Have you visited the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium recently? It's a world-class, nonprofit facility that inspires visitors to explore and learn about our planet's amazing ecosystems.
Since opening in Draper in 2014, the aquarium has welcomed over eight million guests and provided countless educational experiences. It’s home to seven sustainable exhibit spaces. You can explore ecosystems from all over the world, including kelp forests, coral reefs, the deep ocean, Antarctic waters, Asian cloud forests, South American rainforests, and even Utah's own waterways.
It all started with founder and CEO Brent Andersen, who first brought the aquarium to life in the back of a van in 1988. The Aquavan traveled from school to school, teaching students. Today, the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
"In its purist form, [opening the aquarium] is the American dream," said James Jensen, director of marketing for the Living Planet Aquarium, said. "Brent went to school to be a marine biologist and discovered how educating kids about the natural world, the living planet, left a spark in their eyes. He decided to make that a mission for himself."
In addition to the aquarium, the Rio Tinto Kennecott Plaza is a nine-acre expansion on the north side that features the massive 165-foot-tall EECO structure (aka the claw) that was created for the rock band U2. The EECO Voyager is a virtual reality experience that allows guests to explore the ocean or the Amazon.
A new building is slated to open this fall, featuring 13 classrooms, a Mountain America state-of-the-art event center, and the home of a new, revamped exhibit, Ford Expedition Asia, which will be a much larger space than its current location.
"Whatever the intent of the guest is, especially if you want something different and a place to connect, the aquarium is a great place to come," said Jensen.
"Seems like an oxymoron, to have an oasis in the desert, but it's true." James