacific Visions at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Art Gallery

The Pacific Visions experience begins in an art gallery to immerse visitors in a sensory space that sparks curiosity and inspiration. The opening installation was created by Convivial Studio, a European art and design practice based in Germany, and features elements that give visitors a new perspective of the ocean. These include a series of video projections, Coral World and Plankton World, accompanied by soundscapes, a touchable relief wall with video projections, glass sculptures inspired by plankton, and a collection of mirrored exhibits called Infinity Coral.

Orientation Gallery

Visitors gather in the orientation gallery to view a short film and interact with a virtual waterfall. The projected virtual waterfall flows down one wall and onto the floor, inviting visitors to interact with it. The pre-show film introduces visitors to the Pacific Visions theater experience. Stunning imagery of wildlife, nature, and people show the beauty of our planet and its history. Images and inspiring quotes reveal our changing relationship with nature.

Honda Pacific Visions Theater

The Honda Pacific Visions Theater has more than 300 stadium-style seats facing a 32-foot-tall, 130-foot-wide screen that is curved in a 180-degree arc to capture viewers’ entire range of vision.

The stage includes a 36-foot-wide, oval-shaped disc that tilts up to display images projected onto the floor. The new Designing Our Future show playing in the theater immerses visitors in underwater realms, stunning landscapes, and visions of the future. The show is enhanced with multisensory effects, including seat rumblers, strobe light effects, fog, wind, and scents.

Culmination Gallery

After the theater show, visitors enter the culmination gallery, which features a massive interactive projection wall, game tables, and animal exhibits. These exhibits help visitors learn more about, explore, and create a sustainable future.