Into the Lake Exhibit Renovation
September 16, 2024 | Opens June 2025
ECHO’s well-known “Into the Lake” exhibit is getting a completely new design and undergoing a large-scale renovation! The current gallery is twenty years old and hosts the museum’s largest aquarium, a 7,000-gallon freshwater habitat that displays Lake Champlain’s largest, most charismatic fish species, including lake sturgeon, bowfin, channel catfish, freshwater drum, and muskellunge. See below for more information about the exhibit upgrades and habitat expansion.
Fish on the Move | September 6, 2024
Wondering where all the fish went as we prepare to renovate?
Don’t worry — they haven’t gone far, and they’ll be back soon!
As we prepare for construction, our expert team of Animal Care staff has been busy moving many of our animals out of the museum and into temporary, off-site aquatic housing, where they’ll stay until construction is complete. Think of it like a fish vacation — just with fewer piña coladas and a lot more fish food.
But getting fish ready for vacation isn’t quite as simple as packing a suitcase. To prepare for transport, fish are carefully ‘herded’ into aquatic containers by staff, who take special precautions to avoid damaging the animals’ protective slime.
In addition to the fish themselves, staff transport water and substrate from tanks here at ECHO to their new home. Water and tank substrate, such as rocks and plants, carry beneficial bacteria essential to establishing a healthy aquarium environment and preventing the buildup of chemicals such as ammonia, which can be harmful to fish.
Once the fish have arrived at their temporary home, staff carefully monitor each introduction to the new space and perform regular water quality tests, conditioning, and water changes to ensure stable, healthy water. All of these efforts help to minimize the stress of acclimation and ensure that our aquatic ambassadors will thrive in their new environment.
Over the next few months, our off-site animals will continue to receive the same world-class care from our Animal Care staff that they would here at ECHO. Make sure to keep an eye on our social media and Into the Lake renovation webpage for more updates along the way!
Previous Updates
If you’ve visited ECHO recently, you may have noticed some empty tanks — or even the occasional staff member inside an aquarium!
As we prepare to renovate our Into the Lake exhibit, ECHO’s Facilities and Animal Care team is hard at work moving many of our Animal Ambassadors out of the museum and into their new, temporary aquatic housing.
Whenever they relocate fish, staff also bring along water from their ECHO tanks as well as their substrate, such as rocks and plants, which carries bacteria essential to maintaining a healthy aquarium. This minimizes the stress of acclimating to new water and ensures that our temporary tanks contain plenty of healthy microbes to help the animals thrive.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at ECHO for our Animals on the Move Member Party!
Members and their families joined ECHO staff and Animal Care experts to say “see you soon!” to the animals moving out of the museum temporarily for exhibit upgrades and renovations this fall.
Guests received a sneak peek at plans for the new Into the Lake exhibit, chatted with Animal Care experts about aquarium updates, and wrote postcards to their favorite Animal Ambassadors.
We are so excited to announce that we break ground for our newly renovated Into the Lake exhibit starting this September!
The current gallery is twenty years old and hosts the museum’s largest aquarium, a 7,000-gallon freshwater habitat that displays Lake Champlain’s largest, most charismatic fish species, including lake sturgeon, bowfin, channel catfish, freshwater drum, and muskellunge.
The new design will enhance public education about native wildlife and stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin ecosystem with a brand new 15,000-gallon aquarium, updated exhibits, a new presentation space, and more
Into the Lake Exhibit Renovation
Lake Champlain is home to a robust freshwater ecosystem that provides benefits for the surrounding community and countless species of animals and plants. It requires protection to ensure it continues to benefit future generations. This $3.3 million project will upgrade ECHO’s “Into the Lake” exhibit gallery and enhance public education about native wildlife and stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin ecosystem. The upgraded gallery will feature an even larger, expanded aquarium, updated exhibits, a new presentation space, and more. Key experiences include:
FEATURE AQUARIUM
A brand new 15,000-gallon aquarium featuring ECHO’s iconic lake sturgeon and other large fish native to Lake Champlain.
NATIVE ANIMAL DISPLAYS
Updated habitats for the American eel, landlocked Atlantic salmon, and lake trout with related experiences.
NEW HOME FOR THE SNAPPING TURTLE
ECHO’s beloved snapper will move up to the mezzanine and into a larger and deeper river display.
INVASIVE SPECIES DISPLAY & EXHIBIT
With information about how they got here, what you can do to help prevent the spread, and their negative impact on ecosystems and economies.
PLANKTON EXHIBIT
A large, luminous 3D plankton sculpture and digital interactive about plankton’s role in the food web.
LIVE DEMOS + PRESENTATION SPACE
With large viewing windows for visitors to marvel at the amazing creatures in front of them, comfortable seating, and supporting AV.
RESEARCH & STEWARDSHIP CONNECTIONS
Interactive exhibits and interpretive graphics about the life cycle and habitat needs of native aquatic species. Content will reflect current research and share stewardship actions visitors can take to protect the Lake.
The exhibit renovations will begin mid-September and continue through May 2025.
From September 16 through tentatively October 4, the museum will be closed Monday thru Friday, but open on weekends. More details on dates to come soon. Check out our calendar for all events and social media for our latest news.
Media Inquiries
Contact Nicole Bova, ECHO’s Director of Development, via email or phone, 802.864.1848 Ext. 120.