From Big Tanks to Big Adventures

Discover how visionary aquariums are using new tools to deepen impact.

It’s 2025… a glance through the glass isn’t enough.

How do sea turtles move? What do cuttlefish eat? Where do sunfish go during their mysterious lives? 

More than anything, guests want to connect and feel something that stays with them long after they leave.

That’s why aquariums across the country are evolving. They’re trading wordy wall plaques and silent tanks for immersive media-enhanced interactive play, driven by purpose-built storytelling.

Done right, these tools can transform the marine experience into something deeper: more personal, more accessible, more unforgettable and more repeatable.

Interactive. Intentional. Impactful.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t about screens for screens’ sake. It’s about using technology to amplify the real.

At Sea Life Aquarium at LEGOLAND Florida, guests encounter animated video characters built into tank displays, providing bite-sized insights in kid-friendly formats. Nearby touchscreen pads allow for self-guided learning, letting visitors unlock fast facts about species in real time.

At the Florida Aquarium’s MORPH’D exhibit, we at IDEAS helped replace infographics with 22-inch interactive touchscreens and QR-enabled content. Guests can dive into animal biology, behavior and habitat storytelling — on-site or on their phones. 

A playful “Archerfish Arcade” even lets guests spray digital bugs off branches using real water blasters, just like the fish themselves.

And at the Aquarium of the Pacific, a small-form VR simulator called “Undersea Explorer” transports guests into the deep. Through motion seating and 360-degree live-action footage, visitors can swim with manta rays, descend with sharks or glide beside a humpback whale, all without getting wet.

Why It Works

Interactive media in aquariums isn’t a gimmick. It’s a strategic tool for enhanced emotional connection and deeper cognitive engagement. 

Here’s what it brings to the table:

• Engagement Boost. Screens, games and immersive exhibits keep younger visitors curious, alert and active.
• Deeper Learning. Gamification and storytelling help decode complex science, no doctorate required.
• Accessibility. Audio narration, captioning and multilingual content welcome more guests into the experience.
• Stronger Messaging. AR overlays and animated explainer videos bring marine life behaviors into focus.
• Extended Reach. Media content can travel far beyond the aquarium’s walls, powering education programs, social media and digital campaigns.

Considerations Before You Dive In

With interactivity comes responsibility. Aquariums must walk a careful line to avoid turning their experience into a tech showcase.

A Different Cost/Benefit Calculus

Touchscreens, video walls and AR platforms require up-front investment and ongoing maintenance to deliver increased value:

• Maintenance. Technology ages fast. Guests notice when screens freeze, apps glitch or buttons break. The solution is picking the right systems for the long haul.
• Glass Reflections & Light Pollution. Improper placement of monitors near tanks can interfere with viewing or even stress the animals. Exhibit planning needs to be 360 degrees from the guest, zoological and animal points of view.
• Guest Fatigue. If everything is interactive, nothing feels special. Balance is essential, and simplicity is good design guidance.
• Accessibility Gaps. Not all interactive media is built with universal access in mind. Engagement tools should offer multiple touchpoints.

Enhance, Don’t Distract

Firmly embrace the doctrine that the animals are ALWAYS the stars of the show. The best uses of interactive media in aquariums don’t overshadow the living exhibits; they frame them.

Whether it’s a touchscreen that helps decode a jellyfish’s anatomy, a periscope that simulates a four-eyed fish’s vision or a mobile app that syncs storytelling with exhibit zones, the goals are always the same.

Inspire connection. Deepen understanding. Spark action.

Because in the end, it’s not the screen that changes a guest’s behavior. It’s what people feel when the story hits home.

Reinvent the Norm With IDEAS

Want to elevate your aquarium’s experience with thoughtful interactive media? We can help. From design and narrative to implementation and optimization, we don’t design your destination from the ground up, we build it from the guest-out.

Explore our work on MORPH’D.

Read more about the Performance Playbook.

Let’s talk about your next guest experience.